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Magnific Popup

A small jQuery/Zepto lightbox plugin for images and popups; now deprecated.

GitHub Download 1.2.0
Stars
11.3k
Forks
3.3k
Licence
MIT
Language
JavaScript
Last update
2.4 years ago
Type
Library

No commits in over a year — check for forks or alternatives before adopting.

What it is

Magnific Popup is a JavaScript plugin that shows images, galleries and other content in a popup overlay on a web page. It is built to work with jQuery or Zepto.js and is described as fast, light and responsive. The README now states that this plugin is deprecated, so only critical or security fixes are expected, and it points to the native dialog element or the author's PhotoSwipe library as alternatives.

  • Open images in a full-size lightbox when a thumbnail is clicked
  • Show popup content loaded inline or from another page, as covered in the documentation
  • Install through npm or Bower and include the built files from dist/

Great for

  • Maintaining an existing website that already uses Magnific Popup with jQuery
  • Developers who need a lightbox for an existing jQuery or Zepto.js project
  • Sites that want a small, responsive popup script with a documented API

Not ideal for

  • New projects: the README says the plugin is deprecated and only receives critical or security fixes
  • Projects without jQuery or Zepto.js, since the README describes it as a plugin for those libraries
  • Advanced image galleries: the README points to PhotoSwipe for that use case
Step-by-step guide: how to use Magnific PopupInstall, first run, examples, tips and FAQs

How to get it

  1. 1

    Install with a package manager

    You'll need: jQuery or Zepto.js

    Install via npm

    npm install magnific-popup

    Install via Bower

    bower install magnific-popup
  2. 2

    Run it

    • Install the package with npm or Bower, or download the built files from dist/
    • Include jQuery or Zepto.js on the page, then include the Magnific Popup JS and CSS
    • Follow the getting started guide to attach the popup to your links or elements
  3. 3

    Get the most out of it

    • Use the online build tool on the documentation page to choose only the parts you need
    • Check the CodePen collection linked in the README for working examples
    • For new work, consider the native dialog element or PhotoSwipe, as the README recommends

Downloads

Source code (.zip)master branch · straight from GitHubRelease 1.2.0Release notes and sourceOfficial website & docsdimsemenov.com/plugins/magnific-popup/

Strengths

  • Described as light and responsive, with a focus on performance
  • Available through npm, Bower and a Ruby gem
  • MIT licensed and free to use

Trade-offs

  • Deprecated; only critical or security bug fixes will be released
  • Depends on jQuery or Zepto.js, which the README names as requirements for the plugin

How it compares

ProjectStarsTypeLevelUpdatedBest for
Magnific-Popup (this)11.3kLibrarybeginner2.4 years agoMaintaining an existing website that already uses Magnific Popup with jQuery
PhotoSwipe25.3kLibraryintermediate11 months agoWeb developers who want a photo gallery or lightbox on a site

Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.