Simple Lightbox vs MetaSlider Lightbox – Modals &… (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
MetaSlider Lightbox – Modals &…

MetaSlider Lightbox – Modals &…

4.4(8)

10K+ active installs

Free

Updated 2 months ago
View MetaSlider Lightbox – Modals &…

Quick Verdict

As of April 2026, MetaSlider Lightbox – Modals &… has a higher user rating (4.4/5 from 8 reviews) while Simple Lightbox leads in active installations (100K+ vs 10K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Simple Lightbox has accumulated 3.0M+ total downloads while MetaSlider Lightbox – Modals &… has 311K+. MetaSlider Lightbox – Modals &… has a higher support resolution rate (100% vs 0%).

Detailed Comparison

Rating
4.3/5Simple Lightbox
MetaSlider Lightbox – Modals &…4.4/5
Total Reviews
236Simple Lightbox
MetaSlider Lightbox – Modals &…8
Active Installs
100K+Simple Lightbox
MetaSlider Lightbox – Modals &…10K+
Total Downloads
3.0M+Simple Lightbox
MetaSlider Lightbox – Modals &…311K+
Support Resolution
0%Simple Lightbox
MetaSlider Lightbox – Modals &…100%
Last Updated
1 month agoSimple Lightbox
MetaSlider Lightbox – Modals &…2 months ago
First Released
2010Simple Lightbox
MetaSlider Lightbox – Modals &…2014
Age
16 yearsSimple Lightbox
MetaSlider Lightbox – Modals &…12 years
WP Requires
5.3+Simple Lightbox
MetaSlider Lightbox – Modals &…5.0+
PHP Requires
5.6.20+Simple Lightbox
MetaSlider Lightbox – Modals &…5.4+
Business Model
FreeSimple Lightbox
MetaSlider Lightbox – Modals &…Free
Latest Version
2.9.5Simple Lightbox
MetaSlider Lightbox – Modals &…2.22.0

Rating Breakdown

Simple Lightbox

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

MetaSlider Lightbox – Modals &…

4.4/5(8 reviews)
5
63%
4
25%
3
0%
2
13%
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.

MetaSlider Lightbox – Modals &… Reviews

by andreadelriva

What a joke

First, It is an add on the should be part of meta slider itself. No reason to have it separated from the other. The crop options are intentionally tweaked to make the image look dumb, and impossible t

by vitralsolutions

A really useful plugin

I think this plugin is just great. Have support for the most used lightbox plugins and do its job perfectly.

by richardsan

Slider with lightbox

really great work!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Simple Lightbox or MetaSlider Lightbox – Modals &… more popular?
Simple Lightbox has 100K+ active installations while MetaSlider Lightbox – Modals &… has 10K+. Simple Lightbox is the more widely-used plugin as of April 2026.
Which has better ratings — Simple Lightbox or MetaSlider Lightbox – Modals &…?
Simple Lightbox has a 4.3/5 rating from 236 reviews, while MetaSlider Lightbox – Modals &… has a 4.4/5 rating from 8 reviews.
Are Simple Lightbox and MetaSlider Lightbox – Modals &… free?
Simple Lightbox is free and MetaSlider Lightbox – Modals &… is free. Both can be downloaded from the WordPress.org plugin directory.
Which plugin has better support — Simple Lightbox or MetaSlider Lightbox – Modals &…?
As of April 2026, Simple Lightbox has a 0% support resolution rate while MetaSlider Lightbox – Modals &… has a 100% rate.
Which plugin is updated more frequently?
Simple Lightbox was last updated 1 month ago and MetaSlider Lightbox – Modals &… was last updated 2 months ago.

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