Reel vs WooThumbs
How Reel compares to the popular WooCommerce product gallery plugins.
Feature comparison overview
| Feature | Reel | WooThumbs |
|---|---|---|
| Free version | Yes | No |
| Hover zoom / magnifier | Yes | Yes |
| Accessible lightbox | Yes | - |
| Featured product video | Yes | Yes |
| Per-variation gallery | Pro | Yes |
| 360-degree spin | Pro | - |
| Open source (GPLv2) | Yes | Proprietary |
| Paid plan price | from €19/yr | ~$79/yr |
Competitor data and pricing as of June 2026; check the vendors' sites for current pricing.
Why choose Reel?
Transparent pricing
Full core features are free and open source. Paid licenses come with honest renewal rates and no hidden vendor lock-in.
Performance and CWV focus
Built without heavy external JavaScript libraries or layout shifts. Designed to keep mobile PageSpeed scores high.
Modern WooCommerce ready
Tested with High-Performance Order Storage (HPOS), Cart and Checkout Blocks, and the latest PHP versions.
WooCommerce product gallery: zoom, lightbox and video
Step-by-step setup guide, architectural best practices, and store workflow recommendations.
Compare against other solutions
Frequently asked questions
How does Reel compare to WooThumbs and YITH Zoom Magnifier?
Reel, WooThumbs, and YITH Zoom Magnifier all add hover zoom to the WooCommerce product gallery, but Reel offers a free version with an accessible lightbox and a featured product video, while Iconic's WooThumbs is paid only from about $79/yr. Reel gates per-variation galleries and 360-degree spin to its paid edition from €19/yr, capabilities WooThumbs and YITH cover in their premium products from around €49.99/yr. Pricing as of June 2026.
Is Reel a direct alternative to WooThumbs?
Yes. Both plugins address similar store workflows in WooCommerce. Reel focuses on a clean open-source core, no jQuery dependency, full HPOS compatibility, and predictable pricing.
Ready to try Reel?
Reel upgrades the WooCommerce single product gallery with three things shoppers expect from a modern store: hover zoom on gallery images, an accessible full-screen lightbox and a featured product video (MP4/WebM or an oEmbed URL such as YouTube or Vimeo). Everything renders server-side and is enhanced with a single small vanilla-JS file - no jQuery and no layout shift.