Simple Lightbox vs Meow Lightbox (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, Meow Lightbox has a higher user rating (4.9/5 from 178 reviews) while Simple Lightbox leads in active installations (100K+ vs 10K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Simple Lightbox has accumulated 3.0M+ total downloads while Meow Lightbox has 382K+. Meow Lightbox has a higher support resolution rate (44% vs 0%).
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Simple Lightbox | Meow Lightbox | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.3/5 | ► | 4.9/5 |
| Total Reviews | 236 | ◄ | 178 |
| Active Installs | 100K+ | ◄ | 10K+ |
| Total Downloads | 3.0M+ | ◄ | 382K+ |
| Support Resolution | 0% | ► | 44% |
| Last Updated | 1 month ago | ► | 3 weeks ago |
| First Released | 2010 | 2016 | |
| Age | 16 years | 10 years | |
| WP Requires | 5.3+ | 6.0+ | |
| PHP Requires | 5.6.20+ | 7.4+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 2.9.5 | 5.5.1 |
Rating Breakdown
Simple Lightbox
Meow Lightbox
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Simple Lightbox averaged approximately 895 daily downloads while Meow Lightbox averaged 255.
Recent Reviews
Simple Lightbox Reviews
Does not do anything
Just does not work. This topic was modified 6 months, 3 weeks ago by Benjamin Stocker.
Worked straight out of the box!
Couldn’t be simpler. Downloaded, installed, activated and now all my post images open in a lightbox. Brilliant!
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.
Meow Lightbox Reviews
Very good
Simple is fine.
Excellent tool
Like all the tools produced by this developer, this one is another must-have! Congratulations!
Good and reliable app (and the Meow app collection in general)
I’m a big fan of all the meow apps that I use, they have a good range of options (for free) and seem to be very reliable so far. The one time I’ve asked for support I received a quick reply, and the d
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.