6 best WordPress image optimization plugins

Images are usually the heaviest part of a page. These plugins compress them, convert to WebP or AVIF and resize them for each screen.

By Vish Mathpati · Updated October 2026

Ranked by our score

Quick picks

#	Product	Score	Starts at	Free
1	ShortPixel	8.0/10	$4.99/month	Yes
2	Imagify	7.8/10	$4.99/month	Yes
3	EWWW Image Optimizer	8.7/10	$80/year	Yes
4	Smush Pro	8.5/10	$50/year	Yes
5	CodingBunny Image Optimizer	7.5/10	Free (wordpress.org; no license or image limits)	Yes
6	FastPixel	8.4/10	$100.00 / Year	Yes

1. ShortPixel

ShortPixel is an image optimization service that uses advanced compression technology to reduce image size without affecting quality, enhancing page load times and SEO performance.

8.0/10

Why it's here. The best compression per credit, with AVIF and a CDN option.

SmartCompress image optimization
Bulk optimization
Automatic WebP and AVIF conversion
Per-thumbnail control

Starts at: $4.99/month
Free version: Yes
Best for: WordPress sites with large image libraries
Black Friday: 25% off last year

Free version is available on WordPress.org

Free plan limits are not stated on the pricing page

2. Imagify

Imagify is the easiest image optimization tool to improve web performance and save time, optimizing images with just one click.

7.8/10

Why it's here. The simplest setup, from the team behind WP Rocket.

Image compression
WebP and AVIF conversion
Async bulk optimization
Unlimited images

Starts at: $4.99/month
Free version: Yes
Best for: Bloggers and small sites on a budget
Black Friday: 40% off last year

Free plan needs no credit card

Free quota is 20MB per month

3. EWWW Image Optimizer

EWWW Image Optimizer – Smashing Performance

8.7/10

Why it's here. Can compress on your own server with no monthly quota.

Free image optimization plugin
Easy IO CDN
Compress API credits
30-day image backups

Starts at: $80/year
Free version: Yes
Best for: Sites with many images that need automatic compression
Black Friday: Not announced

Free WordPress.org plugin with unlimited image optimization

CDN and cloud features need a paid plan

4. Smush Pro

Smush Pro compresses images, converts them to next-gen formats and serves them through a CDN.

8.5/10

Compression levels
Next-gen formats
Automatic optimization
Lazy load and preload

Starts at: $50/year
Free version: Yes
Best for: Site owners who want smaller, faster images
Black Friday: Not announced

Free version available on WordPress.org

Free version limits each image to 5MB; Pro allows 256MB

5. CodingBunny Image Optimizer

CodingBunny Image Optimizer converts images to WebP or AVIF, resizes them and generates their alt text automatically on upload, with optional cleanup, watermark, folder and protection extensions.

7.5/10

WebP and AVIF conversion
Automatic resizing
Bulk optimization
Alt text generation

Starts at: Free (wordpress.org; no license or image limits)
Free version: Yes
Best for: Site owners who want free image compression and WebP or AVIF output
Black Friday: Not announced

Every feature is free, with no license and no image limits

AI alt text is in beta and API costs are billed by the provider

6. FastPixel

FastPixel is a website optimization service that boosts your site's speed through various caching and image optimization techniques.

8.4/10

Page caching with cache warm-up
Image optimization
Minification and critical CSS
Lazy loading and LCP preloading

Starts at: $100.00 / Year
Free version: Yes
Best for: WordPress sites with image-heavy pages
Black Friday: 25% off last year

Free plan available for one site

Free plan is limited to 1,000 pageviews per month

Before you buy

Compress on upload and convert to WebP or AVIF. Don't stack two image plugins on the same library. Black Friday is the cheapest time of year to buy most of these.