Speed Optimizer vs WP Smush
Compare WordPress plugins and tools side by side. Pick products with “Compare” in the software directory.
| Feature | Speed Optimizer v7.8.5 · checked 23 Oct 2026 Free · ★ 4.2/5 Visit Details | WP Smush v4.3.5 · checked 23 Oct 2026 Free + paid · ★ 4.8/5 Visit Details |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Active installs | 1M+ | 1M+ |
| Last updated | October 20, 2026 | October 20, 2026 |
| Editions | Speed Optimizer | Smush · Smush Pro ($) |
| Pros | Page caching, minification and lazy loading in one place; Browser cache headers and database cleanup; Free, from the WordPress.org directory | Bulk and on-upload image compression at no cost; Lazy loading for images and embedded video; Works with common page builders, WooCommerce and caching plugins |
| Cons | Dynamic caching and Memcached are SiteGround-only; CDN premium tier depends on the hosting plan; Calls Google PageSpeed and Google Fonts services | WebP, AVIF, resizing and the image CDN need Smush Pro; Images are sent to the WPMU DEV API for compression |
| Mentioned in our posts | — | 3 |
| Features (Speed Optimization plugins checklist) | ||
| Page cache | Yes | — |
| Browser cache | Yes | — |
| Minify CSS/JS | Yes | — |
| CDN | Paid | Yes |
| Object cache | Yes | — |
| Database cleanup | Yes | — |
| Free version | Yes | Yes |
| More features | ||
| Other features | Lazy loading of images, iframes and videos, Image optimisation, WebP image conversion, Force HTTPS, Heartbeat control, PageSpeed analysis | Bulk compression of the media library, Lazy loading for images and embedded video, WebP and AVIF conversion (Pro) ($) |
| Integrations | ||
| Analytics | Google PageSpeed Insights | — |
| E-commerce | — | WooCommerce |
| Plugins | — | WP Rocket, Elementor, Divi, Gravity Forms |
| Other | Google Fonts | WPMU DEV Smush API |
| Requires WordPress | 5.5.1 | 6.4 |
| Requires PHP | 7.0 | 7.4 |
| Tested up to | 7.1 | 7.1 |
| Phones home | No | Only if you agree |
| External services | www.googleapis.com, fonts.googleapis.com, sgwpdemo.com, api.wordpress.org | smushpro.wpmudev.com |
| Custom tables | — | 1 |