Raju Ginni

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top 5 image optimization plugins for wordpress compress, convert

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a clear, no-fluff guide to the top WordPress options and when to use a dedicated image plugin versus an all‑in‑one performance suite.

Requirements: Automatic image compression & automatic omage converion next gen formats like webp, avif, note: converting image to webp automatically decrease file size but what about compression ratio 9orignal files same as uploaded size.

Top 5 dedicated image optimization plugins (single‑purpose)
These focus on images: compressing, converting (WebP/AVIF), resizing, and lazy loading.

  1. ShortPixel Image Optimizer
  • Strengths: Excellent compression quality, WebP/AVIF, bulk optimization, backups, adaptive quality, handles thumbnails well.
  • Pricing: Credit-based; generous for small/medium sites.
  • Best for: Most sites wanting top-tier compression with fine control.
  1. EWWW Image Optimizer
  • Strengths: Unlimited local compression on your server, WebP/AVIF, auto-resize on upload, great for large libraries; optional Easy IO CDN for device-aware scaling.
  • Pricing: Free core (local). Paid for Easy IO CDN.
  • Best for: Big libraries, WooCommerce, or wanting local processing to avoid quotas.

  1. Imagify (by WP Rocket)

  • Strengths: Simple, fast setup, WebP/AVIF, 3 compression levels; tight WP Rocket integration.
  • Pricing: Monthly quotas; friendly for small sites.
  • Best for: Owners already using WP Rocket or preferring a very simple setup.
  1. Optimole
  • Strengths: Full image CDN, automatic device-aware resizing, lazy load, smart cropping, next-gen formats on the fly.
  • Pricing: Free tier then pageview-based.
  • Best for: Media-heavy sites and global traffic needing a set‑and‑forget CDN approach.
  1. Smush / Smush Pro
  • Strengths: Easy UI, bulk optimization, lazy loading; Pro adds WebP, CDN delivery, and higher size limits.
  • Pricing: Free basic; Pro via WPMU DEV.
  • Best for: Simplicity and an all-in-one WPMU DEV stack.

Top 5 multi‑feature performance suites that also handle images
These add caching, JS/CSS optimization, CDN, and more in addition to images.

  1. LiteSpeed Cache (with QUIC.cloud)

  • Strengths: Full-page cache + image optimization queue, WebP/AVIF, image CDN, lazy load, CSS/JS optimization.
  • Best for: Sites on LiteSpeed/OpenLiteSpeed hosting. Hard to beat end‑to‑end.

  1. NitroPack

  • Strengths: SaaS “autopilot” optimization including images (WebP/AVIF), lazy load, CDN, HTML/CSS/JS optimization.
  • Best for: Teams wanting a managed, one-switch solution and willing to pay for it.

  1. Cloudflare (APO + Polish/Images) via plugin + dashboard

  • Strengths: Global CDN, Polish (WebP, lossless/lossy), optional Cloudflare Images for resizing, APO for WP caching.
  • Best for: Sites already on Cloudflare or needing global speed with minimal plugin overhead.
  1. SG Optimizer (SiteGround hosting)
  • Strengths: Server-level caching + image compression, WebP, lazy loading, frontend optimizations.
  • Best for: Sites hosted on SiteGround.
  1. WP‑Optimize
  • Strengths: Caching, database cleanup, and built‑in image compression with WebP.
  • Best for: “One plugin” approach on budget hosting.

Single-purpose vs multi‑feature: which is faster?

  • Pure image bytes saved: Tie. A good dedicated plugin (ShortPixel/EWWW/Imagify) and a good suite (LiteSpeed/NitroPack/Cloudflare Polish) can reach similar compression levels and next‑gen formats.
  • Real‑world page speed: Suites with a CDN and device-aware resizing (Optimole, LiteSpeed+QUIC.cloud, Cloudflare Polish/Images, NitroPack) often win because they:
    • Serve the correct size per device (reducing bytes more than compression alone).
    • Deliver from edge locations, reducing latency.
  • Server load: Dedicated local optimizers can spike CPU during bulk optimization; CDN-based optimizers offload work to the provider.
  • Control vs convenience:
    • Single-purpose: granular control over quality, backups, exclusions, and library hygiene.
    • Suites: easier “autopilot,” but more black‑box, potential lock‑in, and overlapping features.

