Smush Pro compresses images, converts them to next-gen formats and serves them through a CDN.
- Free version
- Yes
- Price
- From $50/year
- Category
- Performance
Not announcedBlack Friday deal for Smush Pro
Smush Pro vs W3 Total Cache Pro
Smush Pro wins 3 of the 3 points we can measure. Here's how they compare on price, features, ratings and deals.
At a glance
| Feature | Smush Pro | W3 Total Cache Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 8.5/10 (better) | 8.2/10 |
| Starts at | $50/year (better) | $99/year |
| Free version | Yes | Yes |
| Refund window | 30 days | 30 days |
| Billing | Free + paid plans | Subscription |
| Active installs | 1M+ (better) | 900K+ |
| Last Black Friday | – | – |
| Category | Performance | Performance |
| Vendor | WPMU DEV | BoldGrid |
| Black Friday 2026 | Not announced | Not announced |
Which should you choose?
Choose Smush Pro if…
- Site owners who want smaller, faster images
- Agencies optimizing client sites
- You want the lower starting price
Choose W3 Total Cache Pro if…
- Site owners who want advanced caching on one site
- Agencies managing several client sites
Features
Smush Pro
- Compression levels
- Next-gen formats
- Automatic optimization
- Lazy load and preload
- Global CDN
- Directory Smush
W3 Total Cache Pro
- Full site delivery
- Remove unused CSS and JS
- Eliminate render-blocking CSS
- Delay scripts
- WebP image conversion
- Cache hit statistics
- REST API caching
Pros and cons
Smush Pro
- Free version available on WordPress.org
- Plans range from one site to unlimited sites
- Includes CDN and next-gen image formats
- Free version limits each image to 5MB; Pro allows 256MB
- Premium membership bundles other WPMU DEV tools, not just Smush
W3 Total Cache Pro
- Free version on WordPress.org with 900,000+ active installs
- Full set of page, CDN and asset optimisation features
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Multi-site licences at 5 and 10 sites
- Pro features need an annual licence
- Bulk licence pricing is not published on the page
Pricing plans
Smush Pro
Pro Basic
$50/year
1 site sites
- Image compression Ultra 5X
- Next-gen image formats
- 119-location CDN
Pro Standard
$75/year
3 sites sites
- Image compression Ultra 5X
- Next-gen image formats
- 119-location CDN
PremiumStarts here
$4.99/month
Unlimited sites
- All WPMU DEV Pro plugins
- Unlimited 24/7 expert support
- Unlimited backups and CDN
W3 Total Cache Pro
1 Site LicenseStarts here
$99/year
1 site
- Covers 1 site
- Annual licence
5 Site Licenses
$350/year
5 sites
- Covers 5 sites
- Includes 1 free plugin configuration ($125 value)
10 Site Licenses
$500/year
10 sites
- Covers 10 sites
- Includes 2 free plugin configurations ($250 value)
Smush Pro vs W3 Total Cache Pro questions
Is Smush Pro better than W3 Total Cache Pro?
On our comparison Smush Pro comes out ahead on 3 of 3 measurable points. The right pick still depends on what you build.
Which is cheaper, Smush Pro or W3 Total Cache Pro?
Smush Pro starts at $50/year and W3 Total Cache Pro starts at $99/year.
Can I get Smush Pro or W3 Total Cache Pro cheaper on Black Friday?
Both are on our Black Friday tracker. We'll add each discount the moment it goes live.
Both products
W3 Total Cache Pro adds advanced page, object, database and CDN caching on top of the free W3 Total Cache plugin.
- Free version
- Yes
- Price
- From $99/year
- Category
- Performance
Not announcedBlack Friday deal for W3 Total Cache Pro