Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Lightbox 2 VS lightgallery.js

Compare Lightbox 2 VS lightgallery.js and see what are their differences

Lightbox 2 logo Lightbox 2

Lightbox is a simple, unobtrusive script used to overlay images on the current page.

lightgallery.js logo lightgallery.js

Full featured javascript lightbox gallery, No dependencies.
  • Lightbox 2 Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-29
  • lightgallery.js Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-30

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.

lightgallery.js features and specs

  • Feature-rich
    Lightgallery.js offers a wide range of features, including support for video, responsive design, and numerous plugins to enhance user experience.
  • Highly Customizable
    It provides a plethora of options and settings that allow developers to tailor the gallery to specific needs and design preferences.
  • Performance Optimized
    The library is designed with performance in mind, ensuring fast loading times and smooth transitions, even with large image collections.
  • Easy Integration
    Lightgallery.js is easy to integrate into existing projects, and it supports a wide range of frameworks and technologies.
  • Free and Open Source
    As an open-source library, developers can use, modify, and distribute it freely, promoting transparency and community collaboration.

Possible disadvantages of lightgallery.js

  • Complexity for Simple Use Cases
    For projects that require only basic gallery functionality, lightgallery.js might be too complex or over-featured, leading to unnecessary configuration.
  • Learning Curve
    Due to its extensive options and functionality, there might be a learning curve for new users, particularly those unfamiliar with JavaScript libraries.
  • Bundle Size
    The comprehensive feature set can lead to a relatively large bundle size, potentially impacting performance on low-resource devices or slower networks.
  • Dependency Management
    Managing its dependencies, especially amidst frequent updates, can sometimes be challenging and may require regular maintenance.
  • Limited Support
    While the community is active, official support may be limited to documentation and community forums, which might not be sufficient for all users.

Lightbox 2 videos

Lightbox 2 Multi-Touch Museum Media Browsing Software

lightgallery.js videos

No lightgallery.js videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Lightbox 2 and lightgallery.js)
Web Frameworks
56 56%
44% 44
Developer Tools
45 45%
55% 55
Photos & Graphics
47 47%
53% 53
Ruby Web Framework
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Lightbox 2 should be more popular than lightgallery.js. 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.

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: almost 2 years ago
  • Pagescrolling webserver
    Possibly https://lokeshdhakar.com/projects/lightbox2/. Source: about 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

lightgallery.js mentions (1)

  • Build a light gallery with Stimulus Components
    Stimulus Components is an open-source project that hosts a collection of customizable components for typical JavaScript behavior. One component helps you to create a feature-rich light gallery into your project without writing any custom JavaScript at all. See lightgallery.js to get an idea of what you can build after reading this article. - Source: dev.to / over 3 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Lightbox 2 and lightgallery.js, you can also consider the following products

Fancybox - fancyapps.com - Fancy App Store

PhotoSwipe - JavaScript gallery, no dependencies.

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

nanogallery2 - nanogallery2 is a must have gallery and lightbox javascript library [open source]. Strengths of nanogallery2 include rich UI interactions, multiple responsive layouts, swipe and zoom gestures, multi-level albums and limitless options.

Shadowbox - Shadowbox.js is a plugin that has user-friendly functions and allows to view media files like images, gif, video on the current page in the full dimensions

ColorBox jQuery Plugin - ColorBox: light-weight, customizable lightbox plugin for jQuery 1.3 & 1.4