Gallery Lightbox vs Smart Slider 3
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
Smart Slider 3 leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #78, ahead of Gallery Lightbox at #1,937. Over the last 7 days Smart Slider 3 held its place and Gallery Lightbox climbed 11 places. Smart Slider 3 has the largest install base, roughly 80× the next: 800K+ active installs against 10K+ for Gallery Lightbox. Downloads this week: Smart Slider 3 220,323 and Gallery Lightbox 598. Ratings: Gallery Lightbox 4.7★ from 106 and Smart Slider 3 4.9★ from 1,125 reviews.
| Metric | Gallery Lightbox | Smart Slider 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #1,937 ▲ 11 | #78 ▬ |
| Active installs | 10K+ | 800K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 598 | 220,323 |
| Rating | 4.7★ (106) | 4.9★ (1,125) |
| Last updated | Sep 2, 2026 | Oct 28, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.0.0.45 | 3.5.1.40 |
| Best rank on record | #1,935 | #78 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Aug 2015 | Nov 2015 |
| Sites detected by our detector | 0 | 10 |
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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Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, Gallery Lightbox or Smart Slider 3?
By active installs, Smart Slider 3: 800K+ sites run it against 10K+ for Gallery Lightbox, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 29, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Gallery Lightbox or Smart Slider 3?
Smart Slider 3, at #78 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Gallery Lightbox at #1,937. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Gallery Lightbox or Smart Slider 3 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.