What you’re looking at is a comparison of the top five image optimization plugins for WordPress. I tested them on real images to show actual compression gains, extra features that affect site speed (CDN, lazy loading, next-gen formats, etc.), and ease of use.
Key takeaways
– Optimole is the top all-around solution — consistently first or second in compression, plus a rich feature set (integrated CDN, adaptive images, lazy loading, WebP/AVIF, watermarking). The free plan covers up to 2,000 visits per month.
– If you prefer a plugin that doesn’t rely on third-party cloud integration or APIs, EWWW is the best server-side option. Its out-of-the-box compression isn’t as strong, but it offers many settings and unlimited local optimizations.
Test images and results
– JPG test: 2700×1451 px landscape, 1275 KB. ShortPixel reduced it to 220 KB (83% savings). Optimole was second at 77%. EWWW only delivered ~18% savings with default settings.
– PNG test: 1508×1223 px website screenshot. All plugins reduced it by at least 75%. Optimole was best at 83%; ShortPixel was close at 78%.
How I tested
– Used two images (one JPG, one PNG).
– Installed each plugin with default settings or recommended lossy option during onboarding.
– Uploaded, optimized, added to a test page, then downloaded the optimized images to measure file sizes.
– For fairness, I compared desktop-serving compression. Some plugins use adaptive/responsive delivery that can achieve even better compression for mobile visitors.
Plugins compared (concise)
1) Optimole
– Overview: Cloud-first, real-time adaptive image optimization + CDN (450+ CloudFront locations). Delivers images resized per visitor, converting to WebP/AVIF and using ML-powered compression.
– Features: Adaptive images, global CDN, WebP/AVIF, jQuery-free lazy loading, smart cropping, watermarking, cloud media library, GIF-to-video, serve CSS/JS via CDN.
– Pros: Excellent compression and performance, minimal setup, offloads server resources.
– Cons: Cloud-based model means third-party dependency and variable benchmark numbers (but usually better in real use).
– Price: Free for up to 2,000 monthly visits; pro plans from ~$19.08/mo (more visits, offloading, unlimited images).
2) ShortPixel
– Overview: Strong compression performance (top in tests). Requires free API key. Now includes built-in global CDN and supports WebP/AVIF.
– Features: Lossy/glossy/lossless modes, resize, smart cropping, AI-powered ALT/captions, HEIC support, PDF compression, restore originals, bulk optimize, background mode, CDN for images/CSS/JS.
– Pros: Great results, flexible modes, lots of automation and reporting.
– Cons: Free tier is limited (100 credits/month); optimization credits apply per image size.
– Price: 100 free credits/month; one-time credit packs (e.g., $19.99 for 30k credits) or monthly unlimited plans from $9.99/mo.
3) Imagify
– Overview: From the WP Rocket team. API key required. Auto-compress on upload and async bulk optimize existing media.
– Features: Three compression modes (lossy, lossless, Smart), resize, WebP/AVIF conversion, background processing, restore originals.
– Pros: Simple UI, smart defaults, integrates well with other performance tools.
– Cons: Free plan limits monthly MB.
– Price: Free plan (20 MB/month). Paid monthly from $4.99 (500 MB) or $9.99 (unlimited). Unlimited plan allows use on unlimited sites.
4) Smush (WPMU DEV)
– Overview: Very popular and easy to use. Auto-optimizes new and existing images, removes hidden data, scales images. Pro adds stronger compression and CDN.
– Features: Lossless/lossy/Pro Ultra Smush compressions, lazy loading, preload critical images (Pro), background optimization (Pro), convert to WebP/AVIF (Pro), Directory Smush for files outside uploads, integrations with page builders.
– Pros: Well-known, simple, free unlimited lossless optimizations.
– Cons: Best compression & CDN behind Pro paywall.
– Price: Free for basic use. Smush Pro included in WPMU DEV membership with promotional first-year pricing; afterward plans start around $15/mo.
5) EWWW Image Optimizer
– Overview: Flexible approach: local optimization (free, unlimited but uses server resources) or premium cloud compression (better lossy compression).
– Features: Lossless and premium lossy compression, resize, WebP/AVIF conversion, bulk/background and scheduled optimization, add missing dimensions, WP-CLI support.
– Pros: Unlimited local optimizations in free version, powerful command-line options, no mandatory external API.
– Cons: Local optimizations are limited to lossless unless you use their premium service; premium service provides better compression.
– Price: Free unlimited local use. Premium plans with better compression and automated cloud services start at about $8/mo.
Which is best?
– For best combination of compression and features: Optimole and ShortPixel performed best across JPG and PNG tests.
– If you want to avoid third-party cloud services and keep everything on your server: EWWW is the best local, unlimited option (with premium cloud available for stronger compression).
– Imagify and Smush are solid, user-friendly choices—Imagify if you like WP Rocket ecosystem simplicity; Smush if you want a popular plugin with a familiar UI (note Pro unlocks stronger compression and CDN).
Final note
Installing any image optimization plugin will help page speed and Core Web Vitals. If you want top compression plus CDN and adaptive delivery, try Optimole or ShortPixel. If you prefer a self-hosted approach, use EWWW.
If you have questions about these plugins or need help choosing one for your setup, leave a comment.
