reSmush.it : The original free image compressor and optimizer plugin

83 Quality Score

Active Installs

23/30

With 100,000 active installs, it has a solid user base but sits an order of magnitude below category leaders Smush and Imagify at one million installs each.

Update Freshness

25/25

Last updated June 2026 and tested against WordPress 7.0 with PHP 7.4 requirement, indicating active and current development.

User Rating

13/15

An 86/100 score across 161 ratings reflects strong user satisfaction, though the smaller sample size compared to top alternatives means less statistical weight.

Support Health

8/15

Only 2 support threads exist with a 100% resolution rate, which suggests either excellent responsiveness or, more likely, very low support volume that limits confidence in the metric.

WP Compatibility

15/15

Requires WordPress 4.0+ and PHP 7.4+, making it broadly compatible with virtually all currently running WordPress installations.

Scores higher than 90% of indexed plugins

About

reSmush.it is the FREE image compressor and optimizer plugin - use it to optimize your images and improve the SEO and performance of your website.

Active Installs 100k+

Rating ★★★★ 4.3/5

Last Updated 2026-08-20 2:25pm GMT

Requires WordPress 4.0.0+

Tested Up To 7.1.2

Requires PHP 7.4+

Security History

3 known vulnerabilities, all patched

2 High 1 Medium

Most recent: October 26, 2022

View details ▸

What It Does

reSmush.it compresses images on your WordPress site using the free reSmush.it API, automatically optimizing new uploads and bulk-processing existing media. It focuses purely on lossy and lossless image compression with no built-in WebP conversion, lazy loading, or CDN delivery. Settings are minimal: choose compression level, optimize on upload, and optionally process existing media library items.

Who It's For

This plugin suits site owners who want a free, set-it-and-forget-it image compressor without paying for a SaaS subscription or a premium optimizer like ShortPixel or Imagify. It fits well on photography portfolios, small business sites, and content blogs where image-heavy pages are slowing down load times and hurting Core Web Vitals. Agencies maintaining client sites on tight budgets will also appreciate the zero-cost model.

Who Should Skip It

Anyone needing modern format conversion (WebP/AVIF), CDN-based delivery, or advanced lazy loading should look elsewhere, as reSmush.it only handles compression. Sites already using Smush, Imagify, or ShortPixel have no reason to switch unless they specifically want to consolidate on the free reSmush.it API.

The Bottom Line

reSmush.it is a dependable, genuinely free image optimizer that does one thing well and earns an 82.79 overall quality score. It is not the most feature-rich option and lacks modern format conversion, but for budget-conscious site owners who only need compression, it is a solid choice. Overall Quality Score: 82.79/100.

Related Plugins

Smush 89/100

Pick Smush instead if you want lazy loading, WebP conversion, and CDN integration bundled into a single plugin from a vendor with one million installs and heavier support history.

Converter for Media 88/100

Choose Converter for Media if your priority is serving WebP or AVIF files to visitors for better Core Web Vitals, since reSmush.it does not convert formats.

Imagify Image Optimization 87/100

Go with Imagify if you want higher compression quality, WebP/AVIF conversion, and a polished interface backed by WP Rocket's team.

Imsanity 86/100

Pick Imsanity if your main problem is contributors uploading oversized originals, since it resizes images on upload rather than optimizing them after the fact.

Firelight Lightbox 86/100

Firelight Lightbox solves a completely different problem (display lightboxes), so it is only relevant if you also need gallery presentation features alongside optimization.

Use Cases

blogger small business website online magazine portfolio site e-commerce store photography blog travel website news site content publisher WordPress site speed improvement