ShortPixel Image Optimizer – Optimize Images, Convert WebP & AVIF

86 Quality Score

Active Installs

25/30

At 300,000 active installs it trails category leaders like Smush and Imagify (both at 1 million), but adoption is solid and it remains one of the more recognized paid-API optimizers.

Update Freshness

25/25

Updated July 2026 and confirmed compatible with WordPress 7.0, indicating the developer is keeping pace with core releases.

User Rating

14/15

A 90 out of 100 from 815 reviewers is strong, suggesting most users are satisfied with the optimization results.

Support Health

8/15

Only 2 support threads with a 100% resolution rate yields a middling score at this volume; the sample is too small to draw firm conclusions about responsiveness.

WP Compatibility

15/15

Supports WordPress 4.8.0 and PHP 7.4+, covering a broad install base, and explicitly tests against the latest core version.

Scores higher than 96% of indexed plugins

About

Optimize images & PDFs smartly. Create and compress next-gen WebP and AVIF formats. Smart crop and resize.

Active Installs 300k+

Rating ★★★★½ 4.5/5

Last Updated 2026-09-09 3:38pm GMT

Requires WordPress 4.8.0+

Tested Up To 7.1

Requires PHP 7.4+

Security History

9 known vulnerabilities, all patched

2 High 7 Medium

Most recent: September 17, 2026

View details ▸

ShortPixel Image Optimizer <= 6.5.5 - Authenticated (Author+) PHP Object Injection via Nested JSON Post Content High

September 17, 2026 Patched in ["6.5.6"] CVE-2026-17086

ShortPixel Image Optimizer – Optimize Images, Convert WebP & AVIF <= 6.4.3 - Authenticated (Author+) PHP Object Injection High

April 20, 2026 Patched in ["6.4.4"] CVE-2026-39471

ShortPixel Image Optimizer <= 6.4.3 - Authenticated (Author+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting via Attachment Title Medium

March 25, 2026 Patched in ["6.4.4"] CVE-2026-4335

ShortPixel Image Optimizer <= 6.4.2 - Authenticated (Editor+) Arbitrary File Read via 'loadFile' Parameter Medium

February 4, 2026 Patched in ["6.4.3"] CVE-2026-1246

ShortPixel Image Optimizer <= 6.3.4 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Settings Import/Export Medium

October 17, 2025 Patched in ["6.3.5"] CVE-2025-11378

ShortPixel Image Optimizer <= 5.6.3 - Missing Authorization Medium

October 13, 2024 Patched in ["5.6.4"] CVE-2024-48044

ShortPixel Image Optimizer <= 5.6.3 - Authenticated (Editor+) SQL Injection Medium

October 13, 2024 Patched in ["5.6.4"] CVE-2024-48043

ShortPixel Image Optimizer <= 5.4.1 - Authenticated(Editor+) PHP Object Injection Medium

September 14, 2023 Patched in ["5.4.2"]

ShortPixel Image Optimizer <= 4.22.9 - Reflected Cross-Site Scripting Medium

June 2, 2022 Patched in ["4.22.10"]

What It Does

ShortPixel Image Optimizer compresses JPEG, PNG, GIF, and PDF files stored in your WordPress media library, and can output next-gen WebP and AVIF formats for browsers that support them. It also resizes images and applies smart cropping on the fly, with bulk processing for existing libraries. Operates on ShortPixel's own image optimization API, so heavy lifting happens off your server.

Who It's For

Site owners with image-heavy content who want offloaded compression and are comfortable relying on a third-party API backed by quota-based credits. Well-suited to photography portfolios, e-commerce stores with many product images, and publishers who need PDF optimization alongside standard image formats.

Who Should Skip It

Developers and agencies running on tight shared hosting who cannot afford the API round-trips or would prefer local optimization, and anyone uneasy about sending media library files to an external service or tied to a credit-based pricing model.

The Bottom Line

ShortPixel Image Optimizer scores 85.53/100 and delivers reliable image and PDF compression with modern format support, though its support sample is thin and its API-based approach will not suit everyone. It is a sensible choice if you want WebP and AVIF output and do not mind credit-based pricing, but free, locally-processed alternatives like EWWW may be a better fit if data leaving your server is a concern.

Related Plugins

Smush 89/100

Pick Smush if you want a freemium option with 1 million installs, built-in lazy loading, and CDN features bundled in.

EWWW Image Optimizer 89/100

Pick EWWW if you want local compression that avoids sending files to a third-party API, with optional WebP/AVIF via a paid add-on.

Converter for Media 88/100

Pick Converter for Media if your priority is specifically serving next-gen formats to visitors and you already optimize images another way.

Imagify Image Optimization 87/100

Pick Imagify if you are already invested in the WP Rocket / Imagify ecosystem and want a familiar API-backed optimizer.

Imsanity 86/100

Pick Imsanity if your only real problem is contributors uploading oversized images and you do not need compression at all.