Firelight Lightbox vs Featured Image from URL (FIFU) (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Firelight Lightbox
200K+ active installs
Free + Premium
Featured Image from URL (FIFU)
70K+ active installs
Free
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, Firelight Lightbox has a higher user rating (4.8/5 from 331 reviews) and leads in active installations (200K+ vs 70K+). Both are free + premium WordPress plugins. Firelight Lightbox has accumulated 7.6M+ total downloads while Featured Image from URL (FIFU) has 7.2M+. Featured Image from URL (FIFU) has a higher support resolution rate (67% vs 43%).
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Firelight Lightbox | Featured Image from URL (FIFU) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.8/5 | ◄ | 4.6/5 |
| Total Reviews | 331 | ◄ | 259 |
| Active Installs | 200K+ | ◄ | 70K+ |
| Total Downloads | 7.6M+ | ◄ | 7.2M+ |
| Support Resolution | 43% | ► | 67% |
| Last Updated | 3 weeks ago | ◄ | 2 months ago |
| First Released | 2010 | 2015 | |
| Age | 16 years | 11 years | |
| WP Requires | 5.0+ | 5.6+ | |
| PHP Requires | 7.0+ | false+ | |
| Business Model | Free + Premium | Free | |
| Latest Version | 2.3.19 | 5.3.3 |
Rating Breakdown
Firelight Lightbox
Featured Image from URL (FIFU)
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Firelight Lightbox averaged approximately 3,084 daily downloads while Featured Image from URL (FIFU) averaged 282.
Recent Reviews
Firelight Lightbox Reviews
Very good
Recommend
Doesn’t work with sunshine photo cart
I’m using the gallery Plugin “sunshine photo cart” and it does not convert image links into a lightbox gallery. I am sick of using/adjusting 5 different lightbox plugins, because every gallery uses it
Increases the value of a photo blog
The plugin works perfect and with a beautiful, but discreet animation. I’d prefer having the possibility to force the browser via the settings to show the images in their original size if they are
Featured Image from URL (FIFU) Reviews
Works great!
I use a lot of free images and I like to repay the photographers with credits they deserve. This plugin lets me do that.
it is very good plugins
I use it in several websites.
A must-have that just works
A must-have that just works
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.