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

WPZOOM

Pavel Ciorici

Alexei Samarschi

Jick

<h4>Portfolio Gallery Plugin for WordPress</h4>
The easiest way to showcase your projects in WordPress. Create beautiful, filterable portfolio galleries with grid layouts, masonry design, and lightbox support. Perfect for photographers, designers, artists, freelancers, and agencies.
<a href="https://www.wpzoom.com/plugins/portfolio-pro/" rel="nofollow ugc">WPZOOM Portfolio</a> is trusted by over 20,000 active websites. Display your work with category filtering, multiple layouts, and responsive design that looks great on all devices.
<h3>Why Choose WPZOOM Portfolio?</h3>
✅ Filterable Portfolio Gallery – Let visitors filter projects by category with smooth isotope animations 
✅ 3 Layout Options – Grid with overlay, masonry, and columns layouts 
✅ Built-in Lightbox – Showcase high-resolution images in an elegant popup 
✅ Works Everywhere – Use the Portfolio block, shortcodes, or embed in any page builder 
✅ Blog Posts Support – Display your blog posts as a portfolio grid too 
✅ Mobile Responsive – Portfolio galleries look perfect on all devices
<a href="https://demo.wpzoom.com/inspiro-lite/portfolio/" rel="nofollow ugc">View Demo</a> 
⭐️ <a href="https://demo.wpzoom.com/portfolio-pro/" rel="nofollow ugc">View PRO Demo</a> ⭐️
<h3>💪 Want More Power? Try WPZOOM Portfolio PRO</h3>
Take your portfolio to the next level with <a href="https://www.wpzoom.com/plugins/portfolio-pro/" rel="nofollow ugc">WPZOOM Portfolio PRO</a>. Add video portfolios, stunning hover effects, and complete design control.
⭐️ <a href="https://www.wpzoom.com/plugins/portfolio-pro/?utm_source=wporg&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=free_description" rel="nofollow ugc">Get the PRO version!</a> ⭐️
<h3>Free Plugin Features</h3>
Portfolio Custom Post Type
Create dedicated portfolio posts separate from your blog. Add titles, descriptions, featured images, and organize with categories and tags.
Filterable Portfolio Gallery
Let visitors filter your projects by category with smooth isotope animations. Perfect for showcasing different types of work.
3 Layout Options
Choose the perfect layout for your portfolio: 
– Grid with Overlay – Clean grid with hover effects 
– Masonry – Pinterest-style varied heights 
– Columns – Traditional multi-column layout
Built-in Lightbox
Display high-resolution images in an elegant popup. Visitors can browse through your portfolio without leaving the page.
Reusable Portfolio Layouts
Create portfolio layouts once and embed them anywhere using shortcodes. Works with Elementor, Beaver Builder, and any page builder.
Multiple Thumbnail Sizes
Choose from portrait, cinema, square, or uncropped aspect ratios to match your design needs.
<h3>⬆️ Upgrade to WPZOOM Portfolio PRO</h3>
Ready for video portfolios and advanced customization? <a href="https://www.wpzoom.com/plugins/portfolio-pro/" rel="nofollow ugc">WPZOOM Portfolio PRO</a> adds powerful features for professional portfolios.
<h3>🌟 PRO Features Include:</h3>
🎬 Video Portfolio Support
Showcase video projects alongside images. Full support for YouTube, Vimeo, and self-hosted MP4 videos.
▶️ Video Lightbox
Play videos in a beautiful lightbox popup. Visitors can watch your video portfolio without leaving the page.
🎥 Video Background on Hover
Create stunning hover effects with video backgrounds. Add motion to your portfolio items with Giphy or self-hosted videos.
🔀 Drag & Drop Reordering
Arrange your portfolio items in any order with simple drag and drop. No more wrestling with dates or menu order.
🎨 Color Customization
Full control over colors – customize overlay colors, text colors, and hover effects to match your brand.
Premium Support
Get priority support from our team when you need help with your portfolio.
Love WPZOOM Portfolio? Help other WordPress users discover this plugin by <a href="https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/wpzoom-portfolio/reviews/#new-post" rel="ugc">leaving a 5-star review</a>.
<h3>Recommended Themes</h3>
Works great with any theme! For the best portfolio experience, check out: 
<a href="https://www.wpzoom.com/themes/inspiro/" rel="nofollow ugc">Inspiro Premium</a> 
<a href="https://wordpress.org/themes/inspiro/" rel="ugc">Inspiro Lite</a> 
<a href="https://wordpress.org/themes/inspiro-blocks/" rel="ugc">Inspiro Blocks</a> 🆕 
<a href="https://www.wpzoom.com/themes/inspiro-blocks-pro/" rel="nofollow ugc">Inspiro Blocks PRO</a> 🆕
<h3>Additional Resources</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.wpzoom.com/documentation/wpzoom-portfolio-grid/" rel="nofollow ugc">Plugin Documentation</a> – Step-by-step guides</li>
<li><a href="https://www.wpzoom.com/" rel="nofollow ugc">WPZOOM Official Site</a> – See our complete product lineup</li>
<li><a href="https://github.com/wpzoom/WPZOOM-Portfolio" rel="nofollow ugc">GitHub Repository</a> – Contribute to development</li>
</ul>
<h3>100% GDPR Compliant</h3>
This plugin doesn’t integrate any Google Fonts or collect any information outside your WordPress installation.

WPZOOM Portfolio Lite – Filterable Portfolio Plugin

Portfolio plugin for WordPress. Create filterable portfolio grids with masonry layouts and lightbox. Ideal for photographers, designers, agencies.

th23 Gallery vs WPZOOM Portfolio Lite – Filterable Portfolio Plugin