12+ Best WordPress Photo Gallery Plugins for Stunning Sites (2025)

Key highlights

• Know the top 13 WordPress photo gallery plugins that can transform your website’s visuals with free and premium options.
• Learn how features like WooCommerce integration, Gutenberg blocks and page builder compatibility make galleries easier to manage.
• Explore plugin comparisons on speed, pricing and customization to choose the best WordPress gallery plugin for your needs.
• Understand how to optimize images, use lightbox and video support and improve SEO with descriptive alt text.
• Uncover the best choices for photographers, bloggers and ecommerce site owners to create stunning and functional galleries.

When you run a WordPress website, images aren’t just decoration, they tell your story, showcase your work and keep visitors engaged. But simply uploading photos into your media library isn’t enough. To create stunning image galleries, add video support or display photos in a responsive lightbox, you’ll need the right WordPress photo gallery plugin. WordPress offers numerous photo gallery plugins for varying needs, including Envira Gallery, Modula and NextGEN Gallery.

At Bluehost, we’ve worked with thousands of site owners, from bloggers to professional photographers and we’ve seen how the right gallery plugin can transform a plain site into a visually powerful experience. Whether you want a free WordPress gallery plugin for basic layouts or a premium version with advanced features, your choice matters.

Before jumping into our top picks, let’s look at what really matters when picking a WordPress photo gallery plugin.

How to choose the best WordPress photo gallery plugins

Picking the right WordPress photo gallery plugin can feel overwhelming, there are hundreds out there, each promising beautiful galleries and advanced features. But not every gallery plugin will be right for your WordPress site. At Bluehost, we’ve helped countless website owners and professional photographers build galleries that not only look stunning but also load fast and rank well in search engines.

Here’s what really matters when choosing the best WordPress gallery plugin:

1. Ease of use

Look for plugins with a drag and drop builder and simple gallery settings. For example, Envira Gallery lets beginners create galleries in minutes without coding.

2. Responsive galleries

Your WordPress photo gallery should look great on any device. A good plugin automatically adjusts gallery layouts so your images never shift awkwardly on mobile.

3. Free vs premium features

A free WordPress gallery plugin is great for starters. But if you want lightbox galleries, video support or image watermarking, you’ll need the premium version. Bluehost customers often start free, then upgrade once their site grows.

4. Performance & SEO

Heavy plugins slow down your site. Look for features like lazy loading, image protection and SEO-friendly gallery templates. This helps your photo galleries load fast and rank better in search engines.

5. Flexibility & customization

The best plugins give you complete control from gallery style, custom grids and gallery widgets, to creating unlimited galleries. For example, NextGEN Gallery offers advanced gallery management for large photo collections.

Pro Tip: Don’t just chase features. Match the plugin to your goal, whether it’s showcasing client work, running a WordPress website for business or selling images online. And if you want to build your site even faster, try our WonderSuite AI Website Builder. It helps you launch a professional website quickly, then you can enhance it with the best WordPress gallery plugin for your needs.

12+ best WordPress gallery plugins in 2025

There’s no shortage of WordPress photo gallery plugins, but not all of them are worth your time. Some look flashy but slow down your WordPress site, while others hide essential gallery features behind paywalls that are too expensive. At Bluehost, we’ve worked with thousands of website owners, bloggers and professional photographers. From that experience, we’ve put together this trusted list of the best WordPress gallery plugins, covering both free versions and premium features, so you can pick the right one for your needs in 2025.

Let’s start with the most popular option of all time.

