Firelight Lightbox vs SearchWP Modal Search Form (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
SearchWP Modal Search Form
6.0K+ active installs
Free
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, SearchWP Modal Search Form has a higher user rating (5/5 from 6 reviews) while Firelight Lightbox leads in active installations (200K+ vs 6.0K+). Both are free + premium WordPress plugins. Firelight Lightbox has accumulated 7.6M+ total downloads while SearchWP Modal Search Form has 82K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Firelight Lightbox | SearchWP Modal Search Form | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.8/5 | ► | 5/5 |
| Total Reviews | 331 | ◄ | 6 |
| Active Installs | 200K+ | ◄ | 6.0K+ |
| Total Downloads | 7.6M+ | ◄ | 82K+ |
| Support Resolution | 43% | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 3 weeks ago | ◄ | 3 months ago |
| First Released | 2010 | 2019 | |
| Age | 16 years | 7 years | |
| WP Requires | 5.0+ | 5.0+ | |
| PHP Requires | 7.0+ | 7.0+ | |
| Business Model | Free + Premium | Free | |
| Latest Version | 2.3.19 | 0.5.7 |
Rating Breakdown
Firelight Lightbox
SearchWP Modal Search Form
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Firelight Lightbox averaged approximately 3,084 daily downloads while SearchWP Modal Search Form averaged 36.
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
SearchWP Modal Search Form Reviews
Great support
Very helpful support, thanks for everything that you do!
Excellent Word Press Search Plugin
I have used this plugin on all my websites and it works great. Simple install and set-up. I even have it on the top right corner of my website and as a menu item so mobile users can easily access it.
Perfect!! Exactly what I was looking for!
Very easy to install. Does exactly what it needs to. Thank you!
More Modal Worth Comparing
Top alternatives in the same category as Firelight Lightbox and SearchWP Modal Search Form
A responsive image lightbox for WordPress galleries, WordPress attachments & FooGallery
Build flexible popups and modal windows with multiple popup types, triggers, and display controls.
Expand hidden content without page refresh. SEO-friendly, crawlable by search engines and easy to use.
Flexible pop-ups or slide-ins, showing up at just the right time.
Create targeted popups for lead capture, event notifications, announcements, and promotions — shown at the right time without disrupting your visitors …
Create the good kind of popups with ease and display anywhere on your website!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Firelight Lightbox or SearchWP Modal Search Form more popular?
Which has better ratings — Firelight Lightbox or SearchWP Modal Search Form?
Are Firelight Lightbox and SearchWP Modal Search Form free?
Which plugin has better support — Firelight Lightbox or SearchWP Modal Search Form?
Which plugin is updated more frequently?
Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.