Shadowbox JS vs Simplelightbox (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, Simplelightbox has a higher user rating (5/5 from 11 reviews) while Shadowbox JS leads in active installations (2.0K+ vs 1.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Shadowbox JS has accumulated 533K+ total downloads while Simplelightbox has 30K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Shadowbox JS | Simplelightbox | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.6/5 | ► | 5/5 |
| Total Reviews | 9 | ► | 11 |
| Active Installs | 2.0K+ | ◄ | 1.0K+ |
| Total Downloads | 533K+ | ◄ | 30K+ |
| Support Resolution | N/A | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 8 years ago | ► | 2 years ago |
| First Released | 2008 | 2015 | |
| Age | 18 years | 11 years | |
| WP Requires | 3.3+ | 3.0.1+ | |
| PHP Requires | false+ | false+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 3.0.3.10.2 | 2.14.4 |
Rating Breakdown
Shadowbox JS
Simplelightbox
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Shadowbox JS averaged approximately 5 daily downloads while Simplelightbox averaged 5.
Recent Reviews
Shadowbox JS Reviews
Love this and use on all my sites
Love this and use on all my sites
PHP Errors, No Recent Updates, No Support
It appears that the plugin author has abandoned supporting this plugin, it hasn’t been updated in four years. The plugin is now creating php errors with that latest few versions of WordPress. This was
Best modal window plugin
I started to use shadowbox js years ago, first in my plain html and php websites and now with WordPress in its plugin version. I’m sad the creators decided to stop supporting and updating it but I und
Simplelightbox Reviews
Very good plugin!
Very good plugin! Very good plugin! Very good plugin!
Very good plugin!
Very good plugin. The only plugin that successfully opens my lazily loaded .webp thumbnails. Thank you very much! This topic was modified 3 years, 6 months ago by Aleksandar. This topic
Cool , but need additional support to webp and svg images
Nice This topic was modified 4 years, 3 months ago by sammuelhg.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.