Plugin	Free version?	Best feature / Highlight	Premium starting price	Best for
NextGEN gallery	Yes	Advanced gallery management, eCommerce support	$49/year	Professional photographers & large photo collections
Envira gallery	Yes	Fast, responsive galleries with video support	$29/year	Beginners, bloggers, creative professionals
Modula image gallery	Yes	Custom mosaic layouts, hover effects	$39/year	Designers, creatives, portfolio websites
Photo Gallery by 10Web	Yes	Image + video integration, watermarking	$60/year	Bloggers & businesses needing image + video galleries
FooGallery	Yes	Live previews in editor, responsive templates	$33.99/year	Bloggers & small businesses
Jetpack Gallery Block	Yes (with Jetpack)	Minimalist gallery block inside Jetpack	Free / $4.95+ with Jetpack	Personal blogs & simple gallery needs
Photo Gallery by Supsystic	Yes	Bulk image import, gallery filters	$46/year	Site owners wanting flexible layouts & filtering
ElementsKit Gallery	Yes (with ElementsKit)	Elementor drag-and-drop gallery addon	$39/year (with Pro)	Elementor users who want seamless design control
GutenKit Gallery	Yes (with GutenKit)	Gutenberg block gallery creation	$29/year	Bloggers & creators using WordPress block editor
WP Portfolio	Yes	Portfolio galleries for projects & videos	$49/year	Agencies, freelancers, professional photographers
JetProductGallery	Yes (basic)	WooCommerce product galleries, zoom & lightbox	$23/year (Crocoblock suite)	Ecommerce stores & product-based websites
Robo Gallery	Yes	Lightweight, auto default settings	$30/year	Bloggers & small sites wanting fast, minimalist galleries
Filter Gallery Plugin	Yes	Gallery filtering & master galleries	$25/year	Sites with many galleries needing advanced filtering & control

1. NextGEN Gallery

If you’ve been in the WordPress world for even a little while, chances are you’ve heard of NextGEN Gallery. It’s one of the oldest and most downloaded WordPress photo gallery plugins, trusted by millions of site owners since 2007.

• Ease of use: NextGEN makes it simple to create photo galleries with its drag-and-drop builder. You can choose from classic gallery layouts like masonry, mosaics, tiled grids and slideshows.
• Features: Import SEO metadata for better visibility in search engines, protect your work with image watermarking and manage multiple galleries from a single dashboard. NextGEN Gallery is known for its ability to manage thousands of images efficiently without performance issues.
• Best for: Professional photographers or anyone running large photo collections who need complete control.
• Performance: Comes with lazy loading and image optimization to keep your WordPress website fast.
• Free vs premium: The free version is powerful enough for most beginners. The premium version adds eCommerce support (perfect if you want to sell images) and more advanced customization.
• Pricing: The premium plan starts at $49 per year.

Tip: If you’re a photographer or agency building stunning image galleries for clients, NextGEN’s balance of responsive galleries, customization and professional tools makes it a solid long-term choice.

Also read: Create Your Photography Website

2. Envira Gallery

If you’re new to WordPress and just want something that “works out of the box,” Envira Gallery is a fantastic choice. It’s designed to be beginner-friendly while still powerful enough for professionals. Many Bluehost customers love it because it balances ease of use, speed and responsive galleries.

• Ease of use: With its drag-and-drop builder, you can create WordPress photo galleries in minutes, no coding required.
• Features: The free version supports both image and video galleries, making it great for bloggers and small business owners. Premium unlocks advanced tools like album organization, image watermarking, social sharing and deep integrations with WooCommerce.
• Best for: Bloggers, creative professionals and website owners who want fast, SEO-friendly galleries that look good on any device.
• Performance: Envira is known for lightweight code and lazy loading, so your WordPress website stays quick, even with large photo collections.
• Free vs premium: Free is perfect for basic photo galleries. Premium gives you more gallery layouts, responsive lightbox features and marketing tools for growth.
• Pricing: Starts at $29/year, making it one of the most affordable premium WordPress gallery plugins.

Tip: If your priority is speed and simplicity but you also want the option to grow with premium advanced features, Envira Gallery is a safe bet.

3. Modula Image Gallery

If you care about design freedom and want your galleries to stand out, Modula Image Gallery is the plugin for you. Unlike many WordPress photo gallery plugins that feel rigid, Modula is built for creativity, making it especially popular among designers, agencies and portfolio websites. Modula provides a unique custom grid feature allowing image resizing for galleries, giving users even more control over their gallery layouts.

