A comprehensive roundup of lightbox/modal plugins available in 2009, with notes on what each does best.
A lightbox dims the page and shows content (images, video, HTML) in an overlay. Here are the best options:
1. Fancybox
http://fancybox.net/
My personal favorite. jQuery-based, handles images/HTML/iframes, smooth animations, keyboard nav, gallery grouping. Clean and professional.
2. Colorbox
http://www.jacklmoore.com/colorbox/
Lightweight and highly customizable jQuery plugin. Supports images, inline HTML, iframes, Ajax content. Multiple built-in themes.
3. Lightbox 2
http://lokeshdhakar.com/projects/lightbox2/
The original by Lokesh Dhakar. Simple, reliable, images only. If you just need image galleries, this is still a great choice.
4. Shadowbox
http://www.shadowbox-js.com/
Framework-agnostic (works with jQuery, Prototype, or standalone). Handles images, video (YouTube, Vimeo), music, SWF, iframes, HTML. Very feature-rich.
5. Nivo Lightbox
http://dev7studios.com/
Clean, minimal design. jQuery-based, handles images and inline HTML.
6. Nyromodal
http://nyromodal.nyrodev.com/
Highly flexible jQuery lightbox with callback events at every stage of the animation.
Which to Choose?
- Simple image gallery → Lightbox 2
- Images + HTML + iframes → Fancybox or Colorbox
- Video + complex media → Shadowbox
- Maximum customization → Colorbox