PluginSift

Firelight Lightbox vs GL Import External Images (2026)

Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.

Firelight Lightbox

Firelight Lightbox

4.8(331)

200K+ active installs

Free + Premium

Updated 3 weeks ago
View Firelight Lightbox
VS
GL Import External Images

GL Import External Images

5(6)

800 active installs

Free

Updated 1 year ago
View GL Import External Images

Quick Verdict

As of April 2026, GL Import External Images has a higher user rating (5/5 from 6 reviews) while Firelight Lightbox leads in active installations (200K+ vs 800). Both are free + premium WordPress plugins. Firelight Lightbox has accumulated 7.6M+ total downloads while GL Import External Images has 7.1K+.

Detailed Comparison

Rating
4.8/5Firelight Lightbox
►
GL Import External Images5/5
Total Reviews
331Firelight Lightbox
◄
GL Import External Images6
Active Installs
200K+Firelight Lightbox
◄
GL Import External Images800
Total Downloads
7.6M+Firelight Lightbox
◄
GL Import External Images7.1K+
Support Resolution
43%Firelight Lightbox
GL Import External ImagesN/A
Last Updated
3 weeks agoFirelight Lightbox
◄
GL Import External Images1 year ago
First Released
2010Firelight Lightbox
GL Import External Images2022
Age
16 yearsFirelight Lightbox
GL Import External Images4 years
WP Requires
5.0+Firelight Lightbox
GL Import External Images2.6.0+
PHP Requires
7.0+Firelight Lightbox
GL Import External Images7.0+
Business Model
Free + PremiumFirelight Lightbox
GL Import External ImagesFree
Latest Version
2.3.19Firelight Lightbox
GL Import External Images3.1

Rating Breakdown

Firelight Lightbox

4.8/5(331 reviews)
5
90%
4
5%
3
2%
2
0%
1
3%

GL Import External Images

5/5(6 reviews)
5
100%
4
0%
3
0%
2
0%
1
0%

Recent Reviews

Firelight Lightbox Reviews

by rugger86

Very good

Recommend

by FinnDorian

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

by Andreas Lanz

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

GL Import External Images Reviews

No reviews yet

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Firelight Lightbox or GL Import External Images more popular?
Firelight Lightbox has 200K+ active installations while GL Import External Images has 800. Firelight Lightbox is the more widely-used plugin as of April 2026.
Which has better ratings — Firelight Lightbox or GL Import External Images?
Firelight Lightbox has a 4.8/5 rating from 331 reviews, while GL Import External Images has a 5/5 rating from 6 reviews.
Are Firelight Lightbox and GL Import External Images free?
Firelight Lightbox is free + premium and GL Import External Images is free. Both can be downloaded from the WordPress.org plugin directory.
Which plugin has better support — Firelight Lightbox or GL Import External Images?
Support resolution data is not available for all plugins. Check each plugin's WordPress.org support forum for current response quality.
Which plugin is updated more frequently?
Firelight Lightbox was last updated 3 weeks ago and GL Import External Images was last updated 1 year ago.

Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.