Preloader vs Page Loading Effects (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, Page Loading Effects has a higher user rating (4.9/5 from 11 reviews) while Preloader leads in active installations (10K+ vs 2.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Preloader has accumulated 285K+ total downloads while Page Loading Effects has 45K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Preloader | Page Loading Effects | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.1/5 | ► | 4.9/5 |
| Total Reviews | 41 | ◄ | 11 |
| Active Installs | 10K+ | ◄ | 2.0K+ |
| Total Downloads | 285K+ | ◄ | 45K+ |
| Support Resolution | N/A | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 4 months ago | ◄ | 3 years ago |
| First Released | 2015 | 2016 | |
| Age | 11 years | 10 years | |
| WP Requires | 5.8+ | 4.7+ | |
| PHP Requires | 7.4+ | 7.0+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 2.0.2 | 3.0.0 |
Rating Breakdown
Preloader
Page Loading Effects
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Preloader averaged approximately 62 daily downloads while Page Loading Effects averaged 6.
Recent Reviews
Preloader Reviews
So many affiliate spam
such simple thing as preloader, didn’t expect so many affiliate links This topic was modified 10 months, 1 week ago by Mohaymenul Islam.
Got stuck on preloading screen
Preloader got stuck and never disappeared to display the website. Also you are limited to 128x128px
Terrible, Don’t Waste Your Time.
Couldn’t get it to work on a very basic WP install. Better preloader plugins to choose from. Sadly it seems a quickly built plugin just designed to generate some ad revenue and waste people’s time. Ve
Page Loading Effects Reviews
Great!
Thank you for this. Very good looking loading effect 🙂
So Great. Very professional …Thanks!
So Great. Very professional …Thanks!
User friendly, does as promised
I use Google Optimise and instead of adding the anti-flicker code I added this. Works beautifully. Could use a few more animations, maybe a few different colours of the same animations so webmasters c
More Preloader Worth Comparing
Top alternatives in the same category as Preloader and Page Loading Effects
An easy to use plugin to add an animated preloader to your website with fully customisations.
Easily add a pure CSS animated preloader to your WordPress website.
Flat Preloader helps you create the loading page with many excited gif icons.
Preloader Awesome help You to create page loading animation WordPress with spinner or You can upload Your own GIF.
It will be enable Preloader on your web site. It includes 8 CSS3 preloader styles, image preloaders etc
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Preloader or Page Loading Effects more popular?
Which has better ratings — Preloader or Page Loading Effects?
Are Preloader and Page Loading Effects free?
Which plugin has better support — Preloader or Page Loading Effects?
Which plugin is updated more frequently?
Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.