Smart Slider 3 vs FrontBlocks Site Tools

FrontBlocks Site Tools is a lightweight, all-in-one toolkit covering the everyday needs of a WordPress site. Instead of installing a separate plugin for every small requirement, get block editor enhancements, cookie consent, maintenance mode, image optimization, social login and other practical site utilities from a single, well-maintained plugin. Turn Query Loops and grids into carousels, add animations and visual effects, improve layouts, and cover common site needs — from GDPR-friendly cookie notices to maintenance mode and modern image delivery. FrontBlocks works with native WordPress blocks as well as supported GenerateBlocks elements, with optional integrations for WooCommerce, GenerateBlocks/GeneratePress and Gravity Forms. Container Edge Alignment Add custom controls to GenerateBlocks Container blocks and native WordPress Group/Container blocks to remove padding from the left or right side, creating edge-to-edge layouts. This feature only appears for containers using GeneratePress global max-width settings, perfect for creating asymmetric layouts where content extends to one browser edge while maintaining proper spacing on the other side. Carousel/Slider for GenerateBlocks Grid and Query Loop We have added options to Gutenberg blocks that enable you to create a carousel or slider using your preferred blocks. Supported blocks include GenerateBlocks Grid, GenerateBlocks Element, core/group, and the native WordPress Query Loop (core/query). To start using the carousel, go to the grid block or Query Loop block and select the ‘Carousel’ or ‘Slider’ option in the ‘FrontBlocks Grid Options’ section. Carousel/Slider attributes: – Autoplay: automatically changes the slides after a certain amount of time (in seconds). – Items to view: configure the number of items to display for different screen sizes: * Desktop (>1200px): number of items to show on desktop screens. * Laptop (992px-1199px): number of items to show on laptop screens. * Tablet (768px-991px): number of items to show on tablet screens. * Mobile ( , , , ) and event-handler attributes (on*) are stripped before saving, protecting against XSS attacks. Login Block: Add a native Gutenberg login form block to any page or post. Insert the block from the Gutenberg inserter under the FrontBlocks category. Features a toggle to switch between login form and registration form views, with fully customizable labels and styles. Ideal for membership sites or pages requiring a clean, integrated login experience without a shortcode. Google Sign-In: Let visitors sign in or register with their Google account instead of, or alongside, a WordPress username and password. Add your Google Client ID and Client Secret in the FrontBlocks settings page to enable a “Sign in with Google” / “Sign up with Google” button on the wp-admin login screen, the WooCommerce My Account login and registration forms, and the WooCommerce Checkout page for guests — plus a [frontblocks_google_login] / [frontblocks_google_register] shortcode and a Google Login block for use anywhere. Uses Google Identity Services in the browser and verifies the resulting ID token server-side (signature, issuer, audience and expiry) before matching or creating a WordPress account — no third-party PHP library required. Post Meta (Native) — FrontBlocks PRO: Display custom field values from post meta inside native WordPress blocks directly in the editor. Select any registered meta key and output its value inline within heading, paragraph, or other text blocks — no shortcodes or custom PHP required. Useful for displaying dynamic data such as prices, dates, or any custom field stored in post meta. Available in FrontBlocks PRO. FAQ Schema (JSON-LD): Automatically generate FAQPage structured data for search engines. Enable the “FAQ Schema” toggle in any accordion block (core/details) to mark it as an FAQ item. FrontBlocks collects all enabled items on the page and outputs a valid FAQPage JSON-LD script in the footer, improving your chances of appearing as rich results in Google Search. Gravity Forms Inline Layout: Display Gravity Forms with fields and buttons on the same line. Perfect for newsletter signup forms (email + subscribe button) or search forms (input + search button). To use this feature: 1. Select a form in the Gravity Forms block 2. Find the “FrontBlocks Gravity Form Options” panel in the block settings where you can: – Enable inline layout with a simple toggle – Adjust the gap between elements (0-50px) – Responsive design: automatically stacks on mobile devices This feature eliminates the need for custom CSS to