PluginSift

Firelight Lightbox vs Image Compressor & Optimizer – iLoveIMG (2026)

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

Firelight Lightbox

Firelight Lightbox

4.8(331)

200K+ active installs

Free + Premium

Updated 3 weeks ago
View Firelight Lightbox
VS
Image Compressor & Optimizer – iLoveIMG

Image Compressor & Optimizer – iLoveIMG

3.2(5)

100 active installs

Free

Updated 7 months ago
View Image Compressor & Optimizer – iLoveIMG

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 100). Both are free + premium WordPress plugins. Firelight Lightbox has accumulated 7.6M+ total downloads while Image Compressor & Optimizer – iLoveIMG has 24K+.

Detailed Comparison

Rating
4.8/5Firelight Lightbox
◄
Image Compressor & Optimizer – iLoveIMG3.2/5
Total Reviews
331Firelight Lightbox
◄
Image Compressor & Optimizer – iLoveIMG5
Active Installs
200K+Firelight Lightbox
◄
Image Compressor & Optimizer – iLoveIMG100
Total Downloads
7.6M+Firelight Lightbox
◄
Image Compressor & Optimizer – iLoveIMG24K+
Support Resolution
43%Firelight Lightbox
Image Compressor & Optimizer – iLoveIMGN/A
Last Updated
3 weeks agoFirelight Lightbox
◄
Image Compressor & Optimizer – iLoveIMG7 months ago
First Released
2010Firelight Lightbox
Image Compressor & Optimizer – iLoveIMG2019
Age
16 yearsFirelight Lightbox
Image Compressor & Optimizer – iLoveIMG7 years
WP Requires
5.0+Firelight Lightbox
Image Compressor & Optimizer – iLoveIMG5.3+
PHP Requires
7.0+Firelight Lightbox
Image Compressor & Optimizer – iLoveIMG7.4+
Business Model
Free + PremiumFirelight Lightbox
Image Compressor & Optimizer – iLoveIMGFree
Latest Version
2.3.19Firelight Lightbox
Image Compressor & Optimizer – iLoveIMG2.2.13

Rating Breakdown

Firelight Lightbox

4.8/5(331 reviews)
5
90%
4
5%
3
2%
2
0%
1
3%

Image Compressor & Optimizer – iLoveIMG

3.2/5(5 reviews)
5
40%
4
20%
3
0%
2
0%
1
40%

Recent Reviews

Firelight Lightbox Reviews

by rugger86

Very good

Recommend

by FinnDorian

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

by Andreas Lanz

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

Image Compressor & Optimizer – iLoveIMG Reviews

No reviews yet

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Firelight Lightbox or Image Compressor & Optimizer – iLoveIMG more popular?
Firelight Lightbox has 200K+ active installations while Image Compressor & Optimizer – iLoveIMG has 100. Firelight Lightbox is the more widely-used plugin as of April 2026.
Which has better ratings — Firelight Lightbox or Image Compressor & Optimizer – iLoveIMG?
Firelight Lightbox has a 4.8/5 rating from 331 reviews, while Image Compressor & Optimizer – iLoveIMG has a 3.2/5 rating from 5 reviews.
Are Firelight Lightbox and Image Compressor & Optimizer – iLoveIMG free?
Firelight Lightbox is free + premium and Image Compressor & Optimizer – iLoveIMG is free. Both can be downloaded from the WordPress.org plugin directory.
Which plugin has better support — Firelight Lightbox or Image Compressor & Optimizer – iLoveIMG?
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?
Firelight Lightbox was last updated 3 weeks ago and Image Compressor & Optimizer – iLoveIMG was last updated 7 months ago.

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