PrettyPhoto – Simple Lightbox Plugin vs fancyBox 3 for WordPress (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
PrettyPhoto – Simple Lightbox Plugin
2.0K+ active installs
Free
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 PrettyPhoto – Simple Lightbox Plugin leads in active installations (2.0K+ vs 1.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. PrettyPhoto – Simple Lightbox Plugin has accumulated 89K+ total downloads while fancyBox 3 for WordPress has 15K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | PrettyPhoto – Simple Lightbox Plugin | fancyBox 3 for WordPress | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 2.8/5 | ► | 4.9/5 |
| Total Reviews | 15 | ◄ | 7 |
| Active Installs | 2.0K+ | ◄ | 1.0K+ |
| Total Downloads | 89K+ | ◄ | 15K+ |
| Support Resolution | N/A | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 6 months ago | ◄ | 2 years ago |
| First Released | 2013 | 2017 | |
| Age | 13 years | 9 years | |
| WP Requires | false+ | 3.4+ | |
| PHP Requires | false+ | false+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 1.2.5 | 1.2.4 |
Rating Breakdown
PrettyPhoto – Simple Lightbox Plugin
fancyBox 3 for WordPress
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, PrettyPhoto – Simple Lightbox Plugin averaged approximately 12 daily downloads while fancyBox 3 for WordPress averaged 6.
Recent Reviews
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…
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.
More Fancybox Worth Comparing
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A very light implementation of PhotoSwipe javascript plugin for WordPress
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is PrettyPhoto – Simple Lightbox Plugin or fancyBox 3 for WordPress more popular?
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.