5+ Best WordPress Gallery Plugins for Your Professional Portfolio
One picture is worth a thousand words. That’s why a visual aspect of your website is crucial for its uniqueness. No matter what kind of website you want to create, the images you choose will be an important part of its overall content. Especially if you are a blogger with a focus on traveling, fashion, photography or any other creative field. Since the images you share play a vital role in your branding and website’s character. Thanks to WordPress anyone can create stunning image galleries easily. Besides the option to create WordPress gallery in Classic editor, you can also choose to do display the images with Gutenberg gallery blocks. Here, you basically select the images in WordPress media library and create a gallery without installing any plugin. But, the problem with the default WordPress image gallery is its lack of important functionality. If you want to keep the gallery and images responsive on mobile devices, show them as slideshows or to allow a lingtbox popup when someone opens the image, there are some amazing WordPress gallery plugins you can turn to. These plugins will not only provide you with professional features, but bring you endless possibilities for displaying the images in an engaging way. Another option is to use WordPress themes with gallery that cover gallery features in every aspect.
In a case, you still can’t decide what the best way to display the images on your website is, check out our list of 5 powerful WordPress gallery plugins:
QI plugin for Elementor is a feature-rich tool that covers your creative and practical website needs. With 60 free and 40+ premium amazing widgets, it’s a great choice for anyone who needs all in one solution for upgrading website features.
When it comes to gallery options, QI offers a practical Image gallery widget that will let you display remarkable image galleries, which you can adapt to fit your desired style. For starters, you can set the number of gallery columns separately for different responsive stages. You can set image proportions as well. This means you can display just a few images or your whole album collection depending on your needs. Also, your galleries can look more engaging and more dynamic since this plugin allows you to use different animation styles.
Apart from Image gallery widget, there are many other amazing widgets ideal for showcasing images. Try Image Slider, Masonry Image Gallery or Pinterest Image Gallery if you need a different kind of image showcase.
Image Slider is a great choice if you want your images to be organized in eye-catching sliders. This is a good option for photographers since it allows you to highlight your works in an interactive manner.
On the other hand, Masonry Image Gallery is perfect for designers, illustrators or photographers who want to share a large number of projects at the same time.
We also mentioned Pinterest Image Gallery widget since it’s an amazing option for elegant, more refined online showcases.
Features that make Qi addons for Elementor the best WordPress gallery plugin:
- Responsive design
- Different gallery columns
- Animation effects
Created by professionals at Imagely, NextGEN plugin covers basically everything you need to display your images in a stacking manner. The great news is this plugin works great for everyone – beginners as well as professionals. This user-friendly, easy to customize plugin is “made for photographers by photographers” and will definitely provide you with features you need to display your images professionally. But in a case you need some advanced options, NextGEN offers the premium package as well. All the basic features of this plugin are free, including two gallery display types and two album styles (compact and extended). However, each premium version offers expanded gallery and album functionality. Also, it provides you with full developer support. Plus, this version even adds e-commerce capabilities. Before we dive into this plugin’s installation and options, make sure your images are prepared for the upload. Change the image size in Photoshop, crop it or adjust the colors. Now, it’s time to download and install the plugin. Go to your WordPress dashboard, click on Plugins > Add New, and use the search form to locate the plugin.
After you finish the installation, you will be able to change Settings for this plugin. All the options you need are located on the left menu.
Create the gallery simply by uploading the images you want to display. The great part is you can create as many galleries as you want. Also, you can manage each gallery separately. Add new images, or cancel them, insert ALT or title text, create the description and tags.
To additionally manage your gallery look, click on the Gallery Setting. Here you can choose the number of columns and rows, or define the number of images per page. Also, you can set the images’ dimensions. Another interesting thing this plugin brings is the possibility for adding the picture watermark. This is especially suitable for photographers who share their original work on their websites. Additionally, you can choose the lightbox effects for the images you want to display.
There is an option for adding your image gallery directly on the page. Just choose the place where you want to position it, and that’s it.
Now, you can select the gallery type. Besides 4 basic types, that are offered, there are other options, but only with Pro plugin version. Also, you can choose between light or dark skin types. For detailed editing and more options, we recommend you to go back to the Gallery Settings placed on the left menus.
We have chosen 3 rows and 3 columns, and our gallery has navigation as well. It looks like this.
Features that make NextGEN Gallery the best WordPress gallery plugin:
- 4 gallery types
- E-commerce capabilities
- Picture watermark
- Easy to customize
If you’re looking for numerous ways to showcase your images, Photo Gallery by 10Web plugin is a perfect choice. You can choose one of the following gallery types: Slideshow, Thumbnails, Image browser, Masonry or Mosaic. Let’s now see the main differences between them.
Sideshows allow you to organize your images in an original way. Add a filmstrip above the images, so users easily can jump ahead instead of being forced to view one photo at a time. You can, also, customize the dimensions of each sideshow with just a few clicks.
What makes the thumbnail view great is the lightbox that will open whenever you click on an image. Plus, you can even redirect the image to a specific URL.
If you have loads of photos in different dimensions, masonry view may be the perfect fit. It lets you display thumbnails with varying dimensions and create visually-appealing image galleries. As some of your images may have small dimensions, you may need to increase image resolution in Photoshop before uploading. Don’t worry, it’s super easy. The mosaic view uses the concept of masonry view, but the thumbnails are resized, so the entire content area is filled. This is a good choice if you want unconventional image gallery that will grab the attention.
