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FancyBox for WordPress vs WP Lightbox 2 (2026)

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

FancyBox for WordPress

FancyBox for WordPress

4.6(92)

40K+ active installs

Free

Updated 11 months ago
View FancyBox for WordPress
VS
WP Lightbox 2

WP Lightbox 2

4.4(89)

30K+ active installs

Free

Updated 2 months ago
View WP Lightbox 2

Quick Verdict

As of April 2026, FancyBox for WordPress has a higher user rating (4.6/5 from 92 reviews) and leads in active installations (40K+ vs 30K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. FancyBox for WordPress has accumulated 1.9M+ total downloads while WP Lightbox 2 has 1.3M+.

Detailed Comparison

Rating
4.6/5FancyBox for WordPress
◄
WP Lightbox 24.4/5
Total Reviews
92FancyBox for WordPress
◄
WP Lightbox 289
Active Installs
40K+FancyBox for WordPress
◄
WP Lightbox 230K+
Total Downloads
1.9M+FancyBox for WordPress
◄
WP Lightbox 21.3M+
Support Resolution
N/AFancyBox for WordPress
WP Lightbox 2N/A
Last Updated
11 months agoFancyBox for WordPress
►
WP Lightbox 22 months ago
First Released
2009FancyBox for WordPress
WP Lightbox 22011
Age
17 yearsFancyBox for WordPress
WP Lightbox 215 years
WP Requires
5.6+FancyBox for WordPress
WP Lightbox 23.0+
PHP Requires
7.4+FancyBox for WordPress
WP Lightbox 2false+
Business Model
FreeFancyBox for WordPress
WP Lightbox 2Free
Latest Version
3.3.7FancyBox for WordPress
WP Lightbox 23.0.7

Rating Breakdown

FancyBox for WordPress

4.6/5(92 reviews)
5
83%
4
7%
3
2%
2
1%
1
8%

WP Lightbox 2

4.4/5(89 reviews)
5
81%
4
2%
3
3%
2
2%
1
11%

Recent Reviews

FancyBox for WordPress Reviews

by Vital_V_G

Идеальный плагин Fancybox

Замечательный плагин  Fancybox! Легкий, удобный, справляется со своими функциями! Функционал не нагружен всякими ползунками, пикселями, настройками. Установил и пользуешься! От читателей (под

by joseyaz

Perfect!

It’s lightweight, non-intrusive, and does its job perfectly. Thank you.

by stsalv

Very well

That’s what you need

WP Lightbox 2 Reviews

by janet4now

Design features not working

The design settings from the admin no longer work. I have a site full of galleries and cannot access the settings to add the next button. Very annoying. It looks like the plugin was just updated and y

by advertare59

best plugin

thank you for up-dating this plugin. it serves my purposes well, is easy to use and has always been working on all devices.

by Sivustonikkari

Broke my site

Very nice to hear this from a customer…

Frequently Asked Questions

Is FancyBox for WordPress or WP Lightbox 2 more popular?
FancyBox for WordPress has 40K+ active installations while WP Lightbox 2 has 30K+. FancyBox for WordPress is the more widely-used plugin as of April 2026.
Which has better ratings — FancyBox for WordPress or WP Lightbox 2?
FancyBox for WordPress has a 4.6/5 rating from 92 reviews, while WP Lightbox 2 has a 4.4/5 rating from 89 reviews.
Are FancyBox for WordPress and WP Lightbox 2 free?
FancyBox for WordPress is free and WP Lightbox 2 is free. Both can be downloaded from the WordPress.org plugin directory.
Which plugin has better support — FancyBox for WordPress or WP Lightbox 2?
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?
FancyBox for WordPress was last updated 11 months ago and WP Lightbox 2 was last updated 2 months ago.

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