WP Colorbox vs Simple Colorbox (2026)

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

WP Colorbox

WP Colorbox

4.3(23)

5.0K+ active installs

Free

Updated 7 months ago
View WP Colorbox
VS
Simple Colorbox

Simple Colorbox

4.8(12)

1.0K+ active installs

Free

Updated 8 years ago
View Simple Colorbox

Quick Verdict

As of April 2026, Simple Colorbox has a higher user rating (4.8/5 from 12 reviews) while WP Colorbox leads in active installations (5.0K+ vs 1.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. WP Colorbox has accumulated 154K+ total downloads while Simple Colorbox has 40K+.

Detailed Comparison

Rating
4.3/5WP Colorbox
Simple Colorbox4.8/5
Total Reviews
23WP Colorbox
Simple Colorbox12
Active Installs
5.0K+WP Colorbox
Simple Colorbox1.0K+
Total Downloads
154K+WP Colorbox
Simple Colorbox40K+
Support Resolution
N/AWP Colorbox
Simple ColorboxN/A
Last Updated
7 months agoWP Colorbox
Simple Colorbox8 years ago
First Released
2014WP Colorbox
Simple Colorbox2012
Age
12 yearsWP Colorbox
Simple Colorbox14 years
WP Requires
3.0+WP Colorbox
Simple Colorbox3.9+
PHP Requires
false+WP Colorbox
Simple Colorboxfalse+
Business Model
FreeWP Colorbox
Simple ColorboxFree
Latest Version
1.1.6WP Colorbox
Simple Colorbox1.6.1

Rating Breakdown

WP Colorbox

4.3/5(23 reviews)
5
70%
4
13%
3
4%
2
4%
1
9%

Simple Colorbox

4.8/5(12 reviews)
5
92%
4
0%
3
8%
2
0%
1
0%

Recent Reviews

WP Colorbox Reviews

by alphaomegawebdesign

Best flexible lightbox on the market

I use the colorbox lightbox for many years in my projects and for me it´s still the best lightbox plugin on the market. Its easy to use and very flexible in functionality and design. Really great job.

by klstock12

Great Text solution

I was looking for a pop-up text solution. This fit it great.

by gtwa

Firefox

Very good but it is not running on firefox and ms edge

Simple Colorbox Reviews

Super lightweight – works straight out of the box

Super lightweight and working right out of the box. And actually can be easily styled if you know a bit of css. Thnx a lot Ryan for sharing :).

by phenn

Mean and Lean

Nothing could be easier. Plugin works great.

by Damiaan van Vliet

Nice

Great simple lightbox. Indeed, install plug-in and it works. Easy to use.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is WP Colorbox or Simple Colorbox more popular?
WP Colorbox has 5.0K+ active installations while Simple Colorbox has 1.0K+. WP Colorbox is the more widely-used plugin as of April 2026.
Which has better ratings — WP Colorbox or Simple Colorbox?
WP Colorbox has a 4.3/5 rating from 23 reviews, while Simple Colorbox has a 4.8/5 rating from 12 reviews.
Are WP Colorbox and Simple Colorbox free?
WP Colorbox is free and Simple Colorbox is free. Both can be downloaded from the WordPress.org plugin directory.
Which plugin has better support — WP Colorbox or Simple Colorbox?
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?
WP Colorbox was last updated 7 months ago and Simple Colorbox was last updated 8 years ago.

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