‘An image speaks a thousand words’.
This is probably the reason behind every blogger and website owner using impressive images to attract more eyes, and WordPress image compression plugins to optimize those images.
Don’t know what we mean? Let’s dig deeper.
A beautiful banner or picture can add more value and meaning to your text making it far more interesting. However, when you use amazing HD images to raise the bar high, you somewhere compromise with the website speed.
Don’t Believe It? Let’s Face It
Heavy (large-sized) images take more time loading than simple text. This, thereby, slows down your overall page load speed and affects your website traffic.
As the no. of these oversized pictures increases, your site speed tends to fall further.
Think it this way, a man carries large bags full of stuff and heavy items on his back from point A to point B, while another man has just a lightweight handbag with him and travels the same distance i.e. from point A to B.
Who do you think will first reach point B?
It’s the second one obviously!
He carries a much lighter weight, thus reaches faster. The same happens with your website.
When it has to load pictures of large sizes it takes a long time loading them. However, when the images are cut short (in size) they are lighter and faster to load. Interesting, right?
Nobody wants to gradually lose their customers or conversions just because of those heavy good-looking images. Image Compression is the answer to all your questions
So, here’s the hack for you: ‘Image Compression’, sometimes called ‘Image Optimization’.
It can help you maintain the charm of your site while drastically elevating your site speed. Woo!
What is Image Compression?
Image compression is the technique to resize (minimize the size of) the images without compromising on the quality or clarity of them (though that can be a bit affected sometimes to derive the desired result).
Image Optimization is mostly done by using WordPress image compression plugins. The aim is generally to speed up WordPress and rank higher on the SERP (Search Engine Results Page). It’s a simple technique that works magic for the slow site speed sufferers. It helps in website optimization, website performance, and improved speed.
Best ‘Free’ WordPress Image Compression Plugins
Attractive high-resolution images are good but a blazing speedy site is way better.
So, here’s the list of the 5 most popular plugins for optimizing images by cutting their size to speed up your site.
#1 reSmush.it
reSmush.it is one of the most professional WordPress image compression plugins that can instantly and automatically resize your images while you upload them. If you worry about hundred of old images that are already eating up a lot of space, reSmush.it also provides bulk resize option for your old images.
The only drawback that this WordPress image compression plugin has that you can optimize your image for free only if its size is less than 5 Mb. It means if you wish to optimize an image beyond this size, you have to take up the paid plan.
#2 Imagify
It’s a WordPress image optimizer plugin that is created by the developer of the WP-rocket plugin. Just like reSmush.it, Imagify also allows bulk compressing and image resizing. With this plugin, you get three different levels of compression so that you can choose the one that fits your need and blog type.
The 3 levels of Imagify:
- Normal (Lossless Compression) – It’s the lossless compression where the image quality and clarity won’t be affected at all. If you’re a professional photographer, food/travel blogger or run a fashion store, the normal compression is the best bet for you.
- Aggressive (Lossy Compression) – Here, the image quality is not much altered and the image gets resized with just a minor loss of quality. It’s good for almost all sort of blogs and websites where image quality matters but it’s not paramount.
- Ultra (Highest Compression) – If your site speed is everything for you and you can compromise with the image quality, this strongest compression can be the best choice for you. It helps reduce the picture size greatly and aids accelerate your page load time.
With the WordPress image compression plugins like Imagify, you can optimize images up to 25 Mb every month for free. Its paid version starts from $4.99/mo.
#3 ShortPixel
Just like Imagify, Short Pixel also supports both lossy as well as lossless image compression and you can anytime restore the original image.
Also, it supports all formats; whether it’s PNG, JPG, GIF, and PDF. Bulk compression for all your old images is also available.
What’s special about this plugin?
Unlike the Imagify image optimizer and many other WordPress image compression plugins, Short Pixel allows you to upload and optimize the image with no limit on the file size. The best part? You get 100 free image compressions per month with the free plan.
#4 WP Smush
It’s another amazing WordPress image optimizer that allows you to automatically resize the new images that you upload as soon as you set this plugin. WP Smush knows you. So, if you want to keep the original image untouched of the optimization, you can. It just resizes the version of images that WordPress uploads without affecting the actual version.
#5 Hammy
Want to resize the images to make them responsive for all devices?
If this is your concern, Hammy is hands-down the best plugin for you.
Here’s Why?
- It resizes the original image in several different sizes and formats.
- The images look responsive and load faster
- compatible with different devices such as PCs, laptops, tablets and mobile phones.
The only drawback is that it doesn’t work for the custom post types. You can resize only the images that are there in pages or within the posts.
Wanna go Premium?
These amazing WordPress image compression plugins offer even better services and a lot more features with their paid versions.
You can anytime choose their Premium plans to go beyond the ordinary and optimize your images like never before.
- Imagify offers its paid plan starting from $4.99 per month where you get 1GB of data every month. That’s around 10,000 images!
- If you talk about ShortPixel paid plans pricing, the plans start from $4.99 per month where you can optimize up to 5,000 images. Move to its Large plan with $9.99 and get 12,000 image compressions per month.
Bonus For You!
Hakros is another one of the greatest WordPress image compression plugins.
However, it’s a paid WordPress image optimizer that helps compress images by up to 95%.
Also, it allows for bulk image compression while retaining the original image. You can also try the limited demo version and see how it works.
You can choose any WordPress image compression plugin that suits your need and optimize images on your terms.
After all, you are the boss of your site and everything should happen the way you want.
In a Nutshell
Engaging images can tempt the viewers to click and go through your blog bit by bit.
But what if your website opens so late that you don’t have any viewers waiting to see your posts?
With a turtle speed site, they’ll always leave. So first thing first, you have to have a blazing fast WordPress site if you want more clicks and views on your posts.
Image compression is one of the most proven practices to fuel your site speed.
However, there are many more ways to do that.
You can always turn to a good WordPress managed host to speed up your site instantly!