• Ease of use: Modula offers a clean gallery builder with a drag-and-drop interface. You can easily adjust image sizes, spacing and layouts without touching code.
• Features: The free version covers the basics, while the premium unlocks custom mosaic layouts, filters, hover effects and advanced gallery templates. Perfect for showcasing photo collections or creative projects.
• Best for: Photographers, artists or any WordPress site owner who wants stunning image galleries that go beyond the standard grid look.
• Performance: Modula comes with built-in lazy loading and SEO-friendly output, so your WordPress website stays fast while still delivering high-quality visuals.
• Free vs premium: Free works for basic image galleries. Premium gives you complete control over gallery style and adds pro options like video support and password-protected galleries.
• Pricing: Starts at $39/year for the premium plan.

Tip: If your goal is to create beautiful galleries with unique layouts that don’t look cookie-cutter, Modula is one of the best WordPress image gallery plugins you can get.

4. Photo Gallery by 10Web

If you’re looking for an all-in-one WordPress photo gallery plugin that can handle both images and videos, Photo Gallery by 10Web is a top contender. It’s flexible, powerful and comes with enough features to satisfy both beginners and advanced WordPress website owners.

• Ease of use: The setup is straightforward and the plugin integrates seamlessly with the WordPress media library. Bulk uploads make it easy to add entire photo collections or video galleries in one go. Most gallery plugins integrate seamlessly with the WordPress media library for easy image uploading and organization.
• Features: The free version supports gallery layouts, social sharing, watermarking and right-click image protection. Premium unlocks more advanced gallery templates, responsive galleries and deep integrations with YouTube, Vimeo and Instagram.
• Best for: Bloggers, businesses and photographers who want to combine gallery images with video support on the same site.
• Performance: Comes with lazy loading and responsive lightbox galleries to keep your site fast and mobile-friendly.
• Free vs premium: Free is strong enough for most small sites. Premium adds extra gallery styles, advanced customization and integrations for serious growth.
• Pricing: Starts at $60/year for premium.

Tip: If you want one plugin that covers everything stunning image galleries, video integration and advanced features like watermarking 10Web is one of the most complete solutions in 2025.

5. FooGallery

If you want a plugin that’s lightweight but still packed with features, FooGallery is an excellent choice. It’s one of the most popular WordPress photo gallery plugins thanks to its simplicity, speed and professional look. FooGallery supports lazy loading, which helps improve page loading speed by only loading images when they enter the viewport.

• Ease of use: FooGallery offers a user-friendly drag-and-drop gallery builder and lets you preview galleries live inside the WordPress editor. This makes creating beautiful galleries quick and intuitive.
• Features: The free version includes responsive image galleries, album support and multiple gallery layouts. Premium unlocks video galleries, hover effects, filtering options and gallery widgets.
• Best for: Bloggers, website owners and small businesses that want attractive photo galleries without a steep learning curve.
• Performance: Optimized for speed with lazy loading and responsive galleries so your WordPress site stays fast.
• Free vs premium: Free is great for simple gallery templates. Premium adds advanced features like video support, lightbox galleries and filtering.
• Pricing: Starts at $33.99/year for premium.

Tip: If you need a reliable, modern WordPress gallery plugin that balances ease of use with professional results, FooGallery is a safe, budget-friendly option.

6. Jetpack Gallery Block

Sometimes, you don’t need a heavy plugin with dozens of settings, you just want something simple that works inside WordPress. That’s where the Jetpack Gallery Block comes in. Since it’s part of the Jetpack plugin, it’s perfect for site owners who prefer minimal setup and don’t want to install another dedicated tool.

