Head-to-head · October 2026
Firelight Lightbox vs Simple Photo Album
Firelight Lightbox comes out ahead, winning 7 of 7 head-to-head checks against Simple Photo Album.
Firelight Lightbox
NEWS: Easy Fancybox is now Firelight Lightbox. Read about it here.
Simple Photo Album – by Simple Plugins
Simple Photo Album uses its own image sizes, I you already have images uploaded to media library, we…
| Metric | Firelight Lightbox | Simple Photo Album |
|---|---|---|
| Active installs | 200K+ | 20+ |
| Downloads (30 days) | 155.2K | 77 |
| Download trend | +761.7% | +54% |
| Rating | 4.8/5 | — |
| Reviews | 360 | 0 |
| Health score | 90/100 | 24/100 |
| Last updated | 5 days ago | 3 years ago |
| Tested up to | WP 7.1.3 | WP 6.3.13 |
| Support resolved | 67% | — |
| Requires PHP | 7.0+ | 7.2+ |
| First released | Aug 2010 | Aug 2022 |
Daily downloads, last 90 days
Firelight LightboxSimple Photo Album
Choose Firelight Lightbox if…
You care most about active installs, downloads (30 days) and download trend.
- Proven at scale on 200K+ active sites
- Loved by users — 4.8/5 from 360 reviews
- Actively developed — last update 5 days ago
- Tested with the latest WordPress (7.1)
- Momentum — downloads up 761.7% vs the previous 30 days
Choose Simple Photo Album if…
You prefer its feature set and workflow — it holds its own on the fundamentals.
- Small user base (20+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- No update in 3 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 6.3 (latest is 7.1)
Both compete in: gallery
FAQ
Firelight Lightbox vs Simple Photo Album: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 10, 2026
Which is better, Firelight Lightbox or Simple Photo Album?
Firelight Lightbox comes out ahead, winning 7 of 7 head-to-head checks against Simple Photo Album. Choose Firelight Lightbox if you care most about active installs, downloads (30 days) and download trend.
Is Firelight Lightbox more popular than Simple Photo Album?
Firelight Lightbox is the more popular of the two with 200K+ active installs, compared with 20+ for Simple Photo Album.
Can I use Firelight Lightbox and Simple Photo Album together?
Both plugins cover gallery, so most sites only need one. Running two plugins that do the same job can cause conflicts and slow your site down — pick the one that fits best and remove the other.
Are Firelight Lightbox and Simple Photo Album free?
Yes. Both are free to download from the official WordPress.org plugin directory. Either may also offer paid upgrades from its developer.
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