Elfsight vs Smash Balloon (2026): which should you pick?

Pick Elfsight if

• Fits if you're on Squarespace, Wix or Webflow and want widgets without code
• Works for a site that needs a popup plus a Google reviews feed or a chat button

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you want to A/B test popups or send leads to an email tool, as neither is on record
• Tight if you're on the free plan, which stops at 200 views a month with Elfsight branding
• Not for you if traffic spikes worry you, as a widget switches off for the month at its view limit
• Pricey if you want several widget types, as each app is its own subscription unless you buy the $15-a-month pack
• Watch out: every widget load counts as a view, so a site-wide popup on 20,000 visitors passes Pro's 50,000

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

Elfsight

• Single-app plans cover one widget type; a popup and a review feed are two subscriptions unless you buy the all-apps pack.
• The free plan allows only 200 views a month, and any plan's widget is switched off for the month once its view limit is reached.
• Every widget load counts as a view, including loads through a share link.
• Plans can be refunded in full for any reason within 14 days.

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.

Elfsight

Popup builder

Popups for sales, sign-ups, feedback, welcome messages and abandoned carts, shown on chosen pages with time and action triggers and a set frequency.

90+ other widgets

Review feeds from Google, Amazon, Tripadvisor and others, social feeds, an AI chatbot, chat buttons, forms, booking, galleries, maps and cookie consent.

Live editor and templates

Configure each widget in a no-code live editor from templates, and try any of them in a demo before signing up.

Works on 100+ platforms

Widgets install with a short code on Squarespace, Wix, Webflow, WordPress, Shopify, Framer and other builders, or any HTML site.

Projects and collaborators

Paid plans from Pro group widgets into projects and let collaborators work on them, useful for agencies.

Installation help

On paid plans, Elfsight's support team will help install a widget on your site at no extra cost.

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.

Elfsight

• Free$0

  1 widget, 200 views a month on unlimited websites, Elfsight branding and bug-fix support only.

• Basic$5

  per app / month for up to 5,000 views, billed yearly ($6 monthly)

  Up to 3 widgets of one app, such as Popup, with no branding or ads and basic support.

• Pro$10

  per app / month for up to 50,000 views, billed yearly ($12 monthly)

  Up to 9 widgets of one app, 3 projects, 1 collaborator and priority support.

• Premium$20

  per app / month for up to 150,000 views, billed yearly ($24 monthly)

  Up to 21 widgets of one app, 9 projects, 3 collaborators and live chat support.

• Enterprise$30

  per app / month for up to 300,000 views, billed yearly ($42 monthly)

  50 widgets and an account manager. Higher tiers: 600,000 views for $40, 1.2 million for $60 and unlimited for $80 a month yearly.

• 96 Apps Pack$15

  per month for 5,000 views per app, billed yearly ($18 monthly)

  Every Elfsight app with 3 widgets each. Larger packs: $30 a month for 50,000 views per app, up to $240 for 400 widgets per app.

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.

Elfsight

• Annual discount

  Yearly billing saves 17% to 29%

  Basic is $5 a month billed yearly against $6 monthly, Pro $10 against $12, and Enterprise T1 $30 against $42.

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.