Is Smash Balloon the Best Instagram Feed Plugin for WordPress

Since Instagram removed support for post embeds in WordPress, embedding an Instagram feed on your site now requires a dedicated plugin. With several options available, choosing the right one that fits your needs is important.

In this detailed review, we examine the Smash Balloon Instagram feed plugin, one of the most popular solutions for embedding Instagram feeds.

We share our experience setting it up, its key features and drawbacks, and pricing details to give you a clear, honest answer about whether it is truly the best Instagram feed plugin for WordPress.

Our First Impressions of Smash Balloon Instagram Feed

Getting the Smash Balloon Instagram Feed plugin up and running on our site was mostly straightforward. We started our review by exploring the features in the plugin’s free version before installing the premium version to get a sense of the additional advanced features it offers. 

After installing the plugin, we were greeted with a welcome screen that included a button link to a five-step setup wizard. The wizard guides you through connecting your account, configuring basic features, installing a GDPR plugin, and adding a license key (for pro users).

Although the setup was simple, we noticed that, unlike some other popular Instagram feed plugins we have reviewed, adding our Instagram account wasn’t as seamless, as we were redirected to an external app that required extra steps to connect.

Once past that, however, everything else was easy. The user interface was clean and simple. The configuration settings were arranged on one-third of the screen, while a live visual customizer took up the remaining two-thirds. 

The settings are nested, so we had to click through several menus to find what we needed. It’s not a complete dealbreaker, but we’ve experienced more seamless interfaces with other Instagram feed plugins.

With the free version, our options to customize the Instagram feed were limited. We could only use the default grid layout, and feed moderation features were locked. But with the pro version, we could customize much more.

Embedding our Instagram feed was hassle-free. We could do it with a shortcode or the plugin’s built-in WordPress block.

Overall, Smash Balloon Instagram Feed gets the job done. Your feed integrates smoothly with your site’s design right out of the box, which is a nice touch. However, our review showed that exploring more advanced customization options requires some time and effort.

Our Favorite Features of Smash Balloon Instagram Feed

Now, let’s dive into the most exciting part of this article. We’re highlighting the top features we appreciated while reviewing the Smash Balloon Instagram Feed plugin.

Embeds Any Instagram Feed Type, Anywhere on Your Site

Smash Balloon Instagram Feed offers multiple layout options to create feeds you can display anywhere on your site. The free version allows you to create feeds with the classic grid layout, while the Pro version unlocks additional layouts, templates, and themes.

The plugin also supports different types of Instagram feeds. As a Pro user, you can create hashtag feeds, tagged feeds, and shoppable feeds in addition to the standard Instagram feed that displays your posts. These are excellent for showcasing a UGC campaign or driving conversions for your eCommerce store.

Once you have created your feeds, you can embed them anywhere on your website using either the classic shortcode method or the Gutenberg block. These embedding options make it compatible with nearly any WordPress page builder.

Gives You Full Control Over Your Feed’s Appearance

When creating an Instagram feed, you want it to blend seamlessly with your WordPress site’s content without disrupting the overall flow. Smash Balloon Instagram Feed offers settings that let you control exactly how your feed appears on your site’s frontend.

You can customize colors, spacing, aspect ratio, and header styles using a real-time preview window that shows exactly how your feed will look to visitors.

The plugin is also responsive, allowing you to set the number of columns to display for the desktop, laptop, and mobile versions of your feed.

Filters Out the Content You Don’t Want Displayed

Content filtering is available only to Pro users of the Smash Balloon Instagram Feed plugin. Once you enable the Filters & Moderation setting, you can control which posts appear in your feed by selecting or deleting specific posts. This can also be done by manually entering Post IDs.

You can also filter posts by keywords and media type if that’s your preference.

Keeps Your Feed Running Fast & Reliably

Smash Balloon Instagram Feed features a smart caching system that stores feed data locally and updates automatically in the background on a scheduled basis. This removes the need for live API calls to Instagram each time a site visitor views the feed.

