ARI Fancy Lightbox – Popup for WordPress vs PrettyPhoto – Simple Lightbox Plugin (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
ARI Fancy Lightbox – Popup for WordPress
10K+ active installs
Free
PrettyPhoto – Simple Lightbox Plugin
2.0K+ active installs
Free
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, ARI Fancy Lightbox – Popup for WordPress has a higher user rating (4.7/5 from 71 reviews) and leads in active installations (10K+ vs 2.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. ARI Fancy Lightbox – Popup for WordPress has accumulated 243K+ total downloads while PrettyPhoto – Simple Lightbox Plugin has 89K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | ARI Fancy Lightbox – Popup for WordPress | PrettyPhoto – Simple Lightbox Plugin | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.7/5 | ◄ | 2.8/5 |
| Total Reviews | 71 | ◄ | 15 |
| Active Installs | 10K+ | ◄ | 2.0K+ |
| Total Downloads | 243K+ | ◄ | 89K+ |
| Support Resolution | 0% | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 6 months ago | ◄ | 6 months ago |
| First Released | 2017 | 2013 | |
| Age | 9 years | 13 years | |
| WP Requires | 3.4+ | false+ | |
| PHP Requires | false+ | false+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 1.4.1 | 1.2.5 |
Rating Breakdown
ARI Fancy Lightbox – Popup for WordPress
PrettyPhoto – Simple Lightbox Plugin
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, ARI Fancy Lightbox – Popup for WordPress averaged approximately 30 daily downloads while PrettyPhoto – Simple Lightbox Plugin averaged 12.
Recent Reviews
ARI Fancy Lightbox – Popup for WordPress Reviews
Fantastic plugin
It is a great lightbox plugin. The support is fast and very competent. This plugin is absolutely recommendable.
The Best Lightbox in WordPress!
I’ve installed dozens of lightboxes in search of the perfect one. And this is it! Light weight, very fast, has pretty url hash, and is visually dazzling. The demo showcases the gallery well. As a free
Easy to use
This fixes the mobile view of the PDF width 👍👍👍wordpress.org/support/topic/problem-with-responsive-pdf-on-mobile
PrettyPhoto – Simple Lightbox Plugin Reviews
Woking fine as expected.
Woking fine as expected.
not responsive
ugly plugin and not responsive, yet wp backery and visual composer keeps forcing us to use it!
Halfway coded plugin
Such a waste of time…
More Fancybox Worth Comparing
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is ARI Fancy Lightbox – Popup for WordPress or PrettyPhoto – Simple Lightbox Plugin more popular?
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.