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Reel
A product gallery with zoom, lightbox and video
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.
Open source GPLv2
Open source, GPL licensed No account, no card Reserved space, no jQuery and no CLS
Works with
WooCommerceGutenbergYouTubeVimeoStorefrontAstraKadence Multisite compatible
See it in action
A product gallery sells when it works well
Shoppers want a close look at a product and to see it in motion. Galleries with heavy JavaScript often shift the layout when a preview opens and are not keyboard accessible.
- ✗ No zoom, so shoppers cannot see product detail
- ✗ Galleries with heavy JavaScript slow the product page
- ✗ Lightbox and video that shift the layout while loading (CLS)
- ✗ A preview that is not keyboard or screen-reader accessible
Reel shows the product up close and in motion
- ✓ Hover zoom on gallery images with a configurable scale, clipped to the gallery frame
- ✓ An accessible full-screen lightbox with keyboard support, closed on Escape or backdrop click
- ✓ A featured product video (self-hosted or oEmbed) in a responsive 16:9 frame
- ✓ Server-side rendering plus one small vanilla-JS file in the footer, only on the product page
What you get in the free version
Everything you need to make the product gallery fast and accessible.
Hover zoom
Gallery images magnify smoothly on hover, with a configurable scale, clipped to the gallery frame.
Accessible lightbox
Click or press Enter/Space to open an image full screen, with a focus trap and Escape or backdrop close.
Featured video
A per-product video (self-hosted MP4/WebM or oEmbed) after the gallery or before the summary, in a 16:9 frame.
Reserved space
Reserved-space markup throughout - no Cumulative Layout Shift.
No jQuery
A single small vanilla-JS file in the footer, deferred, loaded only on the product page.
Per-feature toggles
Enable hover zoom, lightbox and video independently; set the zoom scale, video position and autoplay in the settings.
Up and running in three steps
Enable zoom and the lightbox, then add a video on a test product.
01
Install
Activate Reel alongside WooCommerce.
02
Enable features
In the Reel menu, enable hover zoom, the lightbox and the featured video - each independently.
03
Add a video
Set the video URL in the product's _reel_video_url meta to show a featured video.
Who it is for
When the product page sells on detail and motion, without CLS or jQuery.
Fashion and lifestyle
Hover zoom on fabrics and details, a keyboard-friendly lightbox on mobile.
- ✓ Zoom clipped to frame
- ✓ Focus trap
- ✓ Product page only
Products with demo video
A featured MP4 or YouTube video in a 16:9 frame with reserved space.
- ✓ oEmbed
- ✓ Video position
- ✓ Autoplay in settings
Stores that care about CWV
One small footer script instead of a heavy gallery that shifts the layout.
- ✓ No CLS
- ✓ Vanilla JS
- ✓ Per-feature toggles
What PRO adds, and why it matters
Per-variation gallery
Assign gallery images from the media library to each variation. The storefront gallery swaps when a variation is selected and restores when cleared.
360-degree spin
Ordered spin frames on the Reel tab; drag/swipe/keyboard viewer with reserved aspect ratio above the gallery.
Video autoplay rules
Reel → Video Autoplay: skip mobile autoplay, play in-view only and respect prefers-reduced-motion when FREE autoplay is on.
CDN & lazy media
Reel → CDN Media: rewrite upload URLs to a CDN origin and defer spin-frame preloads and self-hosted video until in-view.
What you get: FREE vs PRO
PRO keeps everything in the free plugin and adds the modules below.
Feature FREE PRO
Hover zoom ✓ ✓
Accessible lightbox ✓ ✓
Featured video ✓ ✓
Reserved space ✓ ✓
No jQuery ✓ ✓
Per-feature toggles ✓ ✓
Per-variation gallery × ✓
360-degree spin × ✓
Video autoplay rules × ✓
CDN & lazy media × ✓
Reel vs WooThumbs vs YITH WooCommerce Zoom Magnifier
How Reel compares to the popular WooCommerce product gallery plugins.
| Reel | WooThumbs | YITH Zoom Magnifier | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free version | Yes | No | Yes |
| Hover zoom / magnifier | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Accessible lightbox | Yes | - | - |
| Featured product video | Yes | Yes | - |
| Per-variation gallery | Pro | Yes | - |
| 360-degree spin | Pro | - | - |
| Open source (GPLv2) | Yes | Proprietary | Core GPL |
| Paid plan price | from €19/yr | ~$79/yr | from €49.99/yr |
Competitor data and pricing as of June 2026; check the vendors' sites for current pricing.
Need 360 spin and video rules? Reel PRO
FREE covers hover zoom, the lightbox and a featured video, including YouTube/Vimeo embeds set from the product editor. PRO adds per-variation galleries, 360° spin, autoplay rules and CDN lazy media.
- ✓ Per-variation gallery, shipped in PRO
- ✓ 360° spin, shipped in PRO
- ✓ Autoplay rules, shipped in PRO
- ✓ CDN lazy media, shipped in PRO
Support and resources
Every plugin has its own documentation with setup walkthroughs. Bugs and questions go to the public GitHub repository for that plugin, we answer in the open.
Maintenance status
This plugin is maintained. We have announced no end-of-support date, and when we do it will say so here and in a release.
Need help beyond the plugin?
Send the store context in writing. You will receive a scoped recommendation, without a sales call.
Compatibility audit
Check the plugin against checkout, HPOS, blocks, theme code and critical integrations.
Request an auditCustom integration
A scoped connector or extension when the standard plugin stops short of your workflow.
Describe the integrationYour email is used to answer this request only. Marketing messages require a separate, explicit opt-in.
Frequently asked questions
Does it require WooCommerce?
Yes. The plugin works with WooCommerce products.
Which video sources are supported?
Self-hosted files (MP4, M4V, WebM, OGV) played with WordPress's native video player, and any oEmbed-supported URL (YouTube, Vimeo, etc.), embedded automatically.
Does it use jQuery?
No. Reel ships a single small vanilla-JavaScript file, deferred and in the footer, only on the single product page.
Will it cause layout shift (CLS)?
No. The lightbox is a fixed overlay that starts hidden, the zoom transform is clipped to the gallery frame, and the video sits in a fixed-ratio frame that reserves its space before loading.
Is the lightbox accessible?
Yes. The lightbox is fully keyboard operable, traps focus on its close control, restores focus on close and dismisses on Escape or a backdrop click.
Does Reel pair with Peek and Marks?
Yes. Peek adds quick view on shop listings; Marks adds CSS badges on product cards. Reel completes the product page with zoom, lightbox and featured video.
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.
Add a better product gallery
Hover zoom, an accessible lightbox and a featured video with reserved space. The full FREE edition under GPL.
Get it on WordPress.orgFREE covers zoom, lightbox and video, PRO adds 360 spin and autoplay rules.