9 Free WordPress Themes With Working Sliders in 2026
In a 2026 evaluation conducted by Colorlib, only nine free WordPress themes were identified as having operational sliders: Activello, Sparkling, Travelify, News Portal, HitMag, Cream Magazine, SuperMag, Newsup, and Vantage. Among these, Activello features a category-based slider, while Sparkling is designed for a lighter aesthetic, and Travelify is ideal for photography websites. News Portal includes a breaking-news ticker, HitMag provides a customizable widget slider, Cream Magazine incorporates advertising slots, SuperMag is straightforward, Newsup offers various layouts, and Vantage enables sliders on any page. Several themes, such as ColorMag and Sydney, have opted for static grids instead of sliders due to performance issues. The testing utilized identical WordPress sites assessed with Google Lighthouse. The article also highlights paid themes like Avada, Salient, and Divi, which include slide builders. Recommendations emphasize checking image sizes and ensuring mobile compatibility.
Key facts
- Only 9 free WordPress themes with working sliders were found in 2026 testing.
- Themes with sliders: Activello, Sparkling, Travelify, News Portal, HitMag, Cream Magazine, SuperMag, Newsup, Vantage.
- ColorMag, Newsmatic, NewspaperUp, News Magazine X, Sydney, Zakra, and Total removed sliders.
- Testing used identical content and Google Lighthouse on mobile.
- Activello features a category-driven featured-post slider with no plugin.
- News Portal includes a breaking-news ticker and ad slot.
- Vantage allows sliders on any page via Page Builder widget.
- Paid themes Avada, Salient, and Divi include slide builders like Slider Revolution.
- First slide weight affects largest contentful paint (LCP).
- Autoplay is discouraged; if used, should be slow with visible controls.
Entities
Institutions
- Colorlib
- WordPress.org