Meow Gallery 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 #330, ahead of Meow Gallery at #1,887. Over the last 7 days Simple Lightbox slipped 1 place and Meow Gallery held its place. Simple Lightbox has the largest install base, roughly 10× the next: 100K+ active installs against 10K+ for Meow Gallery. Downloads this week: Simple Lightbox 1,919 and Meow Gallery 1,164. Ratings: Meow Gallery 4.9★ from 203 and Simple Lightbox 4.3★ from 239 reviews.
| Metric | Meow Gallery | Simple Lightbox |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #1,887 ▬ | #330 ▼ 1 |
| Active installs | 10K+ | 100K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 1,164 | 1,919 |
| Rating | 4.9★ (203) | 4.3★ (239) |
| Last updated | Oct 3, 2026 | Sep 12, 2026 |
| Current version | 5.5.6 | 2.9.5 |
| Best rank on record | #1,885 | #325 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Oct 2016 | 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
More comparisons
- Meow Gallery vs Lightbox for Gallery & Image Block
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- Meow Gallery vs Responsive Lightbox & Gallery
- Meow Gallery vs WP Lightbox 2
- Simple Lightbox vs LightPress Lightbox
- Simple Lightbox vs Lightbox for Gallery & Image Block
- Simple Lightbox vs Responsive Lightbox & Gallery
- Simple Lightbox vs WP Lightbox 2
Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, Meow Gallery or Simple Lightbox?
By active installs, Simple Lightbox: 100K+ sites run it against 10K+ for Meow Gallery, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 16, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Meow Gallery or Simple Lightbox?
Simple Lightbox, at #330 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Meow Gallery at #1,887. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Meow Gallery 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.