Responsive Lightbox & Gallery vs Simple Lightbox (2026)

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

Responsive Lightbox & Gallery

Responsive Lightbox & Gallery

4.9(1,991)

100K+ active installs

Free

Updated 3 weeks ago
View Responsive Lightbox & Gallery
VS
Simple Lightbox

Simple Lightbox

4.3(236)

100K+ active installs

Free

Updated 1 month ago
View Simple Lightbox

Quick Verdict

As of April 2026, Responsive Lightbox & Gallery has a higher user rating (4.9/5 from 1,991 reviews) and leads in active installations (100K+ vs 100K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Responsive Lightbox & Gallery has accumulated 6.5M+ total downloads while Simple Lightbox has 3.0M+. Responsive Lightbox & Gallery has a higher support resolution rate (27% vs 0%).

Detailed Comparison

Rating
4.9/5Responsive Lightbox & Gallery
Simple Lightbox4.3/5
Total Reviews
1,991Responsive Lightbox & Gallery
Simple Lightbox236
Active Installs
100K+Responsive Lightbox & Gallery
Simple Lightbox100K+
Total Downloads
6.5M+Responsive Lightbox & Gallery
Simple Lightbox3.0M+
Support Resolution
27%Responsive Lightbox & Gallery
Simple Lightbox0%
Last Updated
3 weeks agoResponsive Lightbox & Gallery
Simple Lightbox1 month ago
First Released
2013Responsive Lightbox & Gallery
Simple Lightbox2010
Age
13 yearsResponsive Lightbox & Gallery
Simple Lightbox16 years
WP Requires
6.0+Responsive Lightbox & Gallery
Simple Lightbox5.3+
PHP Requires
7.0+Responsive Lightbox & Gallery
Simple Lightbox5.6.20+
Business Model
FreeResponsive Lightbox & Gallery
Simple LightboxFree
Latest Version
2.7.6Responsive Lightbox & Gallery
Simple Lightbox2.9.5

Rating Breakdown

Responsive Lightbox & Gallery

4.9/5(1,991 reviews)
5
94%
4
2%
3
1%
2
1%
1
2%

Simple Lightbox

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

Recent Reviews

Responsive Lightbox & Gallery Reviews

by dossi2dbr

Wieder hier gelandet

Vor 8 Jahren habe ich dieses Plugin erstmals genutzt, um Fotos als Lightbox anzuzeigen. Wie es immer so ist, hat irgendwann ein anderes Plugin den Platz eingenommen, funktionierte dann nicht mehr, als

Great Plugin!

we use it on a non-profit website with a limited budget and it works very well.

by deroderuiter

Great plugin!

This plugin really works great!

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Responsive Lightbox & Gallery or Simple Lightbox more popular?
Responsive Lightbox & Gallery has 100K+ active installations while Simple Lightbox has 100K+. Simple Lightbox is the more widely-used plugin as of April 2026.
Which has better ratings — Responsive Lightbox & Gallery or Simple Lightbox?
Responsive Lightbox & Gallery has a 4.9/5 rating from 1,991 reviews, while Simple Lightbox has a 4.3/5 rating from 236 reviews.
Are Responsive Lightbox & Gallery and Simple Lightbox free?
Responsive Lightbox & Gallery is free and Simple Lightbox is free. Both can be downloaded from the WordPress.org plugin directory.
Which plugin has better support — Responsive Lightbox & Gallery or Simple Lightbox?
As of April 2026, Responsive Lightbox & Gallery has a 27% support resolution rate while Simple Lightbox has a 0% rate.
Which plugin is updated more frequently?
Responsive Lightbox & Gallery was last updated 3 weeks ago and Simple Lightbox was last updated 1 month ago.

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