EWWW Image Optimizer
by Exactly WWW
Local or cloud compression with no per-image credit counting.
This link may earn us a commission. It does not affect the score. Last tested 26 August 2026.
Measured result
EWWW Image Optimizer on bench-01
Performance score
Measured on a 2 vCPU reference host
- LCP
- 1.66 s
- CLS
- 0.02
- TTFB
- 228 ms
- Page
- 512 KB
- Requests
- 30
- Impact
- Medium
Median of 3 cold-cache runs, 26 August 2026.
How we tested
Try EWWW Image Optimizer live
Press play to start a private, throwaway WordPress site in your browser with EWWW Image Optimizer version 8.7.7 already installed. Nothing is saved and nothing touches your own site: close the page and it disappears.
Where EWWW Image Optimizer ranks elsewhere
| Publisher | List | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Elegant Themes | Best WordPress Plugins | #3 of 40 |
Positions are read from the published articles themselves, so they reflect that publisher's order rather than ours. Lists get re-ordered over time, so follow the link if you want the current version.
What changed in the latest version
- fixed: LQIP/DCIP inputs not available immediately after Easy IO activation
- security: ensure all CDN image URLs are properly escaped to prevent XSS
- added: option to disable client-side media processing in WP 7.1, mostly for animated GIF images and indexed (palette) PNG images
- fixed: compatibility with client-side media processing in WP 7.1
- fixed: Easy IO modifies URLs in REST API endpoints used by media uploader in WP 7.1
- fixed: WebP conversion via Imagick throws fatal error when source file goes missing
- fixed: PNG to JPG conversion via API sometimes results in black background for 8-bit images
- fixed: Auto-scaling sometimes makes images too large (or too small) when CSS width is set to auto
- improved: use WP file access functions wherever possible
- fixed: PHP notices in BuddyPress/BuddyBoss compatibility functions
- removed: PNG to JPG auto-convert for large PNG images
Release notes are the developer's own words, published on WordPress.org. Read the full changelog
Pros & cons
- Unlimited local compression at no cost
- No external service required for the free mode
- Handles non-media-library folders
- Local mode consumes your own CPU
- Shared hosts often lack the required binaries
The full review
EWWW is the pragmatic answer when the media library is enormous and credits would be expensive. The trade-off is CPU: on a shared 2 vCPU host, a bulk run pushed our TTFB above 600 ms while it worked.
Schedule bulk optimisation outside traffic hours, or switch the same plugin to its cloud mode for the initial pass.
Compared with close alternatives
| Plugin | Score | LCP | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| EWWW Image Optimizer | 81 | 1.66 s | Freemium |
| ShortPixel | 92 | 1.38 s | Freemium |
| Imagify | 89 | 1.44 s | Freemium |
Frequently asked
Does local mode work everywhere?
No. It needs executable image binaries, which many shared hosts block. Test on staging before committing.
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