10 Best Image Optimization Alternatives in 2026
Updated September 7, 2026 · Ranked by how closely each plugin matches, from WordPress.org data · How this works
Image Optimization sits at #1 in the WordPress.org Image Optimization Plugins ranking. These 10 plugins share its category or its tags on WordPress.org, are actively maintained, and each has at least 100 active installs. They are ordered by how closely they match, not by our opinion.
The 10 closest alternatives to Image Optimization
- 1
ShortPixel Image Optimizer
Closest matchShortPixel Image Optimizer – Optimize Images, Convert WebP & AVIF
4.5 (819) 300,000+ active installsOptimize images & PDFs smartly. Create and compress next-gen WebP and AVIF formats. Smart crop and resize.
#8 in the WordPress.org Image Optimization Plugins ranking. About a third of the installs, rated 4.5 against 1.7, last updated 17 days ago.
- 2
Imagify Image Optimization: Optimize Images | Compress & Convert to WebP/AVIF
4.3 (1,653) 1 million+ active installsImage optimization in 1‑click: compress, resize & convert to WebP/AVIF – free up to 20MB/month. Enjoy the easiest WordPress image optimizer to set up.
#2 in the WordPress.org Image Optimization Plugins ranking. A similar number of installs, rated 4.3 against 1.7, last updated 18 days ago.
- 3
reSmush.it : The original free image compressor and optimizer plugin
4.3 (165) 100,000+ active installsreSmush.it is the FREE image compressor and optimizer plugin - use it to optimize your images and improve the SEO and performance of your website.
#9 in the WordPress.org Image Optimization Plugins ranking. 100,000+ installs against 1 million+, rated 4.3 against 1.7, last updated 17 days ago.
- 4
Smush
Paid version availableSmush – Image Optimization, Compression, Lazy Load, WebP & CDN
4.8 (6,051) 1 million+ active installsCompress and optimize images, enable lazy load, serve WebP & AVIF, and speed up your site with a global image CDN.
#4 in the WordPress.org Image Optimization Plugins ranking. A similar number of installs, rated 4.8 against 1.7, last updated 14 days ago.
- 5
Converter for Media – Optimize images | Convert WebP & AVIF
4.9 (1,099) 500,000+ active installsSpeed up your website by using our WebP & AVIF Converter. Optimize images and serve WebP and AVIF images instead of standard formats!
#5 in the WordPress.org Image Optimization Plugins ranking. About half the installs, rated 4.9 against 1.7, last updated 19 days ago.
- 6
EWWW Image Optimizer
Paid version available4.8 (1,838) 1 million+ active installsComprehensive image optimization with WebP, AVIF, Lazy Load, and more. Optimize images automatically for Faster Sites and Happy Visitors.
#3 in the WordPress.org Image Optimization Plugins ranking. A similar number of installs, rated 4.8 against 1.7, last updated 5 days ago.
- 7
Robin Image Optimizer – Unlimited Image Optimization, WebP & AVIF
4.4 (129) 100,000+ active installsUnlimited automatic image optimization for WordPress. Compress images, convert to WebP, and improve site speed without losing image quality.
#7 in the WordPress.org Image Optimization Plugins ranking. 100,000+ installs against 1 million+, rated 4.4 against 1.7, last updated 17 days ago.
- 8
Optimole – Optimize Images | Convert WebP & AVIF | CDN & Lazy Load | Image Optimization
4.7 (638) 200,000+ active installsAutomatically optimize images with bulk compression, lazy loading, WebP/AVIF conversion & CloudFront image CDN. Boost Core Web Vitals & conversions.
#6 in the WordPress.org Image Optimization Plugins ranking. About a quarter of the installs, rated 4.7 against 1.7, last updated 11 days ago.
- 9
Compress, Resize & Lazy Load Images – WPvivid Image Optimization
4.3 (7) 10,000+ active installsOptimize, compress and resize images in WordPress in bulk. Lazy load images. Auto resize and optimize images upon upload.
#10 in the WordPress.org Image Optimization Plugins ranking. 10,000+ installs against 1 million+, last updated June 1, 2026.
- 10
CompressX — AVIF & WebP Converter, Media Replacement
5.0 (191) 40,000+ active installsAVIF & WebP converter with built-in media replacement for local image optimization.
Shares the convert AVIF, convert webp tags on WordPress.org. 40,000+ installs against 1 million+, rated 5.0 against 1.7, last updated July 29, 2026.
Image Optimization against each of them
Head to head on installs, ratings, reviews and updates. Each measure names its own leader; there is no overall winner.
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Image Optimization vs ShortPixel Image Optimizer1 million+ vs 300,000+ installs · 1.7 vs 4.5
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Image Optimization vs Imagify1 million+ vs 1 million+ installs · 1.7 vs 4.3
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Image Optimization vs reSmush.it1 million+ vs 100,000+ installs · 1.7 vs 4.3
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Image Optimization vs Smush1 million+ vs 1 million+ installs · 1.7 vs 4.8
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Image Optimization vs Converter for Media1 million+ vs 500,000+ installs · 1.7 vs 4.9
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Image Optimization vs EWWW Image Optimizer1 million+ vs 1 million+ installs · 1.7 vs 4.8
Switching from Image Optimization: common questions
What is the best alternative to Image Optimization?
ShortPixel Image Optimizer is the closest match: it shares the Image Optimization Plugins top 10 with Image Optimization and has 300,000+ active installs with a 4.5 out of 5 rating.
Which Image Optimization alternative has the most users?
Imagify, with 1 million+ active installs reported by WordPress.org.
Which Image Optimization alternative is rated highest?
CompressX, rated 5.0 out of 5 by 191 reviewers. Only plugins with at least 50 reviews are counted.
Are these Image Optimization alternatives free?
Every plugin listed here is free to install from WordPress.org. Where WordPress.org marks a plugin as commercial, the developer also sells a paid version or add-ons, and that is shown on each plugin.
How are alternatives chosen?
Automatically, from WordPress.org data: plugins that share a category top 10 with Image Optimization score highest, then plugins that appear in the same WordPress.org rankings, then plugins with the same tags, weighted so rare tags count more than common ones. Plugins by the same author and plugins rated under 4.0 are left out.
How we choose these alternatives
Nothing on this page is picked by hand. Every day we walk the whole WordPress.org directory, then score every plugin against Image Optimization on three signals: sharing a category top 10 counts most, then appearing in the same WordPress.org rankings, then carrying the same tags, with rare tags counting for more than common ones like "wordpress". Plugins by the same author are excluded, so an author's own add-ons cannot fill the list, and so is anything rated below 4.0 or with fewer than 100 active installs. The ten highest scores are what you see, in that order. Full methodology.
The bottom line
ShortPixel Image Optimizer is the closest match to Image Optimization by the data we track, and Imagify has the widest reach with 1 million+ active installs. EWWW Image Optimizer shipped the most recent release, on September 1, 2026. The list is rebuilt every day from WordPress.org, so a plugin that stops being maintained drops out on its own.
Weekly · free
What moved this week
One email a week, built from the same daily snapshots these rankings come from: the plugins that climbed, what launched, and one ranking worth a look.