The fastest way to add a product gallery slider to WooCommerce is to install a dedicated gallery plugin, since the default WooCommerce gallery doesn’t support autoplay, video, or a thumbnail slider on its own. Below are five current, actively maintained plugins, what each one adds over the default gallery, and what they cost.
How the Default WooCommerce Product Gallery Works
WooCommerce ships with a built-in gallery. Add extra images through the Product Gallery meta box on the product edit screen, and WooCommerce displays them as thumbnails under the main image. Customers can click a thumbnail or the zoom icon to open a lightbox and step through images with side arrows.
The gallery uses Flexslider, PhotoSwipe, and jQuery Zoom to handle swiping, the lightbox, and zoom, but the theme has to declare support for it, so on some themes these features are off until a developer enables them.
The default gallery has real limits: no thumbnail slider row when you add many images (they wrap to new lines instead), no autoplay, a fairly weak zoom, and no way to attach product video. That gap is what the plugins below fill.
Features to Look for in a Gallery Slider Plugin
- Carousel or slider format: lets shoppers move through images without scrolling the page.
- Navigation: arrows, dots, or both, so customers can jump between images easily.
- Variable product support: shows the correct image set when a shopper changes a variation.
- Video support: self-hosted or embedded from YouTube and Vimeo.
- Lightbox: full-size viewing without a page reload.
- Responsive, fast-loading output: a slider that adds heavy JavaScript defeats its own purpose.
1. Product Gallery Slider for WooCommerce (Codeixer)
This is the plugin behind the “product gallery slider for woocommerce by codeixer” searches, and it’s the most actively downloaded option on this list, with 20,000 active installations and a 4.6 rating, last updated October 30, 2025. The free version adds a responsive, customizable slider to the default gallery, including support for additional variation images.
Key features:
- Responsive image slider with variation image support
- Mobile-friendly touch and swipe navigation
- Elementor-compatible gallery display
- Pro adds lazy loading for faster page loads
Price: Free version on WordPress.org. The Pro version starts at $59 for one site, $79 for three sites, and $119 for 20 sites, with one-time lifetime licenses also available. Check the pricing page before buying, since plans change.
2. TP Gallery PRO (formerly TP WooCommerce Product Gallery)
The original TP WooCommerce Product Gallery is still available as a free plugin, but the vendor has expanded it into TP Gallery PRO, which bundles product galleries, shop page galleries, variation swatches, product sliders, and category sliders into one plugin. It’s built for current WordPress standards, including HPOS compatibility and full site editing support.
Key features:
- Five gallery layouts, including grid mosaic and slider-only
- Three zoom types: inner zoom, lens, and window zoom
- YouTube and Vimeo video embeds
- Full RTL language support
Price: Free version available on WordPress.org. Pro pricing has historically started around $29 for one site. Confirm current tiers on the vendor’s site before publishing, since bundled products like this tend to reprice as features are added.
3. Gallery Slider for WooCommerce (WooGallery)
This plugin replaces the default gallery with a slider that also handles variation images, video, zoom, and lightbox in a single tool, and it lets you rearrange additional variation images through drag-and-drop sorting.
Key features:
- Product gallery slider plus additional variation image galleries
- Product video gallery, including on shop and archive pages
- Advanced image zoom and lightbox
- Drag-and-drop image reordering
Price: Free core plugin on WordPress.org, with a paid upgrade for advanced options. Verify current pricing tiers before publishing.
4. Advanced WooCommerce Product Gallery Slider
A free, lightweight option that turns the default gallery into a responsive carousel with horizontal and vertical layout choices. Worth a mention because it’s still listed and free, but check recent reviews first: some current WordPress.org reviews report settings not saving and the slider stretching incorrectly on mobile, so test it on a staging site before rolling it out.
Key features:
- Horizontal and vertical layout options
- Touch and swipe navigation
- Lightweight, free core version
Price: Free on WordPress.org. A paid version with expanded support has existed historically for a modest one-time fee; confirm current pricing before publishing.
5. Kadence Shop Kit (successor to WooThumbs)
If you were considering WooThumbs for WooCommerce, note that it’s no longer available as a standalone plugin. IconicWP was shut down in May 2026 by parent company Liquid Web, and its plugins were discontinued or folded into Kadence’s toolset. The direct successor for gallery functionality is Kadence Shop Kit, part of the Kadence Pro bundle, which includes an advanced product gallery with video and variation image support alongside 16 other WooCommerce tools.
Key features:
- Advanced product gallery with video and variation images
- Bundled with visual variation selectors, product reviews, and upsell tools
- Included in Kadence Pro rather than sold as a standalone gallery plugin
Price: Included with the Kadence Pro plan rather than sold separately. Check Kadence’s current bundle pricing, since it’s tied to the wider theme and add-on suite rather than priced as a single gallery plugin.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a plugin to add a product gallery slider to WooCommerce?
No. WooCommerce’s built-in gallery already displays thumbnails, a lightbox, and zoom once your theme supports it. A plugin is only necessary if you want autoplay, a thumbnail slider row, video embeds, or a more polished zoom experience than the default provides.
How do I create a product gallery slider in WooCommerce?
Add multiple images to the Product Gallery meta box on the product edit screen for the built-in version. For a slider with autoplay, thumbnail navigation, and video, install one of the plugins above and configure it from its settings page.
Do these plugins work with Elementor?
Most of the plugins above render on WooCommerce’s standard single product template, so they display normally alongside Elementor’s WooCommerce widgets. Page-builder-specific gallery widgets vary by plugin, so check each vendor’s compatibility notes if you’re building the product page entirely in Elementor.
What is the best free WooCommerce product gallery slider plugin?
Product Gallery Slider for WooCommerce by Codeixer and TP Gallery PRO both offer solid free versions with a slider, thumbnail navigation, and variation image support. Which fits best depends on whether you also need video (both support it) or a specific layout style.
Key Takeaways
- The default WooCommerce gallery covers zoom, lightbox, and thumbnails, but not autoplay, a thumbnail slider row, or video, which is why most stores add a plugin.
- Product Gallery Slider for WooCommerce (Codeixer) and Twist are the same plugin’s free and paid versions, not two separate options.
- WooThumbs for WooCommerce is discontinued following the May 2026 shutdown of IconicWP; Kadence Shop Kit is the closest current successor.
- TP WooCommerce Product Gallery has grown into TP Gallery PRO, now bundling galleries, swatches, and sliders in one plugin.
- Free versions exist for most plugins on this list, so test one on staging before committing to a paid tier.
- Check current pricing and reviews before buying, since WooCommerce plugin pricing and bundling change often.
Free version on WordPress.org. Every Pro licence includes a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Thank you for the helpful overview! The selection is not that big – and nevertheless we can easily get lost in it…
Hi! Thanks for sharing your thoughts.