Lightbox for Gallery & Image Block vs Simple Lightbox
Two WordPress plugins head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
These aren’t all alternatives to each other — they do different jobs — so this page compares popularity only, not features.
At a glance
Simple Lightbox leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #326, ahead of Lightbox for Gallery & Image Block at #1,309. Over the last 7 days Simple Lightbox held its place and Lightbox for Gallery & Image Block slipped 1 place. Simple Lightbox has the largest install base, roughly 5× the next: 100K+ active installs against 20K+ for Lightbox for Gallery & Image Block. Ratings: Lightbox for Gallery & Image Block 5★ from 88 and Simple Lightbox 4.3★ from 240 reviews.
| Metric | Lightbox for Gallery & Image Block | Simple Lightbox |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #1,309 ▼ 1 | #326 ▬ |
| Active installs | 20K+ | 100K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | — | 1,954 |
| Rating | 5★ (88) | 4.3★ (240) |
| Last updated | May 28, 2026 | Sep 12, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.16.1 | 2.9.5 |
| Best rank on record | #1,308 | #325 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Jun 2020 | May 2010 |
| Sites detected by our detector | 0 | 7 |
Highlighted cells mark the strongest figure in each row. Rank and installs are from the latest WordPress.org capture; downloads are the last seven captured days.
Ranking history Lower is better
Active installs
Downloads per day
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- Simple Lightbox vs LightPress Lightbox
- Simple Lightbox vs Responsive Lightbox & Gallery
- Simple Lightbox vs WP Lightbox 2
- Simple Lightbox vs Smart Slider 3
Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, Lightbox for Gallery & Image Block or Simple Lightbox?
By active installs, Simple Lightbox: 100K+ sites run it against 20K+ for Lightbox for Gallery & Image Block, according to WordPress.org figures captured on September 12, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Lightbox for Gallery & Image Block or Simple Lightbox?
Simple Lightbox, at #326 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Lightbox for Gallery & Image Block at #1,309. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Lightbox for Gallery & Image Block or Simple Lightbox alternatives to each other?
Not all of them. Some of these plugins do different jobs and many sites run more than one. This page compares their popularity, not their features.
Where do these numbers come from?
WordPress.org publishes each plugin’s active install count and its position on the popular list. This site records both every day, along with per-day downloads and ratings, so the charts above show how the plugins have moved over time rather than a single day.