achieve inline form layouts. Stacked Images Block: Display a set of images with an animated stacking effect. Images appear layered on top of each other and animate in from a configurable direction (top, bottom, left, or right). Insert the block from the Gutenberg inserter under the FrontBlocks category and upload multiple images. Features: – Configurable animation duration and delay between each image. – Container height control to fit any layout. – Smooth entrance animations driven by CSS/JS with no dependencies. Events: Register and manage events directly from WordPress. Enable the Events feature from the FrontBlocks settings page and choose between two modes: a dedicated Custom Post Type (with its own menu and category taxonomy) or storing events as regular posts. Each event includes meta fields for: – All-day toggle – Start and end date and time – Cost – Event website URL Language Recommendation Banner: Display a smart banner that detects the visitor’s browser language and suggests switching to the matching version of the site. Enable the banner from the FrontBlocks settings page. The banner only appears when the site has a translated version matching the user’s browser language, and respects user dismissal via a cookie. Cookie Notice: Show a lightweight, configurable cookie consent banner with Accept and Reject actions. Choose between a full-width bottom bar, a boxed panel (bottom-left or bottom-right) or a centered popup, and customize the message, button labels, cookie policy page, accent color and cookie expiration. Google Tag Manager and/or GA4 are only requested and loaded after a visitor accepts — never before — and returning visitors who already accepted get the scripts on normal page load. The settings page also shows a simple accepted/rejected acceptance-rate stat (admins are excluded from the count). Implements Google Consent Mode v2, so it also holds back tracking from other analytics/ads plugins that respect it — including Google Site Kit — until the visitor decides. Advanced Cookie Management (FrontBlocks PRO): Extend Cookie Notice with separate Necessary, Analytics and Marketing preferences, a customizable preferences dialog and a reusable trigger that lets visitors update their choices later. Google Ads, Meta Pixel and Microsoft Clarity only run after the relevant category is accepted. It also supports the official Meta Pixel for WordPress plugin by holding its Pixel and Conversions API signals until Marketing consent. WooCommerce Features: Included features for WooCommerce FrontBlocks PRO. FrontBlocks PRO: FrontBlocks PRO is a premium plugin that extends the functionality of FrontBlocks. It includes additional features and improvements over the free version. Features: – Enable Gutenberg in the product editor. – Enable simple prices for variable products. – Block added after button. – Product description behaviour. – Disable zoom on product image. – Share buttons. – Custom Post Types Builder: Create and manage custom post types with advanced configuration options: * Create custom post types with a simple interface from the FrontBlocks settings page * Configure post type behavior (Post or Page style – hierarchical or not) * Enable/disable categories taxonomy for each custom post type * Add custom meta fields with multiple field types (Text, Textarea, URL, Date, File, Number, Email) * Individual settings …

Homepage | Features | Templates | Videos | Docs | Support Smart Slider 3 is the most powerful and intuitive WordPress plugin to create sliders which was never possible before. Fully responsive, SEO optimized and works with any WordPress theme. Create beautiful sliders and tell stories without any code. Live slide editor A beautiful interface makes creating slides fast and efficient. The complete freedom to build what you want, the way you want. Edit your slides as you used to in page builders. Drop layers after each other and structure them with rows and columns. Unique Layouts with Layers Enhance your slider with the layers and make your site even more unique and grandiose. Every heading, text, image, button and video can be edited easily with the customization options. Change all the details that really matter in typography and style. Responsive, Mobile-Ready Sliders Switch your slider to a different device mode and optimize your content for the resolution. Your site can be enjoyed in any environment, be it a mobile, tablet or desktop. Beautiful Sliders to Start No tech skills are needed, just pick a slider template. It works like magic! Choose from a variety of beautiful templates or start with a blank Slider. The simple way to