Firelight Lightbox vs Lightbox with PhotoSwipe (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
Lightbox with PhotoSwipe
20K+ active installs
Free
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, Lightbox with PhotoSwipe has a higher user rating (4.9/5 from 113 reviews) while Firelight Lightbox leads in active installations (200K+ vs 20K+). Both are free + premium WordPress plugins. Firelight Lightbox has accumulated 7.6M+ total downloads while Lightbox with PhotoSwipe has 940K+. Lightbox with PhotoSwipe has a higher support resolution rate (91% vs 43%).
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Firelight Lightbox | Lightbox with PhotoSwipe | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.8/5 | ► | 4.9/5 |
| Total Reviews | 331 | ◄ | 113 |
| Active Installs | 200K+ | ◄ | 20K+ |
| Total Downloads | 7.6M+ | ◄ | 940K+ |
| Support Resolution | 43% | ► | 91% |
| Last Updated | 3 weeks ago | ◄ | 1 month ago |
| First Released | 2010 | 2017 | |
| Age | 16 years | 9 years | |
| WP Requires | 5.0+ | 5.3+ | |
| PHP Requires | 7.0+ | false+ | |
| Business Model | Free + Premium | Free | |
| Latest Version | 2.3.19 | 5.8.3 |
Rating Breakdown
Firelight Lightbox
Lightbox with PhotoSwipe
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Firelight Lightbox averaged approximately 3,084 daily downloads while Lightbox with PhotoSwipe averaged 193.
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
Lightbox with PhotoSwipe Reviews
Works perfect
Perfekt to show images in a lightbox. 100% support. Fast and competent.
Sharp photos finally
A sleek plugin that is well documented. Good support. I can’t prove it, but it seems to me that with Arno Welzel’s “Lightbox with PhotoSwipe” plugin, my photos on the website are finally as sharp a
Lightbox was easy to implement
I was able to easily implement Lightbox on all images. When I first activated this plugin, the Lightbox displayed and behaved strangely, but after switching to PhotoSwipe version 4 on the settings
More Lightbox Worth Comparing
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Firelight Lightbox or Lightbox with PhotoSwipe more popular?
Which has better ratings — Firelight Lightbox or Lightbox with PhotoSwipe?
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.