Firelight Lightbox vs HW Image Widget (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
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 1.0K+). Both are free + premium WordPress plugins. Firelight Lightbox has accumulated 7.6M+ total downloads while HW Image Widget has 39K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Firelight Lightbox | HW Image Widget | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.8/5 | ◄ | 4.4/5 |
| Total Reviews | 331 | ◄ | 14 |
| Active Installs | 200K+ | ◄ | 1.0K+ |
| Total Downloads | 7.6M+ | ◄ | 39K+ |
| Support Resolution | 43% | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 3 weeks ago | ◄ | 8 years ago |
| First Released | 2010 | 2013 | |
| Age | 16 years | 13 years | |
| WP Requires | 5.0+ | 3.5+ | |
| PHP Requires | 7.0+ | false+ | |
| Business Model | Free + Premium | Free | |
| Latest Version | 2.3.19 | 4.4 |
Rating Breakdown
Firelight Lightbox
HW Image Widget
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Firelight Lightbox averaged approximately 3,084 daily downloads while HW Image Widget averaged 3.
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
HW Image Widget Reviews
Great Plugin!!
This plugin works better in the widget sidebar than any other plugin I’ve used. Even though others say they are responsive, this one truly is! Thank you. Dee
Very good
Easy to use and many options.
Very Useful!
Easy to use and works well. I really appreciate the fixed size option and also the TinyMCE text editor which was the deciding factor on me using this plugin. The option to override the plugin’s image
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.