Now, let’s go back to the start. After you install Photo Gallery by 10Web, in the left menu, you will see the fields with different options. Here you can create as many galleries as you want. These galleries can be linked in different gallery groups and displayed on your pages.
Additionally, you can manage the image dimensions, choose the number of the columns and rows for your galleries or the pagination type. Just click on the Options field.
It’s finally time to add the gallery you previously created to your page. Click on the Add Photo Gallery button choose the gallery or the gallery group you want to share.
We have chosen Slideshow gallery. Have a look.
In the end, let’s also mention that Photo Gallery by 10Web offers social sharing, watermark protection, and ecommerce integration.
Features that make Photo Gallery by 10Web the best WordPress gallery plugin:
- Social sharing
- Watermark protection
- eCommerce integration
- Various gallery types
This responsive plugin is made with mobile users in mind. With it you can create retina-ready galleries that will look amazing on different screen sizes. The free version of this plugin comes with a plethora of options. This means you have plenty of template options to choose from.
In the left menu you can find the fields where you can manage your image galleries. You can customize things like: loading icons, loading effects, captions, hover effects and much more. Of course, before you start playing with this plugin, take your time and choose the visuals that go with your overall website aesthetics and vibe. There are some amazing photo stock websites you can use as a resource or for the inspiration. But, if your website’s design requires a more unconventional approach, there are, as well, great websites with vector illustrations where you can find visuals that work the best for you.
Now, let’s have a closer look at FooGallery plugin. After you install it, you will see fields with different options in the menu on the left side. Here you can manage everything – from adding new galleries, to using the special extensions or changing the settings.
FooGallery comes with a collection of options that will make your gallery creation easy and fun. The thing we love the most about this plugin is its great hover effects. Besides them, you can manage the image border or add the rounded corners. There is also a very practical Gallery Preview option that allows you to get the real impression of how your gallery is going to look. One of the things this plugin doesn’t support is the watermark option. This means that you need to add it in Photoshop or any other program if you need copyright protection for your works. Also, in a case you want to add the lightbox, you should install a special FooBox Lightbox plugin, which isn’t complicated but definitely takes some time.
FooGallery also has custom CSS for developers. Another interesting feature of this plugin is the infinite scroll. This is a nice option for everyone who doesn’t want to have photos on multiple pages within a gallery. You can also manage video galleries on your WordPress site with the FooGallery plugin. This is a great functionality having in mind that the popularity of video content constantly grows.
After you have set your Gallery Settings, it’s time to add it to the page of your choice.
As you see, here you can’t make additional changes to your image gallery. You can only add the gallery you have previously created. Just click on Add FooGallery, and you are all set.
This is how our gallery looks like. Not bad at all.
Features that make FooGallery the best WordPress gallery plugin:
- Loading icons
- Custom CSS for developers
- Image border or add the rounded corners
- Hover effects
- Captions
Developed by Supsystic team, Photo Gallery is another popular photo gallery plugin which comes in a free and premium version. The free version allows you to create photo galleries followed with links, icons and HTML captions. With it, you can choose the shadow preset and set the color and thickness as you please. Also, you can highlight the images, use different types of borders, or add the photo description. There is also an option for adding an icon to each gallery image.
As you see, the free version of this plugin has some amazing options. But if you go pro, you’ll be able to create video galleries as well as galleries with pagination and different categories. Plus, pro version includes a practical option for adding watermarks. This will protect your photos against theft. Furthermore, you can reflect the logo of your company or brand on each photo gallery.
Although this plugin comes with several gallery types, polaroid gallery is the most interesting for us. You have to agree it looks stunning.
Features that make Photo Gallery by Supsystic the best WordPress gallery plugin:
- Option to highlight the images
- Different types of borders
- HTML captions
- Photo description
This WordPress gallery plugin has over 100,000 active installs. Many bloggers, photographers, or small business use it to share their works and straighten their brands. One of the first things you will notice about Envira gallery is its extremely user-friendly interface. This means you’ll be able to add photos with practical drag and drop functionality. Here, you can adjust the sizes of your visuals, as well. The great news is that Envira Gallery also has options for video galleries.
Now, add photos to your album, select your cover photos and choose the custom tags. Have in mind that all your galleries will be fully-responsive, so your content will look stunning on any screen size.
Additionally, Envira Gallery has social media integration so you can easily share your photos with your fans. It’s compatible with WooCommerce, making it easy to place your images on other platforms and get your social media users to buy content from your online store.
You can add password protection and watermarks to galleries as well. Plus, slideshows and lightbox mode can be viewed on a full screen which is especially good for photography websites.
After you create your gallery, just add it by clicking on Add Gallery button. You can also use a shortcode to insert your gallery.
Creating galleries with Envira Gallery is super easy. It takes just a few clicks. Our gallery is ready, and looks like this.
Features that make Envira Gallery the best WordPress gallery plugin:
- Compatible with WooCommerce
- Add password protection and watermarks
- Over 100,000 active installs
- User-friendly interface
Let’s sum up
Images play a crucial role in the website’s overall look and feel. To catch the visitors’ attention, choose the images wisely and add some animations to make your visual presentation more dynamic. For example, you can add parallax effect or use hover effect to make your gallery more interesting. Thanks to WordPress gallery plugins, you can easily create any kind of gallery and adjust it to your aesthetic, brand identity or your business needs.
We hope this article was helpful. If you liked it, feel free to check out some of these articles as well!