• Ease of use: You can create basic galleries directly in the WordPress editor. Just upload images, choose a layout and publish. It’s ideal for upload photos quickly without diving into advanced customization.
• Features: While limited compared to other gallery builders, it supports gallery grids, image containers and integrates smoothly with the media library.
• Best for: Website owners who want clean, no-fuss galleries for blogs or personal sites.
• Performance: Since it’s lightweight and built into Jetpack, it doesn’t add much overhead to your WordPress website.
• Free vs premium: The gallery block itself is free, though premium Jetpack plans add extra tools (like backups and security).
• Pricing: Free as part of Jetpack. Premium Jetpack bundles start at around $4.95/month.

Tip: If all you need is a default gallery option that integrates with WordPress and you’re already using Jetpack, this is the easiest way to get started.

7. Photo Gallery by Supsystic

If you need a plugin that gives you flexibility with lots of options, Photo Gallery by Supsystic is worth checking out. It’s known for offering plenty of layouts and customization while keeping things simple for site owners.

• Ease of use: You can quickly import images in bulk and build galleries without hassle. Adding a gallery shortcode makes it easy to place your galleries anywhere on your WordPress website.
• Features: Supports multiple gallery styles, gallery filters for easy navigation and options for gallery management. Premium unlocks features like image categories, roles for gallery settings and advanced customization.
• Best for: Website owners who need more control over gallery layouts but don’t want a complex setup.
• Performance: Built with lazy loading to handle large galleries efficiently, even if you’re working with photo collections.
• Free vs premium: Free covers most essential features. Premium expands customization and adds advanced plugin features for professionals.
• Pricing: Starts at $46/year for premium.

Tip: Supsystic is a great pick if you want to go beyond basic galleries and give users filtering, sorting and more control over how your galleries load.

8. ElementsKit Gallery (Elementor Addon)

If your website runs on Elementor, you probably want galleries that blend seamlessly with your page designs. That’s exactly what the ElementsKit Gallery Addon delivers. It extends Elementor’s power with flexible gallery options that feel native to the builder.

• Ease of use: Built on Elementor’s drag and drop builder, creating galleries feels just like designing any other block. You can adjust layouts, styling and spacing with complete freedom.
• Features: Supports custom grids, responsive lightbox popups and even gallery widgets you can drop into sidebars or footers. It’s more than just images, you can add videos and tweak every detail.
• Best for: Designers and website owners who are already invested in Elementor and want visual consistency without juggling multiple plugins.
• Performance: Optimized for Elementor, so galleries load smoothly and don’t break your page speed.
• Free vs premium: Some features come free with the ElementsKit plugin. Premium unlocks full design controls, advanced gallery styles and extended Elementor integrations.
• Pricing: ElementsKit Pro starts at $39/year, which includes the gallery addon.

Tip: If you’re building an Elementor-powered WordPress website, ElementsKit Gallery keeps everything under one roof, making it easier to manage your design workflow while still creating stunning image galleries.

9. GutenKit Gallery (for Gutenberg)

If you’re building your site with WordPress’s native block editor, the GutenKit Gallery is a natural fit. Instead of relying on extra plugins, this addon gives you powerful gallery options right inside Gutenberg, making it a clean choice for modern WordPress websites.

• Ease of use: You can create galleries directly in the editor, customize layouts on the fly and preview changes instantly. No need for external builders.
• Features: Supports multiple gallery settings like columns, spacing and hover effects. You can easily design a gallery page or add galleries created into any section of your post with a block.
• Best for: Bloggers, creators and site owners who want everything managed inside the Gutenberg block editor without extra overhead.
• Performance: Lightweight and responsive, so your galleries load quickly and look great on all devices.
• Free vs premium: The core addon offers solid free functionality. Premium unlocks more advanced layouts, pro gallery styles and extended customization.
• Pricing: GutenKit Pro starts at around $29/year.

Tip: If you’re sticking with WordPress’s built-in editor experience, GutenKit Gallery is the easiest way to add polished, professional photo galleries without switching tools.

10. WP Portfolio

Not every gallery plugin is designed just for photos, some are built with portfolios in mind. WP Portfolio is one of the best tools for showcasing creative work, whether you’re a freelancer, designer or agency. It goes beyond basic galleries created and lets you build fully organized portfolio galleries that look professional right out of the box.

