Compress images with Smush before offloading to cloud storage
Smush compresses images automatically on upload with both lossless and lossy options. The free version handles unlimited images with no image count limit. Smush Pro adds Ultra 5X compression, WebP and AVIF conversion, and a 119-node CDN. WP Media Cloud offloads the compressed files to your cloud storage provider.
Unlimited compression on the free version. Ultra 5X and WebP on Pro.
Smush compresses images on WPMU DEV's API servers rather than your hosting server, so bulk optimisation does not place load on your site. The free version handles both lossless and lossy compression with no image count limit.
Lossless and lossy compression
The free version of Smush includes both lossless and lossy compression. Lossless maintains pixel-perfect quality while reducing file size by removing metadata and unnecessary data. Lossy achieves greater reductions by applying quality-adjusted compression to image data itself.
Ultra 5X compression (Pro)
Smush Pro adds Ultra compression, which applies a higher level of optimisation to achieve file size reductions significantly beyond the standard lossy mode. This is the strongest compression Smush offers and is available on all Pro plans from Basic upwards.
Unlimited bulk optimisation
Smush's bulk optimiser processes your entire existing media library with no image count limit on either the free or Pro version. Background processing means you do not need to keep a browser tab open during bulk runs. Large libraries are handled without placing load on your hosting server.
Directory Smush
Directory Smush allows you to optimise images stored outside the standard WordPress uploads folder. If your theme, plugins, or custom code stores images in other directories, Directory Smush can process them too. This is particularly useful for sites with images in non-standard locations.
WebP and AVIF conversion (Pro)
Smush Pro automatically converts images to WebP and AVIF and serves the appropriate format to each visitor's browser. Browsers that do not support these formats receive the original file. WebP and AVIF conversion is not available on the free version of Smush.
Lazy load and preload
Smush includes lazy loading to defer off-screen images until the visitor scrolls to them. Smush Pro adds preloading options with fade-in, spinner, and placeholder effects for a polished loading experience. Both free and Pro versions include lazy loading, with Pro adding the additional preload controls.
Free handles unlimited images. Pro unlocks WebP, AVIF, and Ultra compression.
The free version of Smush is a genuinely capable image optimiser. It compresses unlimited images with both lossless and lossy modes, handles bulk optimisation in the background, supports lazy loading, and includes Directory Smush. There is no image count limit and no data cap on the free version. For sites that only need basic compression and can serve JPEG and PNG, the free version is a solid choice.
Smush Pro adds Ultra 5X compression, WebP and AVIF conversion, and the 119-node global CDN with up to 500 GB of traffic depending on plan. It also bundles the full WPMU DEV plugin suite at no extra cost, including Hummingbird for caching and performance, Defender for security, and SmartCrawl for SEO. This makes Pro plans compelling for agencies already using or considering multiple WPMU DEV tools.
- Free: unlimited images, lossless and lossy, bulk optimise, lazy load
- Free: Directory Smush, auto-optimise on upload, images up to 5 MB
- Pro: Ultra 5X compression, WebP and AVIF conversion
- Pro: 119-node CDN (50 to 500 GB depending on plan)
- Pro: full WPMU DEV plugin suite included
Free vs Pro at a glance
From $36/year for one site. Full WPMU DEV suite included.
Smush Pro is available as a standalone plugin starting at $36/year for a single site (Pro Basic). This includes Ultra 5X compression, WebP and AVIF conversion, the 119-node CDN with 50 GB of traffic, and the complete WPMU DEV plugin suite at no extra charge. Pro Standard covers 3 sites for $60/year with 100 GB CDN. Pro Plus covers 10 sites for $120/year with 250 GB CDN.
The bundled WPMU DEV suite includes Hummingbird (caching and performance), Defender (security), SmartCrawl (SEO), Snapshot (backups), Forminator (forms), and Hustle (marketing). For agencies or developers who already use or plan to use multiple WPMU DEV tools, the Pro plans represent strong value compared to purchasing each plugin separately.
View Smush Pro pricingSmush compresses. WP Media Cloud offloads.
Both plugins activate independently on the same WordPress site and work together without conflict or shared configuration.
Install both plugins
Install WP Media Cloud and configure it with your storage provider. Install Smush from WordPress.org. If using Smush Pro, connect it to your WPMU DEV account. Both plugins operate independently on the same site.
Smush compresses on upload
When an image is uploaded to WordPress, Smush sends it to the WPMU DEV API for compression. The compressed file, and WebP or AVIF variants if you are using Pro, are returned to WordPress before WP Media Cloud takes over.
WP Media Cloud offloads the compressed file
WP Media Cloud offloads the already-compressed image to your cloud storage provider. The file that lands in your storage bucket has already been processed by Smush, combining compression savings with the storage and bandwidth benefits of offloading.
Visitors receive compressed, offloaded files
Media URLs on your WordPress site point at your storage bucket or CDN. Visitors receive compressed files served from cloud infrastructure. If using Smush Pro's CDN, image delivery can go through the Smush CDN rather than WP Media Cloud's storage URLs, depending on your configuration.
Smush + WP Media Cloud + your existing stack
WP Media Cloud with Smush works alongside every major page builder, storage provider, and plugin integration from day one.
Compress with Smush. Offload with WP Media Cloud.
WP Media Cloud has a 30-day money-back guarantee. Smush has a free version on WordPress.org with no image count limit.
