Gallery Custom Links vs External Links in New Window / New Tab (2026)

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

Gallery Custom Links

Gallery Custom Links

4.7(205)

30K+ active installs

Free

Updated 1 month ago
View Gallery Custom Links
VS
External Links in New Window / New Tab

External Links in New Window / New Tab

4.5(77)

30K+ active installs

Free

Updated 4 months ago
View External Links in New Window / New Tab

Quick Verdict

As of April 2026, Gallery Custom Links has a higher user rating (4.7/5 from 205 reviews) and leads in active installations (30K+ vs 30K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Gallery Custom Links has accumulated 948K+ total downloads while External Links in New Window / New Tab has 489K+.

Detailed Comparison

Rating
4.7/5Gallery Custom Links
External Links in New Window / New Tab4.5/5
Total Reviews
205Gallery Custom Links
External Links in New Window / New Tab77
Active Installs
30K+Gallery Custom Links
External Links in New Window / New Tab30K+
Total Downloads
948K+Gallery Custom Links
External Links in New Window / New Tab489K+
Support Resolution
0%Gallery Custom Links
External Links in New Window / New TabN/A
Last Updated
1 month agoGallery Custom Links
External Links in New Window / New Tab4 months ago
First Released
2018Gallery Custom Links
External Links in New Window / New Tab2010
Age
8 yearsGallery Custom Links
External Links in New Window / New Tab16 years
WP Requires
6.0+Gallery Custom Links
External Links in New Window / New Tab4.0+
PHP Requires
7.4+Gallery Custom Links
External Links in New Window / New Tab5.2+
Business Model
FreeGallery Custom Links
External Links in New Window / New TabFree
Latest Version
2.2.9Gallery Custom Links
External Links in New Window / New Tab1.45

Rating Breakdown

Gallery Custom Links

4.7/5(205 reviews)
5
89%
4
4%
3
1%
2
1%
1
4%

External Links in New Window / New Tab

4.5/5(77 reviews)
5
87%
4
0%
3
0%
2
4%
1
9%

Recent Reviews

Gallery Custom Links Reviews

by minionion

One of the most useful plugins!

This plugin covers a shortfall in what should really be part of the way WP gallery works. It’s SO common with my clients to want to link an image to something other than a bigger version of itself tha

by kuauka07

TOP

Todo perfecto… recomendable!

by siobhanmuir

Fantastic plugin!

I love this plugin! I was using SiteOrigin to post images of other books related to a book page, and it kept failing with each new “update.” This plugin makes the tools I already have so very useful a

External Links in New Window / New Tab Reviews

by edragonxx

Not working

Not working with google ads

by Christian Saborio

Works as expected, minimal setup

Download, activate, you are done. This is pretty much you need, works flawlessly.

by philsimon

Simple, elegant plug-in

This one’s going to save me a good deal of time with my new writing process. Thank you for creating it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Gallery Custom Links or External Links in New Window / New Tab more popular?
Gallery Custom Links has 30K+ active installations while External Links in New Window / New Tab has 30K+. External Links in New Window / New Tab is the more widely-used plugin as of April 2026.
Which has better ratings — Gallery Custom Links or External Links in New Window / New Tab?
Gallery Custom Links has a 4.7/5 rating from 205 reviews, while External Links in New Window / New Tab has a 4.5/5 rating from 77 reviews.
Are Gallery Custom Links and External Links in New Window / New Tab free?
Gallery Custom Links is free and External Links in New Window / New Tab is free. Both can be downloaded from the WordPress.org plugin directory.
Which plugin has better support — Gallery Custom Links or External Links in New Window / New Tab?
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?
Gallery Custom Links was last updated 1 month ago and External Links in New Window / New Tab was last updated 4 months ago.

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