Carousel Slider vs Image Carousel (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, Carousel Slider has a higher user rating (4.3/5 from 160 reviews) and leads in active installations (30K+ vs 1.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Carousel Slider has accumulated 1.1M+ total downloads while Image Carousel has 110K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Carousel Slider | Image Carousel | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.3/5 | ◄ | 2.6/5 |
| Total Reviews | 160 | ◄ | 14 |
| Active Installs | 30K+ | ◄ | 1.0K+ |
| Total Downloads | 1.1M+ | ◄ | 110K+ |
| Support Resolution | 0% | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 4 months ago | ► | 3 months ago |
| First Released | 2014 | 2015 | |
| Age | 12 years | 11 years | |
| WP Requires | 6.7+ | 3.3+ | |
| PHP Requires | 7.0+ | false+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 2.2.17 | 1.0.0.41 |
Rating Breakdown
Carousel Slider
Image Carousel
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Carousel Slider averaged approximately 119 daily downloads while Image Carousel averaged 10.
Recent Reviews
Carousel Slider Reviews
no support
I’m disappointed with the support experience. After reaching out multiple times and waiting a reasonable amount of time, I did not receive any response. When issues come up, timely communication is
Best
good
great plugin but
I need to disable the mouse drag functionality so that when users click on a slide, it directly follows the link associated with the image (instead of triggering the drag-scroll action). Help plea
Image Carousel Reviews
BEST PLUGIN CARUSEL
This one are the best plugin for create slider for every post individualy, with their photos, not only for static photos/images. but you need a “gallery create”, for automaticly take the images, dsn’t
Had to disable because it wrecked featured images
I had installed this and related plugins to try and get nice looking galleries. It did the job well, however, it also replaced the featured images on my site with cropped and blurred versions of pictu
Awful Plugin
Another plugin that focuses on the pro version. Didn’t size photos correctly and was generally ugly. Wouldn’t ever use it again. Sorry
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Carousel Slider or Image Carousel more popular?
Which has better ratings — Carousel Slider or Image Carousel?
Are Carousel Slider and Image Carousel free?
Which plugin has better support — Carousel Slider or Image Carousel?
Which plugin is updated more frequently?
Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.