Pixel Gallery is an Elementor image gallery addon with grid, masonry and carousel layouts.
- Free version
- Yes
- Price
- From $18/year
- Category
- Media & galleries
Not announcedBlack Friday deal for Pixel Gallery
Pixel Gallery vs Smash Balloon
Pixel Gallery wins 3 of the 4 points we can measure. Here's how they compare on price, features, ratings and deals.
At a glance
| Feature | Pixel Gallery | Smash Balloon |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 7.9/10 (better) | 7.4/10 |
| Starts at | $18/year (better) | $49/year |
| Free version | Yes | Yes |
| Refund window | 60 days (better) | 14 days |
| Billing | Subscription | Subscription |
| Active installs | 4K+ | 1M+ (better) |
| Last Black Friday | – | 65% off |
| Category | Media & galleries | Media & galleries |
| Vendor | BdThemes | Smash Balloon |
| Black Friday 2026 | Not announced | Not announced |
Which should you choose?
Choose Pixel Gallery if…
- Elementor users building image galleries
- Designers who need masonry or carousel layouts
- You want the lower starting price
Choose Smash Balloon if…
- Sites that show social posts or reviews
- Agencies building sites for clients
Features
Pixel Gallery
- Grid, masonry and carousel layouts
- Elementor drag-and-drop
- Lightbox and lazy loading
- Animations and hover effects
- Responsive and RTL support
- Premium layouts on paid plans
Smash Balloon
- Instagram feeds
- Facebook feeds
- Reviews feeds
- YouTube feeds
- Layouts and carousels
- Post moderation
- Background caching
Pros and cons
Pixel Gallery
- Free version available on WordPress.org
- Gallery layouts built into Elementor
- 60-day money-back guarantee
- Lifetime options for one and five sites
- Premium exclusive layouts are only in paid plans
- Licenses are capped by site count (1, 5 or 1,000 websites)
Smash Balloon
- Free versions of the Instagram, Facebook and Reviews plugins are on WordPress.org
- Caches social data to limit API requests and keep pages fast
- All Access Bundle covers all six Pro plugins for unlimited sites
- 14-day money-back guarantee
- Each client site needs its own license unless you buy the bundle
- Renewals are charged at full price after the introductory discount
- Works only with WordPress
Pricing plans
Pixel Gallery
PersonalStarts here
$18/year
1 website sites
Business
$36/year
5 websites sites
Developer
$150/year
1,000 websites sites
Smash Balloon
Instagram Feed ProStarts here
$49
- User and hashtag feeds
- Stories and tagged posts
- Shoppable feeds
Facebook Feed ProStarts here
$49
- Page and group feeds
- Photo and video feeds
- Events feeds
All Access Bundle
$299/year
Unlimited sites
- All six Pro plugins
- Priority support
- Future products included
What Reddit says
Pixel Gallery
Not enough Reddit discussion yet.
Smash Balloon
Reddit users are mostly negative about Smash Balloon, citing its drop of personal Instagram account support, a long cancellation process and setup problems. A few users found the Custom Facebook Feed plugin decent enough, or noted that themes often recommend it.
Pixel Gallery vs Smash Balloon questions
Is Pixel Gallery better than Smash Balloon?
On our comparison Pixel Gallery comes out ahead on 3 of 4 measurable points. The right pick still depends on what you build.
Which is cheaper, Pixel Gallery or Smash Balloon?
Pixel Gallery starts at $18/year and Smash Balloon starts at $49/year.
Can I get Pixel Gallery or Smash Balloon cheaper on Black Friday?
Both are on our Black Friday tracker. Smash Balloon was 65% off last year.
Both products
Smash Balloon: #1 Social Media Feeds Plugin for WordPress
- Free version
- Yes
- Price
- From $49/year
- Category
- Media & galleries
Not announcedBlack Friday deal for Smash Balloon
