LightPress Lightbox vs WP Lightbox 2 (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, LightPress Lightbox has a higher user rating (4.6/5 from 69 reviews) and leads in active installations (40K+ vs 30K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. LightPress Lightbox has accumulated 902K+ total downloads while WP Lightbox 2 has 1.3M+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | LightPress Lightbox | WP Lightbox 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.6/5 | ◄ | 4.4/5 |
| Total Reviews | 69 | ► | 89 |
| Active Installs | 40K+ | ◄ | 30K+ |
| Total Downloads | 902K+ | ► | 1.3M+ |
| Support Resolution | N/A | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 1 week ago | ◄ | 2 months ago |
| First Released | 2010 | 2011 | |
| Age | 16 years | 15 years | |
| WP Requires | 5.0+ | 3.0+ | |
| PHP Requires | 7.0+ | false+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 2.3.5 | 3.0.7 |
Rating Breakdown
LightPress Lightbox
WP Lightbox 2
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, LightPress Lightbox averaged approximately 289 daily downloads while WP Lightbox 2 averaged 93.
Recent Reviews
LightPress Lightbox Reviews
Useful
Very useful
Clean, functional, reliable
I have used this plugin for a long time, and still think it has one of the best UI for a photo gallery.
Excellent
Great little plugin. Install and forget about it.
WP Lightbox 2 Reviews
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
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.
Broke my site
Very nice to hear this from a customer…
More Lightbox Worth Comparing
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is LightPress Lightbox or WP Lightbox 2 more popular?
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.