Image Widget vs LightPress Lightbox (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, Image Widget has a higher user rating (4.9/5 from 287 reviews) and leads in active installations (100K+ vs 40K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Image Widget has accumulated 4.6M+ total downloads while LightPress Lightbox has 902K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Image Widget | LightPress Lightbox | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.9/5 | ◄ | 4.6/5 |
| Total Reviews | 287 | ◄ | 69 |
| Active Installs | 100K+ | ◄ | 40K+ |
| Total Downloads | 4.6M+ | ◄ | 902K+ |
| Support Resolution | N/A | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 1 year ago | ► | 1 week ago |
| First Released | 2008 | 2010 | |
| Age | 18 years | 16 years | |
| WP Requires | 3.5+ | 5.0+ | |
| PHP Requires | false+ | 7.0+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 4.4.11 | 2.3.5 |
Rating Breakdown
Image Widget
LightPress Lightbox
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Image Widget averaged approximately 131 daily downloads while LightPress Lightbox averaged 289.
Recent Reviews
Image Widget Reviews
Perfect image widget
This is perfect image widget. Thank you very much for such helpful solution.
Very nice, working great
I like this image widget plugin, certainly better than the default one, also works with some external lightbox plugins, so that’s a bonus. Also, it works without a problem on WordPress v5.4.2.
Very nice plugin
This is very nice plugin! Thank you for your work! Everything work fast without any problems.
LightPress Lightbox Reviews
Useful
Very useful
Clean, functional, reliable
I have used this plugin for a long time, and still think it has one of the best UI for a photo gallery.
Excellent
Great little plugin. Install and forget about it.
More Plugins Worth Comparing
Top alternatives in the same category as Image Widget and LightPress Lightbox
Formerly Easy Fancybox. The most popular WordPress lightbox plugin. Simple, fast, and responsive. Opens images, videos, PDFs, and custom popups.
reSmush.it is the FREE image compressor and optimizer plugin - use it to optimize your images and improve the SEO and performance of your website.
The most popular lightbox plugin and responsive gallery builder for WordPress.
Adds an image or icon in the menu items. You can choose the position of the image (after, before, above, below) or even hide the menu item title.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.