Simple Lightbox vs WP Lightbox 2 (2026)

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

Simple Lightbox

Simple Lightbox

4.3(236)

100K+ active installs

Free

Updated 1 month ago
View Simple Lightbox
VS
WP Lightbox 2

WP Lightbox 2

4.4(89)

30K+ active installs

Free

Updated 2 months ago
View WP Lightbox 2

Quick Verdict

As of April 2026, WP Lightbox 2 has a higher user rating (4.4/5 from 89 reviews) while Simple Lightbox leads in active installations (100K+ vs 30K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Simple Lightbox has accumulated 3.0M+ total downloads while WP Lightbox 2 has 1.3M+.

Detailed Comparison

Rating
4.3/5Simple Lightbox
WP Lightbox 24.4/5
Total Reviews
236Simple Lightbox
WP Lightbox 289
Active Installs
100K+Simple Lightbox
WP Lightbox 230K+
Total Downloads
3.0M+Simple Lightbox
WP Lightbox 21.3M+
Support Resolution
0%Simple Lightbox
WP Lightbox 2N/A
Last Updated
1 month agoSimple Lightbox
WP Lightbox 22 months ago
First Released
2010Simple Lightbox
WP Lightbox 22011
Age
16 yearsSimple Lightbox
WP Lightbox 215 years
WP Requires
5.3+Simple Lightbox
WP Lightbox 23.0+
PHP Requires
5.6.20+Simple Lightbox
WP Lightbox 2false+
Business Model
FreeSimple Lightbox
WP Lightbox 2Free
Latest Version
2.9.5Simple Lightbox
WP Lightbox 23.0.7

Rating Breakdown

Simple Lightbox

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

WP Lightbox 2

4.4/5(89 reviews)
5
81%
4
2%
3
3%
2
2%
1
11%

Recent Reviews

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.

WP Lightbox 2 Reviews

by janet4now

Design features not working

The design settings from the admin no longer work. I have a site full of galleries and cannot access the settings to add the next button. Very annoying. It looks like the plugin was just updated and y

by advertare59

best plugin

thank you for up-dating this plugin. it serves my purposes well, is easy to use and has always been working on all devices.

by Sivustonikkari

Broke my site

Very nice to hear this from a customer…

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Simple Lightbox or WP Lightbox 2 more popular?
Simple Lightbox has 100K+ active installations while WP Lightbox 2 has 30K+. Simple Lightbox is the more widely-used plugin as of April 2026.
Which has better ratings — Simple Lightbox or WP Lightbox 2?
Simple Lightbox has a 4.3/5 rating from 236 reviews, while WP Lightbox 2 has a 4.4/5 rating from 89 reviews.
Are Simple Lightbox and WP Lightbox 2 free?
Simple Lightbox is free and WP Lightbox 2 is free. Both can be downloaded from the WordPress.org plugin directory.
Which plugin has better support — Simple Lightbox or WP Lightbox 2?
Support resolution data is not available for all plugins. Check each plugin's WordPress.org support forum for current response quality.
Which plugin is updated more frequently?
Simple Lightbox was last updated 1 month ago and WP Lightbox 2 was last updated 2 months ago.

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