WP Smart Preloader vs Page Loader (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 Loader has a higher user rating (4.9/5 from 8 reviews) while WP Smart Preloader leads in active installations (6.0K+ vs 3.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. WP Smart Preloader has accumulated 205K+ total downloads while Page Loader has 35K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | WP Smart Preloader | Page Loader | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.4/5 | ► | 4.9/5 |
| Total Reviews | 25 | ◄ | 8 |
| Active Installs | 6.0K+ | ◄ | 3.0K+ |
| Total Downloads | 205K+ | ◄ | 35K+ |
| Support Resolution | N/A | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 1 year ago | ◄ | 1 year ago |
| First Released | 2015 | 2017 | |
| Age | 11 years | 9 years | |
| WP Requires | 2.8+ | 3.0+ | |
| PHP Requires | false+ | false+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 1.15.3 | 1.2 |
Rating Breakdown
WP Smart Preloader
Page Loader
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, WP Smart Preloader averaged approximately 20 daily downloads while Page Loader averaged 7.
Recent Reviews
WP Smart Preloader Reviews
Clever but limited
Did work out of the install…but, it is on a timer, vs watching for when the actual heavy loading page completes. I also needed it to run on a particular page and not the whole site.
Good preloader!
Once I added the code below to my functions.php file and adjusted the timing it works great. I also like the included loading image #1 better than other preloaders. add_action('wp_footer', function
It is not a CSS Only Preloader (as advertised)
It will cause a blank page to be displayed if Javascript is turned off.
Page Loader Reviews
Perfectly minimalist
Perfectly minimalist, just what we need
Simple and Faster!
The plugin helped me a lot, but have something who can be upgraded, like more styles of loader animations and custom loader animations from gif’s and lotties.
it closed my head
big seo problem ! closed my head so bots could not read it €dit:They fixed the problem. I did not try it but belive it :p This topic was modified 4 years, 10 months ago by mktgwien.
More Preload Worth Comparing
Top alternatives in the same category as WP Smart Preloader and Page Loader
Make website faster, speed up page load time and improve performance scores in tools like Google PageSpeed Insights, GTmetrix, Pingdom, and more.
Easily add a pure CSS animated preloader to your WordPress website.
Take advantage of browser resource hints and plug-and-play features to improve page load time.
Allows you to specify on individual pages or posts the Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) Image on that page to preload, making the page load quicker.
Preload Featured Images automatically in posts to increase the PageSpeed Score.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is WP Smart Preloader or Page Loader more popular?
Which has better ratings — WP Smart Preloader or Page Loader?
Are WP Smart Preloader and Page Loader free?
Which plugin has better support — WP Smart Preloader or Page Loader?
Which plugin is updated more frequently?
Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.