If you’ve ever tried building a WordPress photo gallery, you already know it’s not just about uploading images. It’s about making them shine—loading fast, looking clean, and being easy to manage. That’s where gallery plugins like FooGallery, Envira Gallery, and others come into play. But with so many options out there, choosing the right one can feel like picking the perfect filter for a photo—it’s confusing, subjective, and time-consuming.
In this detailed, experience-backed Envira Gallery: FooGallery review, we’ll unpack how these two popular plugins stack up. We’ve tested them, compared real-world use, and looked at their impact on performance, features, and ease of use. Whether you’re a photographer, blogger, or online store owner, this is your friendly guide to making the right choice—without all the tech jargon.
Why Choosing the Right WordPress Gallery Plugin Matters
Let’s be honest—users are impatient. If your gallery takes too long to load or looks like a relic from 2010, they’ll bounce faster than you can say “optimize.” So when you’re picking a plugin, it’s not just about pretty grids. It’s about:
- Speed: Will it slow down your site?
- Usability: How easy is it to create, tweak, and manage galleries?
- Features: Can it handle video, lightboxes, filtering, and more?
- Value: Are the pro features worth your money?
This review will focus on Envira Gallery and FooGallery, with a little nod to their competitor, NextGEN, for context. Buckle up—we’re diving deep.
First Impressions: How FooGallery and Envira Greet You
Imagine walking into two studios. One is minimal but powerful; the other is polished but hides its best tools behind a paywall. That’s the difference between FooGallery and Envira.
FooGallery – Built for Power Users and Beginners Alike
Right out of the box, FooGallery Free impresses. It’s lightweight, fast, and gives you six ready-to-go templates—all in the free version. Features like:
- Drag-and-drop reordering
- Live previews in Gutenberg
- Pagination, hover effects, lazy loading
…are already included. It feels like a premium plugin, but it’s free.
And when you upgrade to FooGallery Pro, you unlock game-changers like:
- Video galleries (YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook)
- Advanced filtering and tags
- Gallery-from-datasource options (Adobe Lightroom, media tags)
- Infinite scroll, load more, slider templates
Plus, it has deep linking, hover presets, and even a NextGEN importer for those switching over.
Envira Gallery – Clean Interface, But Limited for Free Users
Envira’s free version, Envira Gallery Lite, is clean and simple. You get basic features like:
- Drag-and-drop builder
- Column and margin adjustments
- Lightbox customization
But that’s pretty much it. From mobile settings to password protection, you’ll hit a paywall quickly. To truly unleash its power, you need one of its paid tiers, which unlock:
- Albums, deeplinking, video support
- Social sharing, WooCommerce integration
- Importers (Lightroom, ZIP files)
- Schedule, watermark, zoom, Instagram feed
In short, Envira feels polished but restrictive—you see the goodies but can’t touch them without upgrading.
Side-by-Side: Key Features at a Glance
Here’s a quick table comparing the features of Envira Gallery vs FooGallery in both free and premium versions:
| Feature | FooGallery Free | Envira Lite | FooGallery Pro | Envira Pro |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drag-and-drop builder | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Templates | 6 | 1 | 9+ | 3+ |
| Video Galleries | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Filtering by Tags/Categories | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Lightroom Integration | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Pagination Options | Basic | Basic | Advanced (Load More, Infinite) | Advanced |
| Gutenberg Live Preview | ✅ | Partial | ✅ | ✅ |
| Default Gallery Settings | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
This makes it clear: FooGallery offers more functionality in its free tier, while Envira saves the good stuff for paying users.
Real-World Performance: Which One Loads Faster?
Speed matters. In fact, Google counts page speed as a ranking factor. So we ran tests to see how these plugins affect:
- Page load time
- Page size
- Number of requests
Testing Method
- Same WordPress site, clean install
- Same gallery page with 20 images (100–295 KB each)
- Used WebPageTest to measure speed
- Each plugin was tested separately with all others deactivated
Results Snapshot
| Plugin | Load Time (s) | Page Size (MB) | Requests |
|---|---|---|---|
| FooGallery Free | 1.89 | 1.6 | 55 |
| Envira Lite | 2.04 | 1.8 | 63 |
| NextGEN | 2.45 | 2.1 | 79 |
FooGallery wins here, proving it’s leaner and faster, even with comparable design quality.
Ease of Use: Intuition vs. Clutter
Both FooGallery and Envira are relatively easy to use, but they approach UX differently.
FooGallery’s Admin Experience
- Live previews directly in the editor
- Clean UI with tabs for settings
- Inline shortcode copying
- Default templates for faster gallery creation
It’s smooth, modern, and doesn’t feel overwhelming—even for beginners.
Envira Gallery’s Admin Panel
- Familiar layout
- Addons clearly listed (but mostly locked)
- Slightly more click-heavy for customization
- Basic tweaks easy, but advanced ones require the upgrade
It’s not bad—just not as intuitive as FooGallery when you start doing more advanced work.
Pricing: Which One Offers Better Value?
