Speculative Loading vs Converter for Media
Compare WordPress plugins and tools side by side. Pick products with “Compare” in the software directory.
| Feature | Speculative Loading v1.7.0 · checked 23 Oct 2026 Free · ★ 5.0/5 Visit Details | Converter for Media v6.7.0 · checked 23 Oct 2026 Free + paid · ★ 4.9/5 Visit Details |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Active installs | 70,000+ | 500,000+ |
| Last updated | August 26, 2026 | October 14, 2026 |
| Editions | Speculative Loading | Converter for Media · Converter for Media PRO ($) |
| Pros | Near-instant page changes for visitors; Settings under Settings > Reading; Maintained by the WordPress Performance Team | Converts uploads to WebP on the server with GD or Imagick; Optional Cloudflare cache rules and cache purge; Core WebP conversion works without a licence |
| Cons | Prerendering loads pages before the click, so page scripts may run early; Behaviour depends on browser support for the Speculation Rules API | AVIF output and cloud conversion need the PRO licence; Upgrade prompts appear in the admin and plugin list; Cloud conversion sends images to a vendor API |
| More features | ||
| Other features | Speculation rules printed in the footer, Prefetch or prerender mode and eagerness settings, Exclude paths from speculation | Local WebP conversion with GD or Imagick, Serve WebP through rewrite rules, Convert on upload, Cloudflare cache rules and purge, AVIF output format ($), Cloud conversion through the vendor API ($), PRO access token validation ($) |
| Integrations | ||
| Other | — | Cloudflare, Converter for Media API ($), Deactivation survey endpoint |
| Requires WordPress | 6.9 | 4.9 |
| Requires PHP | 7.4 | 7.4 |
| Tested up to | 7.1 | 7.1 |
| Phones home | No | No |
| External services | — | api-converter.mattplugins.com, data.mattplugins.com, api.cloudflare.com |