• Ease of use: The plugin comes with ready-to-use templates, so you can set up a gallery page in minutes. Perfect for site owners who want results without spending hours on design.
• Features: Supports photo collections, websites and even video galleries great if you want to display videos alongside images. Premium adds filters, categories and advanced customization.
• Best for: Professional photographers, designers and agencies who want to present client work with polish.
• Performance: Built with speed in mind, plus it includes image protection options so your work isn’t easily copied.
• Free vs premium: The free version covers simple image galleries. Premium gives you advanced layouts, unlimited galleries and filtering tools.
• Pricing: Starts at $49/year for premium.

Tip: If your WordPress site is less about blogging and more about showcasing projects, WP Portfolio offers the perfect balance of design flexibility and professional presentation.

11. JetProductGallery

If you run an online store with WooCommerce, you know how important visuals are. JetProductGallery is built specifically for product galleries, giving your shoppers a closer look at what you’re selling. Instead of a simple image block, this addon turns your WordPress website into a polished storefront with interactive product displays.

• Ease of use: Seamlessly integrates with WooCommerce. You can drop in a gallery anywhere using gallery widgets and customize layouts without coding.
• Features: Includes zoom effects, sliders and responsive lightbox functionality so customers can explore products in detail. Perfect for store owners who want to sell images or physical products online.
• Best for: Ecommerce site owners, especially those who want to showcase multiple angles, colors or variations of their products.
• Performance: Optimized for speed so your galleries load smoothly even on mobile.
• Free vs premium: Some features come in the free version, but the full power is in the premium addon with advanced layouts and WooCommerce integrations.
• Pricing: Premium starts at around $23/year as part of the Crocoblock suite.

Tip: If you’re serious about ecommerce, JetProductGallery helps you turn simple product pages into stunning image galleries that drive more clicks and conversions.

12. Robo Gallery plugin

If you want a clean, lightweight WordPress plugin for galleries without too much complexity, Robo Gallery is a solid option. It’s simple enough for beginners but flexible enough to handle larger photo collections.

• Ease of use: Robo Gallery comes with smart default settings, so you can publish galleries created in just a few clicks. No steep learning curve and no clutter compared to some other gallery plugins.
• Features: Supports unlimited gallery images, hover effects and easy customization. It also handles tricky issues like gallery images shift (when images load unevenly) with smooth, responsive layouts.
• Best for: Bloggers and small WordPress sites that want a quick, minimalist gallery page solution without heavy code.
• Performance: Lightweight, mobile-friendly and includes lazy loading so your galleries load fast.
• Free vs premium: Free covers most basics. The premium version expands design options, adds more controls and competes well with other WordPress gallery plugins.
• Pricing: Premium starts at around $30/year.

Tip: Robo Gallery is perfect if you’re new to WordPress and want something faster and simpler than other gallery plugins, but still capable of creating professional gallery pages with ease.

13. Filter Gallery Plugin

If you’ve ever felt frustrated trying out many gallery plugins that all look the same, the Filter Gallery Plugin will feel refreshing. It’s designed to give visitors more control, letting them sort and filter images inside your WordPress website without clutter.

• Ease of use: Adding and managing galleries is straightforward. You can add images to a single gallery or build master galleries that organize an entire gallery collection.
• Features: Includes built-in gallery filters, customizable gallery containers and options to manage galleries with ease. Some premium versions even support image commenting, which is handy for team projects or client feedback.
• Best for: Site owners who want the best gallery plugin for user interaction perfect for agencies, portfolios or shops that need advanced sorting options on one WordPress site.
• Performance: Lightweight but flexible, ensuring your galleries are created without slowing down the site.
• Free vs premium: Free works well for small galleries. Premium adds filtering by categories, tags and custom design settings.
• Pricing: Available as a free plugin, with premium versions starting around $25/year.