Quick recommendations by scenario

  • On LiteSpeed hosting: Use LiteSpeed Cache with QUIC.cloud image optimization.
  • On SiteGround: Use SG Optimizer’s image features (plus its caching).
  • Already on Cloudflare (esp. Pro+): Enable Polish (and optionally APO). Pair with a lightweight lazy load if needed.
  • Media-heavy or photography/portfolio: Optimole or ShortPixel Adaptive Images (device-aware, CDN). Prefer AVIF.
  • WooCommerce with many thumbnails: EWWW Image Optimizer (local) or LiteSpeed Cache to avoid massive storage and keep variants tidy.
  • Small blogs wanting simple + great quality: ShortPixel Image Optimizer or Imagify.
  • “I want one tool to do it all”: NitroPack (paid) or LiteSpeed Cache (if compatible host). WP‑Optimize for a budget multi‑tool.

What to enable for best results (whichever route)

  • Next‑gen formats: WebP minimum; AVIF where supported.
  • Device-aware resizing: Serve exact dimensions per breakpoint; CDNs do this best.
  • Don’t lazy‑load your LCP image: Exclude the hero image and preload it.
  • Background images: Use CSS lazy/background helpers or convert critical backgrounds to inline if feasible.
  • Resize on upload: Cap at ~2000–2560 px long side to prevent gigantic originals.
  • Avoid double handling: Don’t run two plugins that both lazy‑load or both rewrite to WebP.

Lightweight testing plan (no guesswork)

  • Baseline: Measure with WebPageTest or Lighthouse (mobile, throttled). Note LCP, CLS, total image KB.
  • Apply plugin defaults only. Re-test.
  • Then enable: next‑gen formats, device-aware resizing/CDN, hero preload, and lazy exclusions. Re-test.
  • Compare: LCP delta, total transferred bytes, requests, and any CLS changes.

Cheat sheet: top picks

  • Best dedicated overall: ShortPixel Image Optimizer or EWWW Image Optimizer.
  • Easiest CDN-based image setup: Optimole.
  • Best if on LiteSpeed: LiteSpeed Cache (+ QUIC.cloud).
  • Best all‑in‑one SaaS: NitroPack.
  • Budget global boost: Cloudflare Polish (+ APO) if you already use Cloudflare.

If you share your host, theme, and traffic profile, I can tailor a one-page setup with exact toggles to use and what to exclude.

ls cache image optmization settings explained

QUIC.cloud Online Services

Where image settings live in LSCache

  • Image Optimization: LiteSpeed Cache > Image Optimization
    • Compresses images, generates WebP/AVIF, manages originals, and handles the optimize/pull workflow via QUIC.cloud.
  • Media (lazy load, placeholders, dimensions): LiteSpeed Cache > Page Optimization > Media
    • Controls lazy loading, LQIP/responsive placeholders, and missing width/height.
  • Image CDN (optional): LiteSpeed Cache > CDN > Image CDN
    • Rewrites image URLs to QUIC.cloud’s image CDN for device-aware resizing and next‑gen formats at the edge.

Image Optimization (QUIC.cloud) settings explained
LiteSpeed offloads compression and next‑gen format generation to QUIC.cloud. You’ll see “Summary,” “Image Optimization,” and “Image Optimization Settings.”

Core settings (Image Optimization Settings)

  • Auto Request Cron: ON
    • Automatically sends new images to QUIC.cloud for optimization.
  • Auto Pull Cron: ON
    • Automatically pulls finished WebP/AVIF back to your site.
  • Generate WebP: ON
    • Creates .webp versions of images.
  • Generate AVIF: ON (recommended if your theme/plugins are modern)
    • AVIF is usually 15–25% smaller than WebP. LS handles browser support with fallbacks.
  • Image WebP/AVIF Replacement: ON
    • Rewrites HTML to serve WebP/AVIF automatically when supported.
  • WebP for Extra srcset: ON
    • Ensures responsive image sets (srcset) also use WebP/AVIF.
  • Optimize Original Images: OFF for most sites; ON only if disk space is tight or you don’t need pristine originals.
    • When ON, even the original full-size gets compressed. You can save space but permanently change the original’s quality.
  • Remove Original Backups: OFF (safer)
    • Keeps backups of originals so you can revert if needed. Turn ON only if you must reclaim storage and are confident in results.
  • Preserve EXIF/XMP: OFF (smaller) or ON (photography sites needing metadata)
  • Optimize Losslessly: OFF for typical sites (lossy is smaller); ON if you must avoid any quality loss.
  • WordPress Image Quality Control: 80–85
    • Affects WordPress-generated JPEGs. 82 is a popular balance.

Workflow controls (Image Optimization tab)

  • Gather Image Data: Indexes images in the library.
  • Send Optimization Request: Sends the queue to QUIC.cloud.
  • Pull Images: Retrieves finished optimized versions.
  • Rescan New Thumbnails: Picks up sizes added by themes/plugins.
  • Clean Up Unfinished Data: Clears stuck or partial tasks.
  • Reset Status: Resets counters if the queue gets confused.

