These days, the average fixed internet connection can easily handle high-resolution images, but smartphone usage continues to grow, and mobile connections aren’t nearly as reliable. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the best WordPress image optimization plugins that can ensure your site is quick to load!
Best WordPress Plugins for Image Optimization 2023
1. EWWW Image Optimizer
The EWWW Image Optimizer will increase your page speeds by way of image optimization. Increased page speeds can result in better search engine rankings, and will also improve conversion rates (increased sales and signups). It will also save you storage space and bandwidth. While EWWW I.O. will automatically optimize new images that you upload, it can also optimize all the images that you have already uploaded, and optionally convert your images to the best file format. You can choose pixel perfect compression or high compression options that are visually lossless.
2. Smush
Smush has been benchmarked and tested number one for speed and quality and is the award-winning, back-to-back proven crowd favorite image optimization plugin for WordPress.
Features:
- Lossless Compression – Strip unused data without affecting image quality
- Lazy Load – Defer offscreen images with the flip of a switch
- Bulk Smush – Optimize up to 50 images with one click
- Image Resizing – Set a max width and height and large images will scale down as they are being compressed
- Incorrect Size Image Detection – Quickly locate images that are slowing down your site
- Directory Smush – Optimize images even if they are not located in the media library
- Automated Optimization – Asynchronously auto-smush your attachments for super fast compression on upload
- Unlimited & Free – Optimize all of your images up to 5MB in size forever (no daily, monthly, or annual caps)
- Gutenberg Block Integration – View all Smush stats directly in image blocks
- Multisite Compatible – Both global and individual Multisite settings
- Process All Your Files – Smush will process PNG, JPEG and GIF files for optimum results
3. ShortPixel Image Optimizer
Increase your website’s SEO ranking, number of visitors, and ultimately your sales by optimizing any image or PDF document on your website.
ShortPixel is an easy-to-use, lightweight, install-and-forget-about-it image optimization plugin that can compress all your past images and PDF documents with a single click. New images are automatically resized/rescaled and optimized on the fly, in the background. It’s also compatible with any gallery, slider, or eCommerce plugin.
4. TinyPNG
Make your website faster by optimizing your JPEG and PNG images. This plugin automatically optimizes all your images by integrating with the popular image compression services TinyJPG and TinyPNG.
Features:
- Automatically optimize new images on upload.
- Advanced background optimization to speed up your workflow.
- Optimize individual images already in your media library.
- Easy bulk optimization of your existing media library.
- Automatically resize huge image uploads by setting a maximum width and/or height for more reasonable browser display.
- Display JPEG images more quickly with progressive JPEG encoding.
- Chose to preserve copyright metadata, creation date and GPS location in your original images.
- Supports compression of animated PNG.
- Select which thumbnail sizes of an image may be optimized.
- Multisite support with a single API key.
- WPML compatible.
- WooCommerce compatible (see below).
- WP Retina 2x compatible.
- WP Offload S3 compatible.
5. Imagify
Speed up your website with our image optimizer and get lighter images without losing quality.
Imagify is the most advanced tool to optimize images. You can now use this power directly in WordPress.
After enabling it, all your images including thumbnails will be automatically optimized when uploaded into WordPress. You can also use Imagify to convert WebP images for free.
WooCommerce and NextGen Gallery compatible.