Why do you think we need WordPress image optimizer for? Why is image optimization SEO even necessary?
Image compression
WHAT IS IMAGE COMPRESSION?
Image compression or photo size reducer is minimizing the image size of the graphics file to such a level that the quality of the original image is almost unaltered or reduced a bit which cannot be noticed apparently.
HOW DOES IMAGE COMPRESSION HELP IN WEBSITE SPEED UP
We need a WordPress image optimizer as it helps in speeding up our site. But how?
Images often account for most of the downloaded bytes on a web page and also often occupy a significant amount of visual space. As a result, optimizing images can often yield some of the largest byte savings and performance improvements for your website~ Google Developers
- When images are compressed, the browser has to download fewer bytes, and hence the loading gets faster.
- The lighter the total page size, the faster the rendering of the page.
- The compressed images lower the total page size sufficiently.
- The smaller the image sizes, the faster the backup.
- By image compression, hundreds of KBs are saved per image and hence significantly less bandwidth usage.
6 BEST ONLINE IMAGE COMPRESSOR FOR IMAGE OPTIMIZATION
1. Tiny PNG
You simply upload your file here and download the reduced image. No need to make an account for the basic work.
Tiny PNG offers a WordPress plugin too for JPEG and PNG images.
2. JPEG Reducer
It is a simple tool that compresses images.
After uploading the image > View reduced images >You will get different sizes of thumbnails and several percentages of compressed images.
Worth a try. 
3. Online Image Optimization
Compress JPEG online.
With an online image optimizer, you can convert the image type. From JPEG to PNG for an instance.
4. Puny PNG
This picture compressor reduces the size of the images without any loss of quality. You need to make a free account to access PunyPNG. 
5. CompressNow
This photo-size compressor helps to reduce the weight of the images.
The webpage loads faster as it saves bandwidth. Here you can set the percentage of compression level.
6. WebsitePlanet Compressor
This is a new image compressor that allows you to compress up to 40 images of 50 MB at a go.
HERE GO 6 WORDPRESS IMAGE OPTIMIZER PLUGIN
6. SMUSH IMAGE COMPRESSION AND IMAGE OPTIMIZATION
Our servers do all the heavy lifting. Strip hidden bulky information from your images and reduce file size without losing quality.
Free Plugin
It is one of the most powerful plugins. You can install the free plugin from WordPress.
Free users can smush up to 50 images per click.
But do not worry as you can do endless smushing by clicking more on ‘ Bulk smush now‘. Smushing can take a bit of time(usually less than 5 minutes) as it will smush 50 images in one batch.
The maximum size allowed for smushing is 1MB.
Pro Account
- 2x better compression
- No bulk smushing limit
- Super smush lossy compression
- Smush images up to 32Gb.
- You can set height and width while uploading images.
Pricing: Have a free trial for the first month. Then WPMUDEV membership comes at a price of 49$
7. EWWW IMAGE OPTIMIZER
Ewww IO comes in 3 categories:
- Cloud Optimization: Starting at 9$
- Developer API: You can use it to optimize images or PDFs on any platform using.
- WordPress Image Optimizer Plugin: The plugin which we use in WordPress to optimize every image.
Free Plugin:
EWWW image optimizer offers a Free plugin and can be installed directly from WordPress plugins. On installation, it will automatically optimize the images which were already uploaded and also optimize the new ones as you upload them.
On installation of the free plugin keep the default settings> save changes.
Pro Account:
Providing cloud optimization and lossy compression of images(Compression of images while retaining their quality) to achieve huge savings for PNG and JPG images.
Pricing: Starts at 9$ for 3000 images and thereafter costs $0.003 per image. Pay for any additional credits used at the end of each month. 500 Bonus Credit points for new account holders. You can also avail of EWWW as a pre-paid option.
- Bronze-9$ for 3000 images
- Silver-39$ for 13000 images
- Gold-99$ for 33000 images
8. OPTIMUS IMAGE OPTIMIZER 
It is yet another popular plugin. I am sure many of us already use it. Optimus comes with a transparent pricing policy.
Free Plugin
- The size limit of the free version of Optimus is 100 KB per image though an unlimited amount of images can be done.
- Image type: JPEG, PNG
- Supports Progressive JPEGs
Keep the default setting. Except you can tick on ‘no optimization of images while uploading’ as it will slow down the upload process. You can do it later while bulk optimization.
Pro Account
- The size limit of 5 MB per image.
- Supports WebP conversion
- Unlimited amount of images.
