Behold vs Smash Balloon (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Behold grades higher than Smash Balloon: 2.2 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Behold grades higher on the free plan. Smash Balloon grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Behold
Instagram feed widgets and JSON feeds for any website
Smash Balloon
WordPress social feed plugins for Instagram, Facebook and more
Which one is for you
Pick Behold if
- Fits if you only need an Instagram feed on a site and want little setup
- Works for developers who want a JSON feed of posts
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want other networks: the page lists Instagram only
- Tight if you stay free: 6 posts, 1 feed, 1,200 views and a logo on hover
- Watch out: views count page loads with a widget, so busy pages use the allowance fast
- Pricey if you want pin, hide and reorder: that is Business at $60 a month
Pick Smash Balloon if
- Fits if you run WordPress and want your Instagram or Facebook feed on a page
- Makes sense if you want several networks and will buy the bundle
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you want more than one network: each plugin is licensed separately, and the bundle is $598 a year
- Not for you if you want a free try, as there is no free plan or trial, only 14 days to get a refund
- Watch out: the 50% off prices are introductory and renewals are at full price
- Skip it if your site isn't WordPress, as there is no hosted embed
How we grade them
| 2.2GPABeholdFair | 2.0GPASmash BalloonFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CStarter is $10 a month for 15,000 views, between the category's $8.17 cheaper quarter and $14.92 middle. Pro is $30 and Scale $180. | CA single Pro plugin is $98 to $298 a year at regular price (up to $398 for Facebook), and the All Access Bundle is $598, near the category's dearest tenth at $55 a month. |
| Free plan and trial | CA free plan with 1 source, 1 feed, 6 posts and 1,200 views a month. It is paused when the views run out. | FNothing is free: no plan or trial is shown, only a 14-day refund. |
| Features | CGallery widgets, JSON feeds and a Klaviyo feed, but Instagram only, and curation tools are on Business. | BFeeds for Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube, TikTok and reviews, plus Social Wall, analytics, caching and moderation, with no gap shown in the listing for displaying feeds. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You connect an Instagram account and style the widget. | CNo store rating on record. A WordPress plugin per network, with each feed connected to an account. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, embedded on any site, with JSON feeds, Klaviyo and Instagram. An Admin API is on enterprise plans. | BWordPress only, connecting to Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube, TikTok, Google Reviews, Yelp and TripAdvisor. |
| Best for | an Instagram feed on any site | social media feeds on a WordPress site |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Behold and Smash Balloon. How we grade
Price against what you get
Behold starts at $10 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Smash Balloon starts at $8.17 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.7.
Smash Balloon scores higher and starts $1.83 a month lower. Of the other popup and widget tools on the chart, 4 score higher than Behold for less, and none scores higher than Smash Balloon for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Behold also covers popups.
- Smash Balloon also covers reports and review collection.
At a glance
| Behold | Smash Balloon | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Paid |
| Starts at | $10 per month | $98 per year for a single Pro plugin, regular price |
| Free plan | 1,200 views a month, 1 source and 1 feed, 6 posts per feed, daily updates, and a Behold logo on hover. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Behold | Smash Balloon |
| Price read from | behold.so | smashballoon.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Behold
- Views mean page loads that include a widget, so busy pages use the allowance fast.
- On the free plan an account is paused when the monthly view limit is hit; paid plans pause only after two months in a row over the limit.
- Curation tools such as pinning and hiding need the Business plan or higher.
- Instagram-focused; the page does not list other networks.
Smash Balloon
- The pricing page marks the 50%-off prices as introductory, with renewals at full price.
- It runs only on WordPress; there is no hosted embed for other site builders.
- Each plugin is licensed separately unless you buy the All Access Bundle.
- The page promises a full refund within 14 days if a plugin is not a fit.
Key features
Behold
- No-code gallery widgets
- Embed Instagram galleries on a site without writing code, in a limited set of styles on the free plan.
- JSON feeds
- Developers get the post data as JSON on every plan, including the free one.
- Klaviyo feeds
- Add a live Instagram feed to emails; included from the Pro plan.
- Update speed by plan
- Daily on Free, hourly on Starter, every 5 minutes on Pro and Business, every minute on Scale.
- Advanced curation
- Pin, hide and reorder posts, from the Business plan; pinning is not supported for hashtag feeds.
- Admin API
- Manage user accounts at scale, co-branded; available on Enterprise.
Smash Balloon
- Instagram and Facebook feeds
- Show profile, hashtag, tagged, photo, album, video and event feeds, with a lightbox and moderation.
- X, YouTube and TikTok feeds
- Timelines, channels, playlists, live streams and TikTok videos, in grid, carousel and wall layouts.
- Reviews Feed
- Display reviews from Google, Yelp, Facebook and TripAdvisor, filtered by star rating.
- Social Wall
- Combines feeds from several networks into one wall; included in the All Access Bundle.
- Feed Analytics
- An analytics add-on for the feeds, bundled with All Access.
- Caching and moderation
- Background caching and hide or show controls for posts in each feed.
Plans
Behold
Free$0
per month for up to 1,200 views
1 source, 1 feed, 6 posts per feed, JSON feeds, daily updates and limited widget styles.
Starter$10
per month for up to 15,000 views
3 sources and feeds, 50 posts per feed, hourly updates, no Behold logo.
Pro$30
per month for up to 125,000 views
15 sources and feeds, 100 posts per feed, updates every 5 minutes, Klaviyo feeds.
Business$60
per month for up to 500,000 views
30 sources and feeds, 150 posts per feed, and advanced curation (pin, hide, reorder).
Scale$180
per month, unlimited views
Business features plus updates every minute and priority email support.
EnterpriseCustom
Custom limits, Admin API access, 99.9% SLA and signed standard terms; contact sales.
Smash Balloon
Single Pro plugin$98
per year and up, by number of sites
One feed plugin (Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube, TikTok or Reviews); the page shows $98 to $298 regular, up to $398 for Facebook.
All Access Bundle$598
per year for unlimited sites
All Pro feed plugins, Social Wall, Feed Analytics, priority support and future products. Introductory $299 first year.
Ways to pay less
Behold
No public discounts listed.
Smash Balloon
- Other savings
50% off the first year
The pricing page lists All Access at $299 against a normal $598 and single plugins at half price, as introductory pricing with renewals at full price.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Behold or Smash Balloon?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Smash Balloon is cheaper to start with: $8.17 a month when paid by the year, against $10 a month for Behold. Behold starts at $10 per month, and Smash Balloon starts at $98 per year for a single Pro plugin, regular price.
Which has a free plan, Behold or Smash Balloon?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Behold has a free plan. Smash Balloon does not.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.