PhotoSwipe vs fancyBox 3 for WordPress (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
fancyBox 3 for WordPress
1.0K+ active installs
Free
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, fancyBox 3 for WordPress has a higher user rating (4.9/5 from 7 reviews) while PhotoSwipe leads in active installations (1.0K+ vs 1.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. PhotoSwipe has accumulated 31K+ total downloads while fancyBox 3 for WordPress has 15K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | PhotoSwipe | fancyBox 3 for WordPress | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.5/5 | ► | 4.9/5 |
| Total Reviews | 11 | ◄ | 7 |
| Active Installs | 1.0K+ | 1.0K+ | |
| Total Downloads | 31K+ | ◄ | 15K+ |
| Support Resolution | N/A | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 10 years ago | ► | 2 years ago |
| First Released | 2015 | 2017 | |
| Age | 11 years | 9 years | |
| WP Requires | 4.0+ | 3.4+ | |
| PHP Requires | false+ | false+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 4.1.1.1 | 1.2.4 |
Rating Breakdown
PhotoSwipe
fancyBox 3 for WordPress
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, PhotoSwipe averaged approximately 3 daily downloads while fancyBox 3 for WordPress averaged 6.
Recent Reviews
PhotoSwipe Reviews
As advertised
Simple and lightweight. Good job!
如今已经不能使用了
我根据自己的需要改写了一些东西，感谢你们的代码。 详情：https://zengxiaoluan.com/zphotoswipe/
I wanted a simple gallery plugin
I wanted to create galleries with WordPress and preview images with some lightbox effect. This one is awesome, I just love those nice transitions. The gallery will: – arrange the thumbnails in a mason
fancyBox 3 for WordPress Reviews
The Best – Only one with Zoom Function!
Seems to be the only Fancybox plugin with an option for click to zoom after lighbox has popped up. So glad I finally found one that works! Rich
What a disaster (updated)
Works out of the box upon activation with latest version of WordPress (June 2018). Edit: Captions don’t work. 1-2 days after installation, my slider stopped working. I then opened my site in Microsoft
Super plugin
Thanks for the job.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is PhotoSwipe or fancyBox 3 for WordPress more popular?
Which has better ratings — PhotoSwipe or fancyBox 3 for WordPress?
Are PhotoSwipe and fancyBox 3 for WordPress free?
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.