th23

WordPress has come a long way to be a fully featured content editor system, but the default gallery does not keep up with it. And while there are many plugins with various features, I did not find a small and simple one putting the focus on enlarged images.
<a href="https://photoswipe.com/" rel="nofollow ugc">PhotoSwipe</a> is a great basis and thus core component of my th23 Gallery plugin, which replaces the WordPress default to output galleries into a way containing all key information required while maintaining a simple and easy markup.
th23 Gallery is built with some few goals in mind:
<ul>
<li>Unintrusive way to focus on images</li>
<li>Leveraging PhotoSwipe / Lightbox-like overlay</li>
<li>Navigation between images in all galleries in a post via intuitive swipe, keyboard or mouse activity</li>
<li>Compatibile with modern blocks and legacy shortcodes</li>
<li>Simple markup and styling for thumbnail preview images (polaroid-style)</li>
<li>Plain styling for medium / large preview images allowing for theme based style</li>
<li>Minimized footprint on page loading</li>
</ul>
<h3>Usage</h3>
th23 Gallery works out-of-the-box and does not require any special handling – right after activation all embedded galleries will use PhotoSwipe to enlarge pictures.
Note: Polaroid-style works only on galleries which have set the preview image size to <code>Thumbnail</code>
Note: Previously inserted galleries might require a review to ensure link to media file and preview image size are set to work as expected – especially when also using the plugin on legacy <code>[gallery]</code> shortcodes.

th23 Gallery

Replace standard Wordpress Gallery block and legacy [gallery] shortcode handler, opening galleries using PhotoSwipe

Jordy Meow

Thomas

Meow Gallery is the lightweight, polished gallery solution for WordPress. Built from scratch for simplicity, appearance, and speed. Features a Gallery Block, shortcode support, or works as an override for the standard WordPress gallery. It’s responsive, retina-friendly, with modern layouts, and tightly optimized.
Stop fighting bloated gallery plugins that turn your WordPress into a slower experience! 😘
Meow Gallery focuses on what actually matters: Beautiful Layouts and Performance. Check out <a href="https://meowapps.com/meow-gallery/" rel="nofollow ugc">our official site</a> and see <a href="https://meowapps.com/meow-gallery/layouts/" rel="nofollow ugc">the layouts in action</a> to get started.
<h3>Core Features</h3>
🎨 Beautiful Layouts 
Choose from Tiles, Masonry, Justified (like Flickr), Square (like Instagram), Cascade, and Horizontal. Pro version adds Carousel and Map layouts.
🚀 Performance First 
Built from scratch with modern code. No legacy bloat, no unnecessary features. Just clean, fast galleries.
🔌 WordPress Native 
Works naturally with WordPress and Gutenberg without hacking it. Use the Gallery Block, shortcode, or override the standard WordPress gallery. Switch back anytime—no lock-in.
📱 Responsive & Retina 
All layouts are fully responsive and retina-ready for crisp images on any device.
<iframe loading="lazy" class="youtube-player" width="750" height="422" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZyboZqZb9JQ?version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent" allowfullscreen="true" style="border:0;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox"></iframe>
<h3>Compatibility</h3>
Since Meow Gallery works with WordPress naturally, it’s compatible with most plugins and themes:
<ul>
<li>Lightbox: Use any lightbox you prefer. We recommend <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/meow-lightbox/" rel="ugc">Meow Lightbox</a> for the best experience.</li>
<li>Lightroom: Fully compatible with <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/wplr-sync/" rel="ugc">Photo Engine</a> for media organization and Lightroom sync.</li>
<li>External Links: Use <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/gallery-custom-links/" rel="ugc">Gallery Custom Links</a> to add custom URLs to your images.</li>
<li>Audio: Add audio to images with <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/audio-story-images/" rel="ugc">Audio Story Images</a>.</li>
</ul>
SEO-friendly with automatic sitemap integration (works with Yoast SEO and others).
<h3>Pro Features</h3>
<ul>
<li>Infinite/Lazy Loading: Faster page loading and smoother experience</li>
<li>Carousel Layout: Dynamic slider/carousel that can also work as a hero</li>
<li>Map Layout: GPS-based photo display for travel galleries</li>
<li>Animations: Bring your galleries to life with smooth animations</li>
</ul>
You can find more information on <a href="https://meowapps.com/meow-gallery/" rel="nofollow ugc">Meow Apps: Meow Gallery</a>.

Meow Gallery

Was working well out of the box in my Gutenberg editor, while another Gallery was giving me problems. Simple to use, but well done.

Very useful

I choose this gallery because if the plugin is abandonned, it won’t break every galleries. It’s simple to use with nice options and galleries look good.

Clean and easy gallery


After trying a few other gallery plugins (names omitted to protect the guilty), I tried out Meow Gallery. What I like about it: ease of use, slight learning curve, customizable, and fully functional. I cannot stand plugins where the free version is crippleware. That is NOT the case here. What I don't like: it isn't completely straightforward, and sometimes the image search through your media library doesn't find pictures. In the latter case, you have to search for unused items. 



Overall, I'd give it 4.5 stars. It's worth downloading and worth using. 


Easy to Use and Fully Functional

Tired of slow, bloated gallery plugins? You've earned a coffee ☺️ Polished, beautiful galleries that are blazing fast.

th23 Gallery vs Meow Gallery