Pricing: 19$ per year (One-Time Charge)
9. SHORTPIXEL IMAGE OPTIMIZER
This is the plugin that I use.
Features:
- Image quality stays the same
- Automated compression
- Data privacy
- Supports Jpeg, Png, Gif, and Pdf
- Restore original images anytime
Free Plugin
- No Size Limit
- 100 images per month
- One API Key for all the sites
- Lossless and Lossy optimization
- Regular Support
To activate the free plugin you need to create a free account with the short pixel.
You will get your API as soon as you sign up.
Once your API key is validated you can keep the default settings and check your statistics easily.
For Bulk Optimization: Save and go Bulk Process> 
Start optimizing>
It can take up to 30 minutes depending on the number of images you are compressing.
For a free plugin, the maximum number of images is 100 which can be compressed per month.
Pro Account
Monthly charges
- Starts at 4.99$ for 5000 images/month
- 9.99$ for 12000 images/month with a Bonus of 2000
- 29.99$ for 55000 images/month with a Bonus of 25000
One-Time Payments You can also Opt for one-time payments starting at:
- 9.99$ for 10,000 images
- 19.99$ for 30,000 images with a bonus 10,000
- 29.99$ for 50,000 images with a bonus 20,000
- 99.99$ for 170,000 images with a bonus of 70,000
10. IMAGIFY IMAGE OPTIMIZER
Free Plugin
- You need to create a free account to use the plugin. Same as ShortPixel.
- Images less than 2 MB can be optimized.
- 250 images or 25 MB can be optimized per month.
- Bulk Optimization is available.
- Compatible with WooCommerce and NextGen gallery.
3 levels of compression are available.
- Normal: Lossless compression. The quality of images is not altered.
- Aggressive: A Small unnoticeable amount of quality is lost.
- Ultra: Strongest compression with a lossy algorithm.
Go to settings> Save the default settings 
Bulk Optimization: 
Pro Account
You get 2 months free on the yearly plan.
- Lite: 4.99$ per month for 1 GB of Data (Approx 10,000 images). 5$ per additional GB. $49.9 /year.
- Basic: 8.99$ per month for 2 GB of Data (Approx 20,000 images) 4$ per additional GB. $89.9 /year.
- Standard: 19.99$ per month for 5 GB of Data (Approx 50,000 images) 3$ per additional GB $199.9 /per year.
- Plus: 39.99$ per month for 15 GB of Data (Approx 150,000 images) 2$ per additional GB.$399.9 /per year.
- Enterprise:69.99$/ month for 50 GB of Data (Approx 500,000 images) 1$ /additional GB. $699.9 /year.
One-Time Plan:
- 5.99$ for 500 MB (Approx: 5000 images)
- 9.99$ for 1 GB (Approx: 10,000 images)
- 19.99$ for 3 GB (Approx: 30,000 images)
11. KRAKEN.IO IMAGE OPTIMIZER
Free Plugin
- Offers a 100 MB quota
1. Sign up for a free account and confirm your email ID.
2. You will get a Kraken Dashboard.
3. Go to API dashboard> Copy the API Key and API Secret.
4. Go to WordPress Dashboard> Kraken IO settings
5. Paste the API Credentials.
6. Save all. 7. You can also choose between:
Intelligent Lossy: A bit of quality is reduced but images are highly compressed. Lossless: As the name defines it retains the quality of the image.
Pro Account
Features:
- Full API access.
- Supports any web interface.
- Comes with Magento Extension.
- Offers Kraken cloud storage.
Pricing:
- Micro: 5$/ month for 500 MB of images. 5$ for additional GB. 50$ per Year.
- Basic: 9$/ month for 2 GB of images. 4$ for additional GB. 90$ per Year.
- Advanced: 19$/ month for 5 GB of images. 3$ for additional GB. 190$ per Year.
- Premium: 39$/ month for 15 GB of images. 2$ for additional GB. 390$ per Year.
- Enterprise: 79$/ month for 60 GB of images. 1$ for additional GB. 790$ per Year.
A COMPARISON
WRAPPING UP
Till now this site is using EWWW image optimizer and runs smoothly.
Smush Image comes from a very trusted developer. Check out the details for yourself and see which one performs the best for your site.
Before you check your website speed after installing a WordPress image optimizer, I recommend emptying your page cache.
Image optimization SEO is an important part of the evaluation of WebPageTest results. We have already checked how to leverage the browser cache, enhance TTFB, setting up a free Cloudflare CDN.
Next, we will be evaluating GT Metrix and will see how to Defer the Parsing of JavaScript.
