Meow Lightbox vs Timeline Express
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
Meow Lightbox leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #1,998, ahead of Timeline Express at #2,328. Over the last 7 days Meow Lightbox climbed 1 place and Timeline Express slipped 2 places. Meow Lightbox has the largest install base, roughly 1.3× the next: 10K+ active installs against 8K+ for Timeline Express. Downloads this week: Meow Lightbox 2,382 and Timeline Express 165. Ratings: Meow Lightbox 4.9★ from 188 and Timeline Express 4.3★ from 165 reviews.
| Metric | Meow Lightbox | Timeline Express |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #1,998 ▲ 1 | #2,328 ▼ 2 |
| Active installs | 10K+ | 8K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 2,382 | 165 |
| Rating | 4.9★ (188) | 4.3★ (165) |
| Last updated | Oct 10, 2026 | Mar 22, 2023 |
| Current version | 5.6.3 | 1.8.1 |
| Best rank on record | #1,995 | #2,319 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Aug 2016 | Oct 2014 |
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
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- Timeline Express vs WP Job Manager
- Timeline Express vs Bold Timeline Lite
- Timeline Express vs Cool Timeline (Horizontal & Vertical Timeline)
Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, Meow Lightbox or Timeline Express?
By active installs, Meow Lightbox: 10K+ sites run it against 8K+ for Timeline Express, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 18, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Meow Lightbox or Timeline Express?
Meow Lightbox, at #1,998 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Timeline Express at #2,328. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Meow Lightbox or Timeline Express 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.