Carousel Slider vs Owl Carousel WP (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 Owl Carousel WP has 67K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Carousel Slider | Owl Carousel WP | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.3/5 | ◄ | 3.1/5 |
| Total Reviews | 160 | ◄ | 14 |
| Active Installs | 30K+ | ◄ | 1.0K+ |
| Total Downloads | 1.1M+ | ◄ | 67K+ |
| Support Resolution | 0% | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 4 months ago | ◄ | 1 year ago |
| First Released | 2014 | 2015 | |
| Age | 12 years | 11 years | |
| WP Requires | 6.7+ | 5.2+ | |
| PHP Requires | 7.0+ | 5.6+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 2.2.17 | 2.2.2 |
Rating Breakdown
Carousel Slider
Owl Carousel WP
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Carousel Slider averaged approximately 119 daily downloads while Owl Carousel WP averaged 14.
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
Owl Carousel WP Reviews
Demasiasdo malo
Solo quien que compren la version PRO
non-intuitive
how to upload images to carousel?
Site crash, not support, double charge credit card
Also, right from the start, since the free version of the plugin,we had a problem with breaking the site. We thought the paid version could solve this, so we bought it. By activating the paid plugin,
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Carousel Slider or Owl Carousel WP more popular?
Which has better ratings — Carousel Slider or Owl Carousel WP?
Are Carousel Slider and Owl Carousel WP free?
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.