Lightbox with PhotoSwipe vs Meow Lightbox (2026)

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

Lightbox with PhotoSwipe

Lightbox with PhotoSwipe

4.9(113)

20K+ active installs

Free

Updated 1 month ago
View Lightbox with PhotoSwipe
VS
Meow Lightbox

Meow Lightbox

4.9(178)

10K+ active installs

Free

Updated 3 weeks ago
View Meow Lightbox

Quick Verdict

As of April 2026, Lightbox with PhotoSwipe has a higher user rating (4.9/5 from 113 reviews) and leads in active installations (20K+ vs 10K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Lightbox with PhotoSwipe has accumulated 940K+ total downloads while Meow Lightbox has 382K+. Lightbox with PhotoSwipe has a higher support resolution rate (91% vs 44%).

Detailed Comparison

Rating
4.9/5Lightbox with PhotoSwipe
Meow Lightbox4.9/5
Total Reviews
113Lightbox with PhotoSwipe
Meow Lightbox178
Active Installs
20K+Lightbox with PhotoSwipe
Meow Lightbox10K+
Total Downloads
940K+Lightbox with PhotoSwipe
Meow Lightbox382K+
Support Resolution
91%Lightbox with PhotoSwipe
Meow Lightbox44%
Last Updated
1 month agoLightbox with PhotoSwipe
Meow Lightbox3 weeks ago
First Released
2017Lightbox with PhotoSwipe
Meow Lightbox2016
Age
9 yearsLightbox with PhotoSwipe
Meow Lightbox10 years
WP Requires
5.3+Lightbox with PhotoSwipe
Meow Lightbox6.0+
PHP Requires
false+Lightbox with PhotoSwipe
Meow Lightbox7.4+
Business Model
FreeLightbox with PhotoSwipe
Meow LightboxFree
Latest Version
5.8.3Lightbox with PhotoSwipe
Meow Lightbox5.5.1

Rating Breakdown

Lightbox with PhotoSwipe

4.9/5(113 reviews)
5
96%
4
3%
3
0%
2
0%
1
1%

Meow Lightbox

4.9/5(178 reviews)
5
94%
4
6%
3
0%
2
0%
1
1%

Recent Reviews

Lightbox with PhotoSwipe Reviews

by Michael Rieder

Works perfect

Perfekt to show images in a lightbox. 100% support. Fast and competent.

by Roland Bischoff

Sharp photos finally

A sleek plugin that is well documented. Good support. I can’t prove it, but it seems to me that with Arno Welzel’s “Lightbox with PhotoSwipe” plugin, my photos on the website are finally as sharp a

by niguramu

Lightbox was easy to implement

I was able to easily implement Lightbox on all images. When I first activated this plugin, the Lightbox displayed and behaved strangely, but after switching to PhotoSwipe version 4 on the settings

Meow Lightbox Reviews

by popkaraie

Very good

Simple is fine.

by Walter Viana

Excellent tool

Like all the tools produced by this developer, this one is another must-have! Congratulations!

by ac1643

Good and reliable app (and the Meow app collection in general)

I’m a big fan of all the meow apps that I use, they have a good range of options (for free) and seem to be very reliable so far. The one time I’ve asked for support I received a quick reply, and the d

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Lightbox with PhotoSwipe or Meow Lightbox more popular?
Lightbox with PhotoSwipe has 20K+ active installations while Meow Lightbox has 10K+. Lightbox with PhotoSwipe is the more widely-used plugin as of April 2026.
Which has better ratings — Lightbox with PhotoSwipe or Meow Lightbox?
Lightbox with PhotoSwipe has a 4.9/5 rating from 113 reviews, while Meow Lightbox has a 4.9/5 rating from 178 reviews.
Are Lightbox with PhotoSwipe and Meow Lightbox free?
Lightbox with PhotoSwipe is free and Meow Lightbox is free. Both can be downloaded from the WordPress.org plugin directory.
Which plugin has better support — Lightbox with PhotoSwipe or Meow Lightbox?
As of April 2026, Lightbox with PhotoSwipe has a 91% support resolution rate while Meow Lightbox has a 44% rate.
Which plugin is updated more frequently?
Lightbox with PhotoSwipe was last updated 1 month ago and Meow Lightbox was last updated 3 weeks ago.

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