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Simple Lightbox vs Image Widget Deluxe (2026)

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

Simple Lightbox

Simple Lightbox

4.3(236)

100K+ active installs

Free

Updated 1 month ago
View Simple Lightbox
VS
Image Widget Deluxe

Image Widget Deluxe

5(5)

1.0K+ active installs

Free

Updated 6 years ago
View Image Widget Deluxe

Quick Verdict

As of April 2026, Image Widget Deluxe has a higher user rating (5/5 from 5 reviews) while Simple Lightbox leads in active installations (100K+ vs 1.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Simple Lightbox has accumulated 3.0M+ total downloads while Image Widget Deluxe has 30K+.

Detailed Comparison

Rating
4.3/5Simple Lightbox
►
Image Widget Deluxe5/5
Total Reviews
236Simple Lightbox
◄
Image Widget Deluxe5
Active Installs
100K+Simple Lightbox
◄
Image Widget Deluxe1.0K+
Total Downloads
3.0M+Simple Lightbox
◄
Image Widget Deluxe30K+
Support Resolution
0%Simple Lightbox
Image Widget DeluxeN/A
Last Updated
1 month agoSimple Lightbox
◄
Image Widget Deluxe6 years ago
First Released
2010Simple Lightbox
Image Widget Deluxe2015
Age
16 yearsSimple Lightbox
Image Widget Deluxe11 years
WP Requires
5.3+Simple Lightbox
Image Widget Deluxe3.8+
PHP Requires
5.6.20+Simple Lightbox
Image Widget Deluxefalse+
Business Model
FreeSimple Lightbox
Image Widget DeluxeFree
Latest Version
2.9.5Simple Lightbox
Image Widget Deluxe2.0.1

Rating Breakdown

Simple Lightbox

4.3/5(236 reviews)
5
79%
4
4%
3
2%
2
1%
1
14%

Image Widget Deluxe

5/5(5 reviews)
5
100%
4
0%
3
0%
2
0%
1
0%

Recent Reviews

Simple Lightbox Reviews

by Benjamin Stocker

Does not do anything

Just does not work. This topic was modified 6 months, 3 weeks ago by Benjamin Stocker.

by splinter1

Worked straight out of the box!

Couldn’t be simpler. Downloaded, installed, activated and now all my post images open in a lightbox. Brilliant!

by skylabb

Simple Yet Awesome

I like the simplicity of the plugin and it works with WP native image block. The ability to automatically group single images on a page or post and browse through them in the model box is great.

Image Widget Deluxe Reviews

by comdraft

Easy to use

Very helpful in some cases and the developer acting fast on feature request, great!

by philippe09270

Trés bien

Merci pour ce plugin image. Il fonctionne très bien. Merci beaucoup +++++

by André Kallehauge

Brilliant

What really sets this plugin apart from the rest is the weight/sort feature. It’s super simple and gives a lot of responsibility (in the correct way!). I highly recommend this 🙂

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Simple Lightbox or Image Widget Deluxe more popular?
Simple Lightbox has 100K+ active installations while Image Widget Deluxe has 1.0K+. Simple Lightbox is the more widely-used plugin as of April 2026.
Which has better ratings — Simple Lightbox or Image Widget Deluxe?
Simple Lightbox has a 4.3/5 rating from 236 reviews, while Image Widget Deluxe has a 5/5 rating from 5 reviews.
Are Simple Lightbox and Image Widget Deluxe free?
Simple Lightbox is free and Image Widget Deluxe is free. Both can be downloaded from the WordPress.org plugin directory.
Which plugin has better support — Simple Lightbox or Image Widget Deluxe?
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?
Simple Lightbox was last updated 1 month ago and Image Widget Deluxe was last updated 6 years ago.

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