Good to know

  • Don’t stack optimizers. If Cloudflare Polish, ShortPixel Adaptive Images, or another image CDN is handling images, leave LS’s WebP/AVIF Replacement or Image CDN OFF to avoid double-rewrites.
  • The status “New/Pending/Optimized/Errors” helps you see what’s left and if anything failed.

Media settings (Page Optimization > Media)
These control what loads, when, and with what placeholders to improve perceived speed and CLS.

Recommended defaults

  • Lazy Load Images: ON
    • Defers offscreen images. Improves initial render.
  • Lazy Load Iframes: ON
  • Basic Image Placeholder: ON
    • Shows a tiny placeholder before the real image; prevents layout jumps.
  • Responsive Placeholder: ON
    • Reserves exact space per image to avoid CLS. Especially useful if your theme sometimes misses width/height.
  • LQIP (Low‑Quality Image Placeholder): Optional; ON for visual polish on image-heavy sites
    • Shows a blurred tiny version while the main one loads. Set LQIP Quality low to keep it tiny; enable “Generate LQIP in Background.”
  • Add Missing Sizes: ON
    • Adds width/height attributes to images missing them, helping CLS.
  • Inline Lazy Load Images Library: ON
    • Reduces an extra request for the lazy-load script.

Exclude critical images from lazy load
Always exclude the LCP/hero image, logos, and the first product/featured image. Add CSS selectors in “Lazy Load Images Excludes,” for example:

  • .site-logo img
  • .hero img, .header-hero img
  • .wp-post-image:first-of-type
  • .woocommerce-product-gallery .woocommerce-product-gallery__image:first-child img
  • .slider img.is-active (match your slider)

Image CDN (CDN > Image CDN)

  • What it does: Rewrites image URLs to QUIC.cloud’s io CDN. It auto-resizes per device and delivers WebP/AVIF from the edge—often a bigger real-world win than compression alone.
  • When to enable: If you want the simplest “device-aware resizing + next‑gen + CDN” pipeline without managing another service.
  • When not to enable: If you already use an image‑smart CDN (e.g., Cloudflare Images/Polish, Optimole, ShortPixel Adaptive Images, NitroPack). Avoid overlapping image CDNs.
  • Typical setup:
    • Image CDN: ON
    • Include: default (wp-content/uploads)
    • Exclude: custom dirs you don’t want rewritten (e.g., plugin-specific dynamic images)
    • Keep your general CDN (for CSS/JS) if desired; LS can run both.

Recommended presets by site type

  • General content/blog
    • Generate WebP: ON; Generate AVIF: ON
    • Image WebP/AVIF Replacement: ON; WebP for Extra srcset: ON
    • Preserve EXIF/XMP: OFF
    • Optimize Original: OFF; Remove Original Backups: OFF
    • Media: Lazy Load ON, Responsive Placeholder ON, Add Missing Sizes ON, LQIP Optional
    • Consider Image CDN ON for global traffic
  • WooCommerce/catalog
    • Same as above, plus exclude first product image and logo from lazy load
    • Enable Image CDN for automatic resizing of many thumbnails
  • Photography/portfolio
    • Generate AVIF + WebP
    • Preserve EXIF/XMP: ON
    • Optimize Losslessly: Consider ON if you’re picky about artifacts (or keep OFF and spot-check)
    • Keep originals/backups: ON/OFF based on your archival needs
    • LQIP ON for nicer perceived loading, Responsive Placeholder ON

Common pitfalls and quick fixes

  • CLS shifts on image load: Ensure Responsive Placeholder ON and Add Missing Sizes ON; exclude sliders’ first visible slide from lazy load.
  • Broken images after enabling WebP/AVIF: Turn OFF Image WebP/AVIF Replacement temporarily to confirm. Usually a conflict with another optimizer or cache; disable overlapping features and purge all caches.
  • Double lazy-load: Turn off lazy load in your theme/page builder (Elementor/Divi/Avada/etc.) if LS handles it.
  • Storage bloat: If your media library is huge, consider Remove Original Backups ON after you’re confident in output, or use Image CDN to avoid storing multiple variants locally.
  • First paint looks blank above the fold: Exclude the LCP image from lazy load and preload it via your theme or an LS “Preload” entry.

Fast checklist (most sites)

  • Enable Generate WebP + AVIF
  • Image WebP/AVIF Replacement: ON; WebP for Extra srcset: ON
  • Preserve EXIF/XMP: OFF; Optimize Losslessly: OFF
  • Keep original backups: ON (safer)
  • Media: Lazy Load ON, Responsive Placeholder ON, Add Missing Sizes ON
  • Exclude hero/logo/first product image from lazy load
  • Consider Image CDN ON for device-aware resizing and global delivery