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Lightbox & Modal Popup WordPress Plugin – FooBox

By FooPlugins

E-commerce & Shopping /

Reviewed by Omar Dabbas

Trusted WordPress expert with 20+ years of experience evaluating plugins for the WP ecosystem.

Lightbox & Modal Popup WordPress Plugin – FooBox Review - In-Depth Analysis

FooBox is a responsive image lightbox for WordPress galleries and images. It automatically adds modal popups to images with no setup required. The plugin is designed to work seamlessly with most image gallery plugins.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

6.77/10

User Rating

3.9/5 (based on 95+ reviews)

Active Installations

100,000+

Update Frequency

Below Average It is calculated using the weighted average of same category plugins.

Security Score

5.8 / 10 (Medium Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

FooBox was the first lightbox to take responsive layout seriously. Not only does it scale images to look better on phones, but it rearranges its button controls to look great in both portrait or landscape orientation.

Add a modal popup to your website images with no setup. FooBox will automatically add modals to WordPress galleries, WordPress images with captions, and attachment images.

It works with most image gallery plugins, but works best with the FooGallery Gallery WordPress Plugin.

FooBox includes full Gutenberg support, automatically adding a modal popup to images and galleries that have the 'Link To' setting set to 'Media File'. Image captions set in the editor are also automatically picked up in the FooBox modal popup.

FooBox offers a responsive and modern lightbox design with zero configuration required. It works with WordPress galleries and captioned images, and allows control over when to exclude or include FooBox JS and CSS assets.

The plugin includes a 7-day free trial of FooBox Pro Lightbox, allowing users to try the PRO version for free.

Comparing to Alternatives

FooBox offers a feature-rich lightbox and modal popup experience with several customization options, positioning it well among popular alternatives.

Top alternatives

Strengths

Attractive image display with captions and customization options
Works well both on front end and Gutenberg editor backend
Compatible with other lightbox plugins
Professional default lightbox theme
Combination with FooGallery enhances gallery management

Weaknesses

Known security vulnerabilities in past versions
Nag banner for reviews can be intrusive
Some PHP compatibility warnings reported
Requires pro version for advanced layout choices

User Sentiment Analysis

With a 3.9 average rating from 95 reviews, most users appreciate FooBox's ease of use and visual appeal, though a quarter of ratings are low, reflecting some dissatisfaction.

Positive highlights

'Highly recommend using FooGallery and FooBox combo' - tomaszgronczewski
'FooBox works great out of the box' - Ronald Huereca
'Simple and convenient plugin' - igormig
'Easy to get going right after install' - Thomas "tomek" Holst
'Worked great right out of the box' - jonbius

Common complaints

Review nag banner keeps coming back despite dismissal

Weaknesses

Security vulnerabilities fixed in recent updates
Nagging review prompts annoy some users
PHP warnings related to compatibility

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Users seeking a visually appealing, easy-to-use lightbox plugin with good customization and compatibility, especially when combined with FooGallery.

Not ideal for

Users concerned about past security issues or those who dislike persistent review prompts; also not ideal for those needing fully PHP 8.5 compatible plugins without warnings.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version offers basic lightbox functionality with customization options suitable for most users.

Pro version (34.99 - 149.99 USD / year)

Premium features include additional layout choices, enhanced compatibility with other lightbox plugins, and advanced customization options.

Final Verdict

FooBox is a solid choice for users wanting a stylish and functional lightbox plugin with good integration options, especially when paired with FooGallery. Its ease of use and professional appearance are frequently praised by users.

However, past security vulnerabilities and intrusive review nags may deter some users. Those needing the most secure or PHP 8.5 compatible solutions should consider these factors before choosing FooBox.

Other Notable Features

Here are a few other notable features of this free Lightbox & Modal Popup WordPress Plugin – FooBox plugin.

Responsive lightbox

Image gallery plugin

Modal popup

Screenshots

FAQ

Make sure your images/galleries are set to Link To the Media File (within Gutenberg).
In the class editor, make sure your images/galleries are linking to the media file.
FooBox scans for images or thumbs that are pointing to the full-size version of the image. If the image is not linking to the full size image, then FooBox cannot work on that image.
You can tell if an image links to a full-size version when you can click on the image and the full size version opens in the browser.