WordPress plugin

A WordPress plugin is a software component that adds a specific feature to an WordPress instance.

Instagram plugins

Instagram Feed

Active on 800,000+ sites, the creatively named Instagram Feed plugin from Smash Balloon is one of the most popular options you’ll find.

You can connect your Instagram account with the click of a button. Then, you’ll be able to create an Instagram feed of a single account or multiple accounts.

In the free version, your Instagram feed displays as a basic grid, and you can choose how many images and columns to use. You can also add a “Follow” button to grow your following and a “Load More” button to let visitors grab more pictures.

However, if you go Pro, you’ll get a lot more options including:

   The ability to display feeds from hashtags, instead of just Instagram accounts
   More layout options, including a carousel, masonry, and highlight
   The ability to filter and moderate posts

WP Instagram Widget

WP Instagram Widget is a super simple option that, as the name suggests, adds a new widget dedicated to helping you create your Instagram feed.

There are no detailed settings – you just activate the plugin and configure the widget’s settings according to your needs. You can:

   Select which username to pull content from
   Choose how many images to include and their size
   Add a CTA to follow you on Instagram

Basically, if you want something simple and don’t need a lot of settings, this could be a good option – just don’t expect as much flexibility as the other plugins.

Instagram Slider Widget

One of the unique things about this plugin is that you can display your Instagram feed as a slider, rather than the basic grid approach that a lot of other plugins use.

So if you want that slider functionality, that could be a reason to choose this one.

Like the previous plugin, there’s no dedicated settings area. Instead, you’ll configure everything in the actual widget where you can:

   Select whether to import images from an Instagram username or a hashtag
   Automatically save Instagram images in your WordPress Media Library
   Select your template – slider or thumbnails
   Choose how many images to display and how often to check for new images
   Configure some other basic settings

While you are configuring things in the widget, the widget will actually generate its own shortcode that you can use to add your Instagram feed in non-widget areas.

10Web Instagram Feed

10Web Instagram Feed lets you create an Instagram feed using your choice of two templates in the free version:

   Thumbnail grid
   Image browser

You can create feeds from both Instagram usernames and hashtags (you can also combine the two sources with the premium version of the plugin).

You also get options to choose what additional information to display, like:

   A “Follow on Instagram” button
   User posts and follower counts
   User bio and website

If you go Pro, you’ll get more layout options – masonry and “blog style” – as well as pre-made style themes, infinite scroll, and the ability to add conditional filters to choose what Instagram content to import.

Feed Them Social

Unlike most of the other plugins, Feed Them Social is not exclusively focused on Instagram feeds – you can also use it for Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube. So if you want feeds for all your social accounts, not just Instagram, this might be a good option.

You can choose to import Instagram content from both usernames and hashtags, as well as whether or not to show additional information like a user’s profile stats.

You can also choose between two different Instagram gallery styles and, if you go Pro, you’ll be able to add infinite scroll and a lightbox popup to your feed.

Instagram Feed Gallery

Instagram Feed Gallery gives you a simple way to display a feed from both Instagram users and hashtags.

You get two options – a grid gallery or a carousel slider, and you also have full control over how many images and columns to use.

One nice thing about this plugin is that you can add a hover overlay that displays each image’s likes and comments when a user hovers it. Beyond that, you can also open images in a lightbox popup.

For a free Instagram feed plugin, this one has a pretty good feature list and the designs look great.

Instagram Widget by WPZOOM

Instagram Widget by WPZOOM is a great simple option, though it lacks some of the more advanced features that other plugins offer.

Like the other widget-based Instagram feed plugins, you’ll configure almost everything in the actual widget, where you can control:

   How many images to show
   Image size
   How many columns to use

You can either display as many of your own images as possible (if you connect your own account). Or, you can display the latest 12 images from any public account. There is no option to display an Instagram hashtag feed.

And that’s pretty much it! I told you it was simple.