photoswipe vs magnific-popup vs lightgallery vs viewerjs vs lightbox2 vs glightbox
JavaScript Lightbox Libraries Comparison
1 Year
photoswipemagnific-popuplightgalleryviewerjslightbox2glightboxSimilar Packages:
What's JavaScript Lightbox Libraries?

Lightbox libraries are JavaScript plugins that allow users to display images and videos in a responsive overlay on top of the current page. They enhance user experience by providing a focused view of media content without navigating away from the main page. Each library offers unique features, customization options, and performance characteristics, catering to different project needs and developer preferences.

Package Weekly Downloads Trend
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Package
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License
photoswipe265,54924,4981.21 MB6249 months agoMIT
magnific-popup74,11111,3891.05 MB6749 months agoMIT
lightgallery72,7146,6696.7 MB35a day agoGPLv3
viewerjs65,3047,978504 kB353 months agoMIT
lightbox231,6206,275657 kB655 months ago-
glightbox24,2382,151401 kB40a month agoMIT
Feature Comparison: photoswipe vs magnific-popup vs lightgallery vs viewerjs vs lightbox2 vs glightbox

Customization

  • photoswipe:

    PhotoSwipe offers a range of customization options, including UI elements and animations, making it flexible for developers who want to create a distinct gallery experience.

  • magnific-popup:

    Magnific Popup allows for significant customization through callbacks and CSS, enabling developers to create unique user experiences tailored to specific needs.

  • lightgallery:

    LightGallery is highly customizable with a variety of settings for thumbnails, captions, and transitions, making it suitable for complex galleries that need a unique look.

  • viewerjs:

    Viewer.js allows for some customization, primarily focused on the zoom functionality and basic styling, making it straightforward but less flexible than others.

  • lightbox2:

    Lightbox2 provides basic customization through CSS, but it is limited in terms of built-in options. It's best for projects that require minimal styling changes.

  • glightbox:

    GLightbox offers extensive customization options including themes, animations, and transitions, allowing developers to tailor the appearance and behavior to fit their website's design.

Performance

  • photoswipe:

    PhotoSwipe is highly optimized for mobile devices, ensuring smooth interactions and fast loading times, which is crucial for mobile-first applications.

  • magnific-popup:

    Magnific Popup is known for its fast performance and efficient handling of various content types, making it a reliable choice for high-traffic websites.

  • lightgallery:

    LightGallery is designed for performance with features like lazy loading and optimized image handling, making it suitable for extensive galleries without sacrificing speed.

  • viewerjs:

    Viewer.js is lightweight and performs well, especially for single images, but may not be as efficient for handling multiple images compared to others.

  • lightbox2:

    Lightbox2 is lightweight and performs well for small galleries, but may struggle with larger sets of images due to its loading mechanism.

  • glightbox:

    GLightbox is optimized for performance with lazy loading features that ensure images are only loaded when needed, reducing initial load times and improving user experience.

Mobile Responsiveness

  • photoswipe:

    PhotoSwipe is built specifically for mobile devices, offering touch gestures and a responsive layout that enhances usability on smartphones and tablets.

  • magnific-popup:

    Magnific Popup is responsive and works well on mobile devices, ensuring that users have a consistent experience across platforms.

  • lightgallery:

    LightGallery is designed with mobile responsiveness in mind, adapting layouts and controls for touch devices effectively.

  • viewerjs:

    Viewer.js is responsive and provides a good viewing experience on mobile devices, although it focuses more on single images than galleries.

  • lightbox2:

    Lightbox2 is responsive but may require additional CSS adjustments to ensure optimal display on mobile devices.

  • glightbox:

    GLightbox is fully responsive, ensuring that images and videos display beautifully on all devices, providing a seamless experience for mobile users.

Ease of Use

  • photoswipe:

    PhotoSwipe has a steeper learning curve due to its advanced features, but it offers extensive documentation to help developers get started.

  • magnific-popup:

    Magnific Popup is relatively easy to use, with clear documentation and examples, allowing developers to implement it quickly.

  • lightgallery:

    LightGallery has a moderate learning curve due to its feature set, but once understood, it provides powerful capabilities for gallery management.

  • viewerjs:

    Viewer.js is simple to use and easy to integrate, making it a good choice for developers who want a quick and effective image viewing solution.

  • lightbox2:

    Lightbox2 is very easy to implement, requiring minimal setup, making it ideal for developers looking for a quick solution.

  • glightbox:

    GLightbox is user-friendly with a straightforward setup process, making it easy for developers to integrate into their projects without extensive configuration.

Support and Documentation

  • photoswipe:

    PhotoSwipe has thorough documentation and an active community, ensuring that developers can easily access support and examples.

  • magnific-popup:

    Magnific Popup has good documentation and a supportive community, making it easier for developers to find solutions to common issues.

  • lightgallery:

    LightGallery offers extensive documentation and a strong community, providing ample resources for troubleshooting and customization.

  • viewerjs:

    Viewer.js provides adequate documentation, but community support may not be as robust as other libraries.

  • lightbox2:

    Lightbox2 has decent documentation, but community support may be limited compared to more popular libraries.

  • glightbox:

    GLightbox comes with comprehensive documentation and active community support, making it easy for developers to find help and resources.

How to Choose: photoswipe vs magnific-popup vs lightgallery vs viewerjs vs lightbox2 vs glightbox
  • photoswipe:

    Choose PhotoSwipe for a touch-friendly, mobile-optimized gallery that excels in performance and gestures. It's perfect for mobile-first projects where user interaction is key.

  • magnific-popup:

    Magnific Popup is a good choice if you need a highly customizable and responsive lightbox solution that works well with various content types. It's particularly useful for projects that require flexibility and performance optimization.

  • lightgallery:

    Select LightGallery if you require a feature-rich library that supports various media types, including images, videos, and HTML content, along with advanced features like thumbnails and social sharing. It's suitable for more complex galleries.

  • viewerjs:

    Viewer.js is ideal if you want a simple and efficient image viewer with zoom capabilities. It's lightweight and focuses on providing a clean viewing experience without unnecessary features.

  • lightbox2:

    Opt for Lightbox2 if you prefer a simple, straightforward implementation for image galleries without the need for extensive customization. It's great for basic image viewing needs and is easy to set up.

  • glightbox:

    Choose GLightbox if you need a modern, lightweight solution that supports images, videos, and iframes with a sleek design and smooth animations. It's ideal for projects where aesthetics and ease of use are paramount.

README for photoswipe

Stand With Ukraine

PhotoSwipe v5 — JavaScript image gallery and lightbox

Demo | Documentation

Sponsor via OpenCollective Follow on Twitter

Repo structure

  • dist/ - main JS and CSS
  • src/ - source JS and CSS.
    • src/js/photoswipe.js - entry for PhotoSwipe Core.
    • src/js/lightbox/lightbox.js - entry for PhotoSwipe Lightbox.
  • docs/ - documentation markdown files.
  • demo-docs-website/ - website with documentation, demos and manual tests.
  • build/ - rollup build config.

To build JS and CSS in dist/ directory, run npm run build.

To run the demo website and automatically rebuild files during development, run npm install in demo-docs-website/ and npm run watch in the root directory.

Older versions

Documentation for the old version (v4) can be found here and the code for 4.1.3 is here.


This project is tested with BrowserStack.