WordPress gallery plugins share a basic function – displaying images in a grid – but differ significantly in how much layout control they give you, how they handle performance, and what you pay for a complete feature set. Modula, Envira Gallery, and FooGallery cover most of the WordPress gallery market between them. Choosing the right one depends on whether layout flexibility, ecommerce integration, or cost matters most to you.
Modula: Custom Grid Layout Is Its Differentiator
Modula’s defining feature is its custom grid where you resize individual images by dragging. No other gallery plugin at this price point offers per-image sizing control in a visual editor. For photographers and designers who care about how each image is framed within the gallery, this control matters. The gallery does not force every image into the same cell size – a wide landscape can span two columns while a portrait takes one.
Modula Pro ($49-199/year depending on site count) adds masonry layout, video support, gallery password protection, and filterable galleries. The free version is functional for basic gallery needs. Modula’s weakness is the absence of native ecommerce integration – if you want to sell prints directly from the gallery, you need a separate plugin.
Envira Gallery: Speed and WooCommerce Integration
Envira Gallery has built its reputation on two things: fast gallery loading and WooCommerce integration. Its lazy loading implementation is particularly well-optimised, making it a strong choice for sites where gallery performance directly affects bounce rate (photography portfolios, event photographer client galleries). The WooCommerce addon lets visitors purchase prints directly from the gallery – important for commercial photographers.
Envira Gallery pricing starts at $29/year (basic) and goes to $199/year for the full addon suite. The gallery layout options are standard – grid, masonry, slideshow – without Modula’s custom per-image sizing. For photographers who primarily sell their work, Envira’s WooCommerce integration is a meaningful advantage Modula does not match natively.
FooGallery: Free Tier With Genuine Capability
FooGallery has a genuinely capable free version that many sites use indefinitely without upgrading. The free tier includes: responsive gallery grid, masonry layout, justified layout, hover effects, lightbox, and filtering. FooGallery Pro ($59-149/year) adds video galleries, portfolio pro layouts, WooCommerce integration, and advanced filtering. For sites that need a capable gallery without the budget for premium plugins, FooGallery free covers most requirements.
| Feature | Modula Free | Envira Basic | FooGallery Free |
|---|---|---|---|
| Custom per-image sizing | Yes | No | No |
| Masonry layout | Pro only | Yes | Yes |
| WooCommerce integration | No | Addon | Pro only |
| Gallery filtering | Pro only | Addon | Yes (free) |
| Video support | Pro only | Yes | Pro only |
| Annual cost | Free / $49+ | $29+ | Free / $59+ |
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Which to Choose
Use Modula when the custom grid layout’s individual image sizing is specifically what you need – photography portfolios, editorial layouts, and design sites where each image’s presentation matters. Use Envira Gallery when you need to sell prints through WooCommerce or when gallery loading speed is the primary concern. Use FooGallery when you want the most capable free option or when gallery filtering without a premium upgrade is a requirement.
The Right Choice by Site Type
Running through the most common site types helps clarify which plugin fits without generic recommendations. A photographer’s portfolio site that does not sell prints and does not do client proofing: FooGallery free handles this with masonry and hover effects at no cost. A design agency portfolio where presenting each piece of work with appropriate visual weight matters: Modula’s custom grid gives per-image sizing control that FooGallery and Envira do not. A wedding photographer who delivers galleries to clients and sells prints: Envira Gallery with WooCommerce integration is the purpose-built choice.
The mistake most people make is choosing based on which plugin has the most features rather than which features they actually need. Modula’s custom grid is a differentiator only if you care about variable image sizing – if you are happy with a standard masonry layout, FooGallery does masonry in its free version without any upgrade needed.
Performance Across the Three
All three plugins support lazy loading, which is the most impactful gallery performance setting. Beyond lazy loading, performance comes down to image optimisation. Run a separate image optimisation plugin alongside whichever gallery plugin you choose – Smush or ShortPixel compress images on upload and convert to WebP, reducing gallery image file sizes by 40-70%. A gallery with WebP-optimised images loads fast with any of these plugins. Without image optimisation, even the lightest gallery plugin delivers poor performance on image-heavy pages.