Let’s talk money. Here’s how the plans compare:
| Plugin | Plan | Price/year | Sites Allowed | Includes Video | All Features? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FooGallery | Personal | $59 | 1 | ✅ | ✅ |
| FooGallery | Professional | $109 | 5 | ✅ | ✅ |
| FooGallery | Business | $199 | 25 | ✅ | ✅ |
| Envira Gallery | Basic | $29 | 1 | ❌ | ❌ |
| Envira Gallery | Pro | $99 | 25 | ✅ | ✅ |
| Envira Gallery | Agency | $299 | Unlimited | ✅ | ✅ |
Verdict: FooGallery’s pricing feels more balanced. Even at the personal level, you get full access to features. Envira may look cheaper at first, but you’ll need to upgrade quickly for anything serious.
Advanced Features: Where FooGallery Pulls Ahead
Once you get past the basics—drag-and-drop, lightboxes, templates—you start to see where plugins really differentiate themselves. Here’s where FooGallery Pro shines:
Advanced Video Gallery Support
Unlike many plugins that treat video like an afterthought, FooGallery allows full-on YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, and self-hosted MP4 integration. You can even:
- Mix videos and images in the same gallery
- Auto-play or mute videos
- Set video thumbnails
That’s game-changing for vloggers, coaches, or eCommerce brands with product demo videos.
Filtering and Tagging
FooGallery’s tag-based filtering helps users sort galleries on the fly. Think:
- Travel blog: “Beach,” “City,” “Mountains”
- Online store: “Men,” “Women,” “Kids”
- Portfolio: “Logos,” “Web Design,” “Print”
It’s fast, mobile-friendly, and totally customizable—something Envira only introduces in higher-tier plans.
Built-In Lazy Loading & Infinite Scroll
Instead of dumping all 100 images at once, FooGallery smartly loads them as users scroll. This improves:
- Page load speed
- Mobile performance
- SEO scores
You also get options like “Load More” buttons and pagination. Envira? You’ll need add-ons for that.
Use Case Scenarios: Who Should Use What?
Sometimes, features don’t matter if the plugin doesn’t fit your workflow. Here’s who each plugin is best for:
Use FooGallery If You Are…
- A photographer or artist needing video + filtering
- A blogger who wants speed and SEO perks
- An agency managing multiple sites (with Business plan)
- A developer who wants to customize galleries with hooks
Use Envira Gallery If You Are…
- A new WordPress user needing only basic gallery tools
- Someone who prefers simplicity over customization
- A small business using bundled features (like social share + watermarking) in Pro/Agency plans
- A user who already relies on Envira’s ecosystem (PDF addon, eCommerce add-on, etc.)
But between the two? FooGallery’s free plan alone outpaces Envira’s Basic and Lite plans in real-world utility.
A Story From the Field: Freelance Designer Turns Speed Freak
Meet Lauren, a freelance designer who recently redesigned a yoga brand’s website. She initially used Envira Lite—“I liked the simplicity,” she said. But after noticing slow loading times and limited layout flexibility, she tried FooGallery Free.
“FooGallery was smoother and gave me six layouts without upgrading. My client’s galleries now load 45% faster, and bounce rates dropped.”
She ended up going Pro just for the video galleries—and hasn’t looked back.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is FooGallery compatible with Elementor and Gutenberg?
Yes! FooGallery works seamlessly with both. You can preview galleries inside Gutenberg and use shortcodes with Elementor or any page builder.
Can Envira Gallery handle videos?
Only in Pro or higher plans. The free and Basic versions do not support video galleries.
What happens if I uninstall one of these plugins?
You’ll lose shortcode functionality, but your images stay in your WordPress media library. FooGallery also offers a NextGEN importer, making switching easier.
Do these plugins support albums?
Yes, but only in FooGallery Pro and Envira Pro+ tiers.
Can I migrate from Envira to FooGallery easily?
Not automatically, but since both use the native media library, you can recreate galleries fairly quickly. Plus, FooGallery’s importer supports NextGEN, so indirect migration is possible.
Final Verdict: Which Gallery Plugin is Worth It?
After testing, comparing, and reviewing dozens of real-world use cases, here’s the clear winner:
FooGallery is the more flexible, affordable, and performance-driven option.
Why?
- More features in the free version
- Better templates and filtering
- Advanced video and scroll options
- Faster load speeds
- More transparent pricing
Envira isn’t bad—it’s clean and effective. But it’s limited unless you’re paying for the higher tiers, and even then, FooGallery Pro matches or beats it at a lower cost.
TL;DR: Quick Summary
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Free Features | FooGallery |
| Templates | FooGallery |
| Video Support | FooGallery Pro |
| Filtering & Tags | FooGallery Pro |
| Ease of Use | Tie |
| Speed Performance | FooGallery |
| Price-to-Feature Ratio | FooGallery |
| Support & Docs | Tie |
Final Thoughts: Make Your Galleries Work for You
Whether you’re showcasing a product catalog, travel blog, photography portfolio, or even recipes, the right gallery plugin can make or break user experience.
Envira Gallery gives you simplicity—but FooGallery delivers power, performance, and flexibility in a better free package and a smarter Pro plan.
Recommendation: Start with FooGallery Free, explore its power, and upgrade only if you need more advanced layouts or video options.