build every kind: image, layer, video and post slider. Most powerful features Default position – Edit your slides as you used to in page builders. Absolute position – Drag and drop your layers anywhere on the slide with absolute layers. Slide Library – Slide Library provides several pre-made slides to kickstart your work. Totally integrated with WordPress – Media manager, shortcode, widget, post permalinks, post editor. Page Builder support – Elementor, Divi, Beaver Builder, Page Builder by SiteOrigin, Visual Composer, WPBakery Page Builder, Gutenberg and many more… Totally responsive and touch friendly – Sliders can be enjoyed on any device, be it a mobile, tablet or desktop. Dynamic Slides – Available source: WordPress posts Customizable controls – Arrows, Bullets, Autoplay, Bar, Thumbnails, Shadows Slide backgrounds – 9 Super smooth background animations Layers – Build unique designs with 6 varied layers: Image, Heading, Text, Button, Vimeo, YouTube Font and Style manager system – Change easily all the details that really matter in typography and style. Template sliders – 15 sliders to start Features: Import and Export sliders Intuitive slide creation: choose images, select WordPress Posts or add YouTube and Vimeo videos Static overlay Touch swipe, scroll, keyboard navigation Full-width and boxed responsive layouts Slide-switching animations: Horizontal, Vertical, Fade Slide background animations Autoplay timing options Slider controls: Arrow, Bullet, Autoplay, Bar, Thumbnail and Shadow SEO optimized Layers: Image, Heading, Text, Button, Vimeo, YouTube Layer snap in visual slide editor Adaptive layer font sizing Hide layers on specific devices Slide thumbnail image WordPress Multi Site compatible Custom responsive breakpoints Testimonials “I can heartily recommend the free version. It already provides more functionality than any other slider plugin – even many premium ones.” – Daniel Pataki – WPMU DEV “Having tried more than a few WordPress slider plugins, both free and paid, I can honestly say that this is one of the best that I’ve ever tested…” – Daryn Collier – WPKube “Since Smart Slider is free to use, I do not have to really stress how good a plugin it is because you can download it yourself and see for yourself.” – Kevin Muldoon “This plugin can be used for much more than a simple slider – being able to create whole sections of your website.” – Oliver Dale – WPLift “Taking all this into consideration we can safely say that Smart Slider 3 is one of the top WordPress slider plugins.” – Mark Zahra – WP Mayor Support Smart Slider 3 is a community-driven project that would not be the same without your feedback. If you have any problem or feature request for this plugin, please feel free to contact us! Smart Slider 3 Pro Features: All template sliders Layer animation builder Live animation timeline 18 extra layers 2 extra slider types Full page responsive layout All generators for dynamic slides Extra background animations (more than 54) Built-in lightbox Advanced controls and many more control presets A ton of customization options Premium support Full list of features Unlock Your Full Potential with Smart Slider 3 Pro Dynamic slide sources in the FREE version WordPress Posts: WordPress posts by Category and Tag filter or only the specified posts. Dynamic slide sources in PRO version WordPress Custom Posts: WordPress posts from custom post types by custom taxonomy filter or only the specified custom posts WooCommerce slider from products: Woocommerce products by Category, Tag, Featured, In Stock and downloadable filter or only the specified products. NextGEN Gallery: displays the images and related meta from the selected source gallery. Events: Events by Category and Tag filter. Supported plugins: All-in-One Event Calendar, Events Manager, The Events Calendar Image slider: displays the images and related meta from the selected source gallery. Supported plugins: Gallery by BestWebSoft, Photo Gallery by WD Social dynamic sources: Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, Picasa, YouTube, Pinterest Translations English Spanish (es_ES) 99% Portuguese (Brasil) (pt_BR) 60% Polish (pl_PL) 60% Russian (ru_RU) 59% Italian (it_IT) 55% French (fr_FR) 50% Hungarian (hu_HU) 44% Traditional Chinese (zh_TW) 42% Finnish (fi_FI) 39% Japanese (ja_JP) 37% German (de_DE) 31% Is Smart Slider 3 the tool you’ve been looking for? Come hang out in our Facebook Community for tips and inspiration. Dive into our fun YouTube tutorials and supercharge your skills. Show some love on WordPress with a rating to support us. Get inspired daily on Twitter by following us.