WordPress plugin comparison
WP Colorbox vs WP Lightbox 2
At a glance
- WP Lightbox 2 has more active installs: 20K+, against 5K+ for WP Colorbox.
- On a typical day, WP Lightbox 2 is downloaded about 84 times, WP Colorbox about 36.
- WP Lightbox 2 is rated higher: 4.4 out of 5 from 89 reviews, against 4.3 from 23 reviews.
- WP Lightbox 2 was updated more recently: Jan 31, 2026, against Aug 16, 2025 for WP Colorbox.
- WP Lightbox 2 is tested with a newer WordPress: 6.9.11, against 6.8.12 for WP Colorbox.
- WP Lightbox 2 has been around longer: since 2011, against 2014 for WP Colorbox.
Line by line
WP Lightbox 2 leads on 7 of 7 comparable lines.
| Metric |  WP Colorbox |  WP Lightbox 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank | #3,109 | #1,100 |
| Active installs | 5K+ | 20K+ |
| Downloads, last 30 days | 818 | 2.7K |
| Rating | 4.3(23) | 4.4(89) |
| Support threads resolved | – | – |
| Tested up to | 6.8.12 | 6.9.11 |
| Search multiplier | ×0.34 | ×0.65 |
| Last release | 1 year ago | 9 months ago |
| Requires PHP | – | – |
From WordPress.org's public data, refreshed every night. Downloads are WordPress.org's official daily figures for the last 30 days.
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