The Best WordPress Photo Gallery Plugins
Images and photographs are at the core of most websites. Without them, all you have are boring blocks of text. You might still be able to convey some information using only written content, but it certainly wouldn’t be nearly as engaging, and in some cases, may lack clarity.
Fortunately, WordPress makes it pretty easy to add photographs to your pages, as well as to build galleries. However, there are also a lot of amazing WordPress image gallery plugins that give you access to a broad range of extra functionality that can improve your image displays further.
In this article, we’re going to introduce you to seven of the best free gallery plugins for WordPress. We’ll talk about their features, ease of use, and everything else you need to know before choosing which one to take for a spin. Let’s get to it!
1. NextGEN Gallery
The free version of NextGEN Gallery enables you to set up two types of photo galleries as well as albums. You get a basic thumbnail gallery as well as slideshows. However, you can customize both these styles with a lot of effects, including lightboxes, transitions, size, and more.
From a usability standpoint, NextGEN Gallery enables you to upload large batches of photos, so you can put together galleries faster. You can also edit multiple thumbnails at a time, which makes it a great fit if you need to work on a lot of photographs.
2. Photo Gallery by 10web
If you’re looking for a user-friendly gallery plugin, Photo Gallery by 10web might just be a perfect choice. It includes a drag-and-drop gallery builder that means you won’t have to mess around with clunky menus. Plus, it comes with several pre-built layouts you can use to kickstart your design.
On top of that, Photo Gallery by 10web enables you to create galleries that look great on mobile, which is essential nowadays. You can also add sharing functionality to your images, so your visitors can help you bring in more traffic by showing your images off on social media.
3. Robo Gallery
Robo Gallery stands out because it offers you a lot of gallery styles to play with, including a masonry design and a portfolio-optimized layout. On top of that, the plugin packs a very broad range of effects you can add to your photo galleries, such as transitions, hover animations, lazy loading, and more.
Overall, Robo Gallery offers a whole lot more customization options than most other plugins in this category. That means it’s not as beginner-friendly as other entries in this list, but still quite powerful if you don’t mind a bit of tinkering.
4. Modula
One common complaint with WordPress photo gallery plugins is they sometimes tend to look a bit similar. That is to say, they include popular gallery styles that tend to be a hit with most websites, but lack more creative layouts that could help images stand out more.
If you’re looking for a plugin that enables you to create more unique-looking galleries, Modula might be right up your alley. With this plugin, you can easily customize the size of each photo within your gallery grid using a simple drag-and-drop interface. The plugin also includes a lot of customization options. Despite that, it features one of the most intuitive menus we’ve run into so far.
5. Photonic Gallery
There are a lot of amazing platforms that enable you to host and share your photo albums. This plugin enables you to integrate your WordPress website with several of them, including Google Photos, Flickr, and Instagram.
In practice, that means you can import photo collections from those services into your website, enabling you to set up galleries in a flash. Plus, it gives you a lot of control over how your galleries look, which is always a great touch.
6. Envira Gallery
Envira Gallery is a powerful photo gallery plugin that focuses on two things – ease of use and Search Engine Optimization (SEO). It accomplishes that first goal by integrating a powerful drag-and-drop builder that’s very simple to pick up even for beginners.
As far as SEO goes, it enables you to add all the metadata you need to your images and galleries so they can contribute to your rankings. By boosting your site’s visibility, this plugin could help bring more organic traffic to your site.
7. Portfolio Gallery
If you want to showcase your photography on WordPress, the Portfolio Gallery plugin is an excellent option. You can use it for all kinds of images and it comes with several pre-built layouts you can choose from. Most of them enable you to include some extra information about each picture, which is what makes it perfect for portfolios.
On top of that, the plugin packs a lot of customization options, which means it can adapt to almost any type of website. The downside is that the learning curve can be a bit steep, but it’s a small price to pay for an attractive portfolio for your website.
8. Photo Gallery by Supsystic
Photo Gallery gives you layouts so you can create the perfect gallery from scratch. You can opt to have them move or stay static, and choose the way each photo should face. You can also upload in bulk, which saves you time. The gallery allows for photos, videos, or HTML, and will adjust to fit any device.
Because everything is customizable, you can go back and change your design at any time. Quickly add or delete new photos, and keep things fresh.
No matter the kind of photos you take, these plugins will display them beautifully!
9. Gallery – Flagallery Photo Portfolio
Sure, you can already add a gallery in WordPress, but not one that looks this good. Visitors to your site have the option to open a full-screen slideshow, or look through your photos as they scroll by. The plugin is completely responsive and looks great on a mobile device. If you want, you can even add music.
Grand Flagallery is completely customizable and allows you to change whatever you need to fit your needs.
Choose An Image Gallery Plugin That Best Fits Your Needs With WP Engine
Using a great WordPress gallery plugin is just the first step. If you want to make sure your photographs load perfectly, you’ll also want to use a WordPress web host that’s all about performance.
With WP Engine, you get access to a lot of features that can make beautiful, image-filled websites load quickly. Check out our plans to find out which one is the perfect fit for you!
