PhotoSwipe vs WP fancybox (2026)

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

PhotoSwipe

PhotoSwipe

4.5(11)

1.0K+ active installs

Free

Updated 10 years ago
View PhotoSwipe
VS
WP fancybox

WP fancybox

5(2)

1.0K+ active installs

Free

Updated 10 months ago
View WP fancybox

Quick Verdict

As of April 2026, WP fancybox has a higher user rating (5/5 from 2 reviews) while PhotoSwipe leads in active installations (1.0K+ vs 1.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. PhotoSwipe has accumulated 31K+ total downloads while WP fancybox has 16K+.

Detailed Comparison

Rating
4.5/5PhotoSwipe
WP fancybox5/5
Total Reviews
11PhotoSwipe
WP fancybox2
Active Installs
1.0K+PhotoSwipe
WP fancybox1.0K+
Total Downloads
31K+PhotoSwipe
WP fancybox16K+
Support Resolution
N/APhotoSwipe
WP fancyboxN/A
Last Updated
10 years agoPhotoSwipe
WP fancybox10 months ago
First Released
2015PhotoSwipe
WP fancybox2017
Age
11 yearsPhotoSwipe
WP fancybox9 years
WP Requires
4.0+PhotoSwipe
WP fancybox4.7+
PHP Requires
false+PhotoSwipe
WP fancyboxfalse+
Business Model
FreePhotoSwipe
WP fancyboxFree
Latest Version
4.1.1.1PhotoSwipe
WP fancybox1.0.4

Rating Breakdown

PhotoSwipe

4.5/5(11 reviews)
5
73%
4
18%
3
0%
2
9%
1
0%

WP fancybox

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

Recent Reviews

PhotoSwipe Reviews

by Paul Phillips

As advertised

Simple and lightweight. Good job!

by zengxiaoluan

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/

by Andrija Naglic

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

WP fancybox Reviews

by wpblogtuts

Perfect!

This is by far the best fancyBox lightbox for mobile devices. Thank you so much for this plugin and keep up the good work.

by Curtis

Nice looking at it works!

Hello. Thank you for your plugin development. Love this plugin. It seems to work fine with shortcodes provided on WP plugin page. The display interface is attractive, and captions display in the lower

Frequently Asked Questions

Is PhotoSwipe or WP fancybox more popular?
PhotoSwipe has 1.0K+ active installations while WP fancybox has 1.0K+. WP fancybox is the more widely-used plugin as of April 2026.
Which has better ratings — PhotoSwipe or WP fancybox?
PhotoSwipe has a 4.5/5 rating from 11 reviews, while WP fancybox has a 5/5 rating from 2 reviews.
Are PhotoSwipe and WP fancybox free?
PhotoSwipe is free and WP fancybox is free. Both can be downloaded from the WordPress.org plugin directory.
Which plugin has better support — PhotoSwipe or WP fancybox?
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?
PhotoSwipe was last updated 10 years ago and WP fancybox was last updated 10 months ago.

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