Tip: If your site has many gallery plugins installed and you’re overwhelmed, switch to Filter Gallery Plugin, it’s built for organization, complete control and delivering a better user experience.

How to pick the right one for you

With so many WordPress photo gallery plugins available, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Each plugin promises something different speed, customization or advanced features like eCommerce. The trick is finding one that fits your site’s goals. Here’s how to think about it:

WordPress photo gallery plugins: What users really want

Most people search for WordPress gallery plugins to enhance how images look and perform on their websites. They’re comparing features, ease of use and performance before deciding.

• Some plugins like NextGEN Gallery and Envira Gallery even include WooCommerce integrations, so you can sell prints or digital downloads straight from your galleries.
• Many plugins now ship with Gutenberg blocks, making it faster to embed galleries directly in the editor.
• Plus, a lot of modern WordPress plugins integrate with popular builders like Elementor or Divi, ensuring galleries fit smoothly into your overall design.

Bottom line: Users want galleries that are not just pretty but also easy to build, flexible and business-ready.

Choosing the best WordPress gallery plugin

Not all plugins are made equal, so here’s how to choose:

• Match your needs → If speed matters most, Envira Gallery is known as the fastest. If you need customization, FooGallery and Modula give more creative layouts. If you’re managing client work, NextGEN Gallery is a powerhouse with batch uploads and album management.
• Check compatibility → Your plugin should work with your theme, the block editor and page builders like Elementor. That ensures your galleries won’t break your design.
• Support matters → Look for plugins with strong customer support and documentation. When something breaks (and it can), good support saves hours of stress.

Comparing gallery plugins

Here’s what stands out when you put the leading plugins side by side:

• NextGEN Gallery → Includes client proofing, batch uploads, Lightroom sync and even the ability to sell prints directly. Premium plans go all the way up to $139.50 for eCommerce and advanced features.
• Envira Gallery → The fastest-loading gallery plugin. It also has a template library for building beautiful galleries quickly. Pricing tops at $99 for full access.
• FooGallery → Almost as fast as Envira, with only a slight difference. It’s a solid option for bloggers and small business owners, also priced at $99 for premium.
• Modula → Flexible and affordable, starting at $81. It’s the cheapest premium option, but still competitive in features.
• All four NextGEN, Envira, FooGallery, Modula offer free versions for simple galleries, so you can test before you invest.

Features that make a difference

When choosing, consider the extras:

• Lightbox support for immersive viewing.
• Video integration for portfolios and blogs.
• Image optimization (resizing, compression) so your galleries load fast.
• Descriptive alt text to improve accessibility and SEO.
• Social media integration for example, Smash Balloon lets you create galleries from your Instagram feed without using iframes (great for SEO).

Pricing breakdown

• NextGEN Gallery → Highest tier at $139.50, includes full eCommerce.
• Envira Gallery & FooGallery → Around $99 for nearly all premium features.
• Modula → Cheapest at $81, still offers comparable functionality.
• All of them → Have free versions for building basic galleries.

Social media galleries

Want to pull content directly from Instagram? Smash Balloon is built for that. It creates galleries straight from your social feeds, helping you keep your site dynamic and connected to your social presence.

Tip: Don’t just pick the plugin with the longest feature list. Choose the one that matches your goals, whether that’s creating a single gallery for a blog post, managing master galleries for clients or running an online shop with WooCommerce.

Final thoughts

Choosing the right WordPress photo gallery plugin depends on your goals. If speed is your priority, Envira Gallery is one of the fastest options. For creative freedom, Modula offers flexible layouts. Professional photographers and agencies who need client proofing or eCommerce will benefit from NextGEN Gallery, while bloggers and small site owners often find FooGallery a perfect balance of simplicity and power. The good news? Each of these plugins has a free version, so you can start small, test features and upgrade when needed.

And if you’re ready to build your own gallery website or portfolio, Bluehost WordPress hosting is the best way to get started, we officially recommended by WordPress and trusted by millions worldwide.

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