WPStories Image Optimizer is a free WordPress plugin that automatically converts your uploaded images to WebP or AVIF format — making your website faster, lighter, and more SEO-friendly with zero effort.
Simply install and activate the plugin. Every image you upload to the Media Library will be automatically converted to your preferred format. All thumbnails generated by WordPress are also converted, so your entire site benefits from smaller, faster images.
Key Features
- 100% Free — No premium tiers, no hidden costs, no upsells.
- Automatic Conversion — Converts images on upload to WebP or AVIF.
- Thumbnail Optimization — All WordPress-generated sizes are also converted.
- Bulk Optimizer — Convert thousands of existing images at once.
- Quality Controls — Adjust compression settings for each format.
- EXIF Stripping — Remove metadata to reduce file sizes further.
- Original Backup — Optionally keep original files alongside converted versions.
- GD & Imagick — Works with either PHP extension.
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Why WebP & AVIF?
Modern image formats offer significantly better compression than traditional JPEG and PNG:
- WebP — 25-35% smaller than JPEG with comparable quality. Supported by all modern browsers.
- AVIF — 50% smaller than JPEG with superior quality. Supported by Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari 16.4+.
These smaller file sizes directly improve your Core Web Vitals scores, which Google uses as a ranking factor. Faster pages mean better SEO, lower bounce rates, and happier visitors.
How It Works
- Install the plugin from the WordPress Plugin Directory.
- Activate it — no configuration needed, though you can adjust settings under Settings > Image Optimizer.
- Upload any image to the Media Library.
- The plugin automatically converts it to WebP or AVIF.
- All generated thumbnails are also converted.
- The converted file replaces the original in your content.
System Requirements
- WordPress 6.0 or higher
- PHP 7.4 or higher
- GD Library with WebP support, or
- Imagick extension (recommended for best performance and quality)
License
GPLv2 or later — https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html
