Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

jQuery Lightbox VS Lightbox 2

Compare jQuery Lightbox VS Lightbox 2 and see what are their differences

jQuery Lightbox logo jQuery Lightbox

jQuery Lightbox plugins are utilized to showcase images and other web stuff using modal dialogs.

Lightbox 2 logo Lightbox 2

Lightbox is a simple, unobtrusive script used to overlay images on the current page.
  • jQuery Lightbox Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-08-03
  • Lightbox 2 Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-29

jQuery Lightbox features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    jQuery Lightbox plugins are generally easy to implement with minimal setup, making them accessible for developers of all skill levels.
  • Compatibility
    These plugins work well with all major browsers, ensuring consistent presentation across different platforms.
  • Customization
    jQuery Lightbox plugins offer a variety of customization options, allowing developers to tailor the appearance and behavior to their needs.
  • Responsive Design
    Many Lightbox plugins are designed to be responsive, providing a consistent user experience on both desktop and mobile devices.
  • Community Support
    As popular jQuery plugins, there is a large community and wealth of resources available for troubleshooting and enhancements.

Possible disadvantages of jQuery Lightbox

  • Performance
    jQuery plugins can add additional load time to web pages due to the extra library and resource requests, which may affect performance.
  • Dependency on jQuery
    These plugins rely on jQuery, which can be a downside if you're looking to reduce dependencies and streamline your JavaScript stack.
  • Outdated Technology
    As newer libraries and frameworks have emerged, the use of jQuery has decreased, potentially making Lightbox plugins less future-proof.
  • Limited Features
    While sufficient for basic use cases, some jQuery Lightbox plugins have limited features compared to modern JavaScript alternatives.
  • Potential Conflicts
    Using multiple jQuery plugins can occasionally lead to compatibility issues or conflicts in JavaScript functionality.

Lightbox 2 features and specs

  • User Friendly
    Lightbox 2 is designed with simplicity and ease of use in mind, making it accessible for developers at various skill levels.
  • Responsive Design
    The Lightbox 2 framework is built to automatically adjust to different screen sizes, ensuring compatibility with both mobile and desktop devices.
  • Cross-Browser Compatibility
    Lightbox 2 works across major web browsers, ensuring consistent functionality and appearance for users regardless of their browser choice.
  • Customizable
    Users can easily modify the appearance and behavior of Lightbox 2 due to its flexible and customizable nature.
  • Lightweight
    The library has a small footprint, minimizing the negative impact on page load times and performance.

Possible disadvantages of Lightbox 2

  • Limited Advanced Features
    Compared to newer or more complex libraries, Lightbox 2 may lack some advanced features required for intricate projects.
  • Dependency on jQuery
    Lightbox 2 requires jQuery, which is becoming less common as developers move towards using vanilla JavaScript and modern frameworks.
  • No Active Development
    The lack of active development and updates may pose issues for long-term use, especially regarding security and compatibility updates.
  • Potential Performance Issues
    Although lightweight, using Lightbox 2 with very large images or galleries may pose performance issues on less powerful devices.

jQuery Lightbox videos

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Lightbox 2 videos

Lightbox 2 Multi-Touch Museum Media Browsing Software

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to jQuery Lightbox and Lightbox 2)
Web Frameworks
46 46%
54% 54
Developer Tools
46 46%
54% 54
Ruby Web Framework
61 61%
39% 39
Photos & Graphics
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Lightbox 2 seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 4 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

jQuery Lightbox mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of jQuery Lightbox yet. Tracking of jQuery Lightbox recommendations started around Mar 2021.

Lightbox 2 mentions (4)

  • PORTFOLIO HELP (Newish to Neocities)
    Lightbox (which was easier to implement) and. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Gallery Lightbox for Website
    That fix would require a major adjustment in the lightbox code. Honestly I would consider just switching the lightbox plugin you use. This here seems to have the same functionality as yours: https://lokeshdhakar.com/projects/lightbox2/. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Pagescrolling webserver
    Possibly https://lokeshdhakar.com/projects/lightbox2/. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Cards with lightbox gallery
    Are you taking about coding it yourself? I just attempted to quickly make a lightbox the other day as I thought it’s a relatively simple thing. I soon realised there’s actually a fair amount going on. I ended up using lightbox2 and then slightly modifying it to suit how I wanted it. Source: almost 3 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing jQuery Lightbox and Lightbox 2, you can also consider the following products

PhotoSwipe - JavaScript gallery, no dependencies.

Fancybox - fancyapps.com - Fancy App Store

Magnific Popup - The greater part of Lightbox modules will completely preload a picture before showing it.

lightgallery.js - Full featured javascript lightbox gallery, No dependencies.

LightGallery - A modern, electron and nodejs based image viewer for Mac, Windows and Linux.

prettyPhoto - prettyPhoto is a jQuery Lightbox clone.