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Free Plugin by FolioBlocks v1.5.0

FolioBlocks

Create fast, responsive photo and video galleries with grid, masonry, justified, modular, carousel, filmstrip, and proofing layouts for photographers, …

FolioBlocks

The facts

Rating
5★ from 6
Active installs
40+
Price
Free
Last updated
12 Aug 2026
Added
Nov 2025
Requires WP
6.5
Tested up to
WP 7.1
Requires PHP
7.4
Downloads
2,951

Our analysis

AI-assisted

FolioBlocks is a WordPress gallery plugin designed for photographers, creatives, and agencies. It allows users to create various types of galleries, including grid, masonry, and carousel layouts, directly within the Block Editor using native Gutenberg controls.

The plugin supports features like lightboxes, hover effects, private client proofing, and WooCommerce integration. The free version includes core gallery functionalities, while additional features are available in the Pro version.

Best for: This plugin suits photographers and creatives looking to showcase their visual work effectively.

What it does well

  • Includes multiple gallery layouts such as grid, masonry, and carousel
  • Native Gutenberg block editing with no shortcodes required
  • Supports lightboxes and hover effects for enhanced user experience
  • Allows for private client proofing and watermark protection
  • Fully responsive designs for desktop, tablet, and mobile

Where it falls short

  • Advanced features require the Pro version
  • Limited information on the free version's capabilities

Verdict

FolioBlocks offers a solid solution for creating image and video galleries within WordPress, particularly for those who prefer using the Block Editor. However, to access its full potential, users may need to consider the Pro version.

From the developer

FolioBlocks's own description of FolioBlocks, lightly tidied.

Native Gallery Blocks for WordPress

FolioBlocks is a native WordPress gallery plugin for photographers, creatives, agencies, and visual businesses who want polished image and video galleries directly inside the Block Editor.

Create Grid, Masonry, Justified, Carousel, Filmstrip, Modular, Video, and Proofing galleries using familiar Gutenberg controls. Add lightboxes, hover effects & overlays, private client proofing, watermark protection, filtering, downloads, WooCommerce product links, EXIF data, and social sharing without shortcodes or a separate gallery manager.

The free version includes the core gallery and media blocks. FolioBlocks Pro unlocks advanced creative, client, and commerce features, including Modular Gallery, private Proofing galleries, gallery filtering, WooCommerce integration, image downloads, lazy loading, watermark overlays, List View thumbnails, and more.

Included Blocks

  • Background Video Block – Add an autoplaying, responsive background video with overlay content on top
  • Before & After Block – Compare two images with an interactive slider
  • Loupe Block – Highlight fine details with an elegant magnifying zoom effect
  • Carousel Gallery Block – Smooth, swipe-friendly horizontal image slider
  • Filmstrip Gallery Block – Scroll through large images with thumbnail navigation below
  • Grid Gallery Block – Classic evenly-spaced grid layout
  • Image Block – Display a single image with lightbox, hover overlay, optional downloads, and WooCommerce linking
  • Justified Gallery Block – Professional row-based gallery with balanced heights
  • Masonry Gallery Block – Pinterest-style vertical gallery layout
  • Modular Gallery Block (Pro Only) – Build custom, magazine-style image layouts with support for nested rows and image stacks
  • Proofing Gallery Block (Business & Agency Plans Only) – Let clients review private galleries, save progress, submit selections, flag favorites, and leave comments
  • Video Block – Display a single video with custom thumbnail, lightbox playback, captions, and optional WooCommerce linking
  • Video Gallery Block – Showcase YouTube, Vimeo, or self-hosted videos, with Pro support for Bunny.net Stream, Cloudflare Stream, DailyMotion, Loom, VideoPress, and Wistia

Core Gallery Features

  • Fully responsive layouts for desktop, tablet, and mobile
  • Built-in lightbox support
  • Caption support and accessibility-friendly interactions
  • Drag-and-drop image ordering
  • 100% native Gutenberg block editing with no shortcodes and no separate gallery manager

Pro Features

  • Private client proofing galleries with password protection, Grid, Justified, and Masonry layouts, Save & Continue, final submission, and admin session reports
  • Watermark overlays for gallery images and lightbox views
  • Social sharing controls for lightboxes and hover overlays
  • Lightbox image counters and zoom controls with cursor or trackpad panning
  • Advanced Pro video provider support for Bunny.net Stream, Cloudflare Stream, DailyMotion, Loom, VideoPress, and Wistia
  • Block transforms to convert galleries and supported media blocks in one click
  • Custom image click actions for media files, custom URLs, Page/Post links, downloads, lightbox, and WooCommerce products
  • Per-image click and hover overrides inside galleries
  • Gallery image filtering with per-image category assignment
  • WooCommerce product integration for images and videos
  • Download full-resolution images
  • Randomize image order
  • Seamless looping for Carousel Gallery
  • Disable right-click & image dragging content protection
  • Lazy load images for faster performance
  • Hover effects, gradient overlays, overlay entrances, and typography controls
  • EXIF metadata display in lightboxes and hover overlays
  • Light and Dark lightbox appearances, fullscreen viewing, swipe navigation, image counters, zoom, and combined title, caption, and EXIF layouts
  • Proofing workflow tools including hearts, color flags, comments, proofing filters, admin status badges, PDF-friendly reports, and optional admin email notifications
  • Password protection controls for Posts and Pages
  • Responsive desktop, tablet, and mobile gallery gaps
  • List View thumbnails for easier gallery reordering
  • Advanced gallery styling controls for borders, shadows, radius, filter bars, icons, and overlays

Why FolioBlocks?

FolioBlocks is built for users who want fast, native, block-based galleries without the complexity of third-party gallery builders or shortcode-based plugins. If you want a clean way to display photography, client work, products, portfolios, or case studies, FolioBlocks gives you those tools directly inside the editor.

Source Code

Public repository:
https://github.com/folioblocks/folioblocks

Read the full description on the official page →

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