WP Colorbox vs WP Lightbox 2
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
WP Lightbox 2 leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #1,105, ahead of WP Colorbox at #3,124. Over the last 7 days WP Lightbox 2 climbed 2 places and WP Colorbox slipped 2 places. WP Lightbox 2 has the largest install base, roughly 4× the next: 20K+ active installs against 5K+ for WP Colorbox. Downloads this week: WP Lightbox 2 412 and WP Colorbox 166. Ratings: WP Colorbox 4.3★ from 23 and WP Lightbox 2 4.4★ from 89 reviews.
| Metric | WP Colorbox | WP Lightbox 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #3,124 ▼ 2 | #1,105 ▲ 2 |
| Active installs | 5K+ | 20K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 166 | 412 |
| Rating | 4.3★ (23) | 4.4★ (89) |
| Last updated | Aug 16, 2025 | Jan 31, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.1.6 | 3.0.7 |
| Best rank on record | #3,115 | #1,103 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Jan 2014 | Nov 2011 |
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
- WP Colorbox vs LightPress Lightbox
- WP Colorbox vs Lightbox for Gallery & Image Block
- WP Colorbox vs Responsive Lightbox & Gallery
- WP Colorbox vs Simple Lightbox
- WP Lightbox 2 vs LightPress Lightbox
- WP Lightbox 2 vs Photo Gallery by Supsystic – Image Gallery, Masonry, Albums & Lightbox
- WP Lightbox 2 vs Lightbox for Gallery & Image Block
- WP Lightbox 2 vs Responsive Lightbox & Gallery
Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, WP Colorbox or WP Lightbox 2?
By active installs, WP Lightbox 2: 20K+ sites run it against 5K+ for WP Colorbox, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 21, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, WP Colorbox or WP Lightbox 2?
WP Lightbox 2, at #1,105 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with WP Colorbox at #3,124. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are WP Colorbox or WP Lightbox 2 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.