Sleek Compare vs Twenty20 Image Before-After
Twenty20 Image Before-After by Zayed Baloch has been a go-to WordPress before/after plugin for years, with 20,000+ active installs. It's built on the Zurb TwentyTwenty jQuery library and supports Elementor, WPBakery, and the Flatsome UX Builder. But it was built for a different era of WordPress, and it shows. Here's how it compares to Sleek Compare in 2026.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Twenty20 | Sleek Compare |
|---|---|---|
| Gutenberg block | No (known issue) | Yes - native block |
| jQuery dependency | Yes (required) | None - vanilla JS |
| Page builder support | Elementor, WPBakery, Flatsome | Gutenberg, Elementor (Pro), Shortcode |
| Lazy loading compatibility | Conflicts reported | IntersectionObserver - no conflicts |
| Keyboard / ARIA accessibility | Limited | Full WCAG 2.1 AA |
| Slider orientations | Horizontal & vertical | Horizontal & vertical |
| CSS variable theming | No | Yes |
| Last updated | March 2025 (~1 year ago) | Actively maintained |
| Core Web Vitals impact | Moderate (jQuery overhead) | Negligible |
| Pro version available | No - free only | Yes - $29 one-time |
What Twenty20 Does Well
Twenty20 earned its install count for good reasons, and it still works well in certain setups:
- WPBakery and Flatsome support - if your site is built on WPBakery or the Flatsome theme's UX Builder, Twenty20 has native widget support for those environments. Sleek Compare does not
- Hover sliding - the mouse hover effect that moves the slider automatically as you mouse over the image is a nice interaction that some users prefer over click-and-drag
- Widget support - can be placed in sidebars and widget areas using a WordPress widget, which is useful for classic themes
- Custom labels - before/after labels are configurable per-slider directly in the plugin settings
- Established track record - 20,000+ installs and 55 reviews means it's been tested in a wide variety of real-world environments
If you're on WPBakery or Flatsome and don't use the block editor, Twenty20 covers the basics without much setup.
Where Sleek Compare Wins
Twenty20 is a capable plugin for its target environment, but it wasn't built for modern WordPress. Sleek Compare was.
- Native Gutenberg block - this is the biggest gap. Twenty20 has a known incompatibility with the block editor: images can't be inserted directly in the editor without workarounds. Multiple reviews on the plugin's WordPress.org page mention this. Sleek Compare ships a first-class Gutenberg block with the image picker built into the block UI
- No jQuery - Twenty20 is built on the Zurb TwentyTwenty jQuery library, which means jQuery is a hard dependency. On modern WordPress setups that no longer load jQuery by default, this adds a 90KB+ payload just to support the slider. Sleek Compare uses vanilla JavaScript and loads nothing extra
- Lazy loading that works - Twenty20 users report conflicts with lazy loading plugins. Sleek Compare uses IntersectionObserver natively, so sliders below the fold don't load until they're about to enter the viewport, and it plays well with other lazy loading tools
- Accessibility - full keyboard navigation with arrow keys, ARIA roles and labels, visible focus states, and 48px touch targets. Twenty20's jQuery-based approach provides basic drag interaction but lacks comprehensive keyboard and screen reader support
- Active maintenance - Twenty20 was last updated in March 2025, roughly a year ago. WordPress moves fast. Plugin compatibility, security, and performance best practices shift over time. Sleek Compare is actively maintained
- CSS variable theming - restyle the handle, overlay, and labels using CSS custom properties. No plugin settings panel required for visual changes
- Pro tier with more features - Twenty20 is free only. If you want additional slider modes, animations, or advanced controls, there's nowhere to upgrade. Sleek Compare Pro adds those capabilities for a one-time $29 payment
Who Should Use What
Pick the tool that fits your stack:
- Choose Twenty20 if you're on WPBakery or the Flatsome theme, you use the classic editor exclusively, and you don't have lazy loading plugins or a jQuery-free setup
- Choose Sleek Compare if you use Gutenberg (or plan to), your site loads jQuery conditionally or not at all, you care about accessibility compliance, or you want a plugin that's being actively developed
Twenty20 made sense on the WordPress of 2019. In 2026, with Gutenberg as the default editor and jQuery no longer bundled in many setups, it's showing its age. Sleek Compare was built for the current WordPress ecosystem.
Verdict
Twenty20 is a solid plugin for the environment it was built for, but that environment is increasingly rare. No Gutenberg support, a jQuery dependency, lazy loading conflicts, and a year without updates make it a risky pick for new projects. Sleek Compare handles everything Twenty20 does - horizontal/vertical sliders, custom labels, hover effects - and adds native Gutenberg, zero dependencies, proper accessibility, and active maintenance. For any site running a modern WordPress stack, Sleek Compare is the straightforward upgrade.
Ship a Faster Before/After Slider
Install Sleek Compare and get a lightweight, accessible image comparison slider that keeps your Core Web Vitals clean. Under 10KB, zero dependencies.