Additional settings are available for image size optimization, AJAX theme loading, JavaScript and CSS enqueuing, and admin feed error notices. These features work together to ensure a smooth and reliable user experience.

Handles SEO and Privacy Compliance Automatically

SEO and GDPR compliance are essential parts of managing a successful WordPress site. The Smash Balloon Instagram Feed plugin includes these features, giving you one less thing to stress about. 

To help search engines easily crawl the captions and alt text of posts in an Instagram feed, the plugin embeds posts directly in HTML rather than using an iframe. 

GDPR compliance, on the other hand, is managed by the WPConsent plugin, which is recommended during the initial plugin setup. It blocks third-party requests until a visitor gives consent.

What Are The Drawbacks of Smash Balloon Instagram Feed

There’s no doubt that Smash Balloon Instagram Feed is a powerful, feature-rich WordPress plugin. However, it has its limitations. Here are a few key ones we observed during our review:

• Pricing is too high for single-site users: Even though a 50% discount is offered to new users, the plugin renews at $98/year, which is steep compared to similar plugins that cost half as much.
• Free version is very limited: It works but lacks many key controls and features that most WordPress users need to fully customize their feeds for higher engagement.
• User interface could be more intuitive: While it is easy to understand, the nested menu design for the settings is not ideal. You have to click in and out of settings several times to configure things, which can quickly become tiring.

Smash Balloon Instagram Feed Pricing & Support

Smash Balloon Instagram Feed is a freemium plugin. The free version is available on WordPress.org and offers limited features, allowing you to try the plugin before deciding to upgrade to the more feature-rich Pro version.

The Pro version offers four pricing tiers, detailed in the table below.

Unlike other Instagram Feed plugins that provide all Pro features across all plans and only restrict the number of licenses, Smash Balloon Instagram Feed limits features by plan. 

For example, to access post moderation and filtering features, you need the Plus Plan, as these features are not available on the Basic Plan. 

All Pro plans offer a 14-day money-back guarantee, and email-based support is available across all plans. 

How It Compares to Elevated Instagram Feed Plugin 

Conclusion

Our review confirmed that Smash Balloon Instagram Feed is a capable, well-designed plugin that has earned its reputation. However, it is best suited for a specific type of user.

If you manage multiple client sites, run an eCommerce store where shoppable feeds add value, or need to create different feed types across various Instagram accounts, then it’s worth the investment.

For most WordPress users, though, the plugin can seem like overkill. The price alone, starting at a steep $98 per year for one site, is hard to justify when a plugin like Elevated Instagram Feed offers most of the main feed design features that many WordPress users actually need at half the cost.

If your goal is to display a clean, attractive Instagram feed on your site without spending a lot of time in a dashboard or paying a premium price for features you don’t need, then a plugin like Elevated Instagram Feed might be a better choice.

Common Questions About Smash Balloon Instagram Feed

What is Smash Balloon Instagram Feed?

Smash Balloon Instagram Feed is a widely used plugin for adding customizable Instagram feeds to WordPress websites. The plugin offers pre-made templates, themes, and layouts to speed up feed creation. It also supports creating various Instagram feed types, including hashtag and tagged content feeds.

Is the Smash Balloon plugin free? 

Yes, there is a free version of the Smash Balloon Instagram Feed plugin available on the WordPress.org plugin repository. However, its features are quite limited. If you need post filtering and moderation features, feed templates and themes, or the ability to combine multiple feed types, then you need to purchase the relevant Pro plan.

How to add Smash Balloon Instagram Feed to WordPress?

To add the Smash Balloon Instagram Feed to WordPress, go to the Plugins page from your admin dashboard and click the Add Plugin button. Then, enter the plugin’s name, and install and activate it once it appears. After that, you can proceed to set it up for use.

Is there an Instagram plugin for WordPress? 

Yes, several plugins allow you to embed Instagram feeds in WordPress. Popular options include Elevated Instagram Feed, Smash Balloon Instagram Feed, Elfsight Instagram Feed, and WPZoom Instagram Widget.