Ainsley Clark

Squidge is a FREE WordpPress Plugin built for developers in mind compressing and convert images using jpegoptim, 
optipng, cwebp, and libavif. It’s extremley simple to use and is designed to increase PSI and boost rankings.
<h3>Why?</h3>
Image compression in WordPress can be costly, confusing and sometimes just simply don’t work. We have aimed to simplify 
the process by requiring the developer to install the required package on the operating system and Squidge does the 
hard work for you.
<ul>
<li>IT’S FREE</li>
<li>Unlimited file size, no limits.</li>
<li>Optimised for your site to rank.</li>
<li>CLI to regenerate all of your media files.</li>
<li>Helper functions to output images in templates.</li>
<li>Uses the native <code>cwebp</code> and <code>libavif</code> libraries.</li>
</ul>
<h3>What does Squidge do?</h3>
Squidge compresses and converts image files when the user has uploaded a file to WordPress.
<ul>
<li>Compresses JPG images using <code>jpegoptim</code>.</li>
<li>Compresses PNG images using <code>optipng</code>.</li>
<li>Converts JPG and PNG images to <code>.webp</code> files using <code>cwebp</code> with the appended extension e.g. <code>image.jpg.webp</code>.</li>
<li>Converts JPG and PNG images to <code>.avif</code> files using <code>libavif</code> with the appended extension e.g. <code>image.jpg.avif</code>.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Render Images</h3>
To render images in templates, you can either set up nginx or apache rules to serve images dynamically or used the 
 squidge_image helper function. This dynamically checks if an <code>.avif</code> or <code>.webp</code> file is available on the file system 
and returns the output.
<h3>Function</h3>
<pre><code>/**
 * Returns a <picture> element with source media for the standard file passed
 * (such as a JPG), the .avif file, the .webp file (if to exist on the file system).
 *
 * Appropriate <source> elements for image sizes with max widths.
 * Finally, the main be outputted with alt and title text.
 *
 * - If lazy is true, the data-src or data-srcset will be appended.
 * - If a class is set, the class will be outputted on the <picture> element.
 *
 * @param $image_id
 * @param string $class
 * @param false $lazy
 * @return string
 */
function squidge_image($image_id, $class = '', $lazy = false)
</code></pre>
<h3>Output</h3>
<pre><code><picture class="picture">
 
 <source media="(max-width: 400px)" srcset="/sample-image.jpg.avif" type="image/avif">
 <source media="(max-width: 400px)" srcset="/sample-image.jpg.webp" type="image/webp">
 <source media="(max-width: 400px)" srcset="/sample-image.jpg">
 
 <source srcset="/sample-image.jpg.avif" type="image/avif">
 <source srcset="/sample-image.jpg.webp" type="image/webp">
 
 <img src="/sample-image.jpg" alt="Alt text" title="Sample JPG">
</picture>
</code></pre>
<h3>Credits</h3>
Written by <a href="https://github.com/ainsleyclark" rel="nofollow ugc">Ainsley Clark</a>

Squidge

Squidge is a FREE WordpPress Plugin built for developers in mind compressing and convert images using jpegoptim, optipng, cwebp, and libavif.

Bogdan Bendziukov

Looking for a WordPress image optimizer without an API key? Squeeze is a local WebP converter that lets you compress images in WordPress, convert uploads to WebP, and bulk compress your media library without ShortPixel-, Imagify-, or Smush-style monthly caps. Processing runs in your admin browser—unlimited squeezes, full privacy, and no uploads to third-party compression servers.
If you need a webp converter wordpress plugin, a shortpixel alternative without recurring API fees, or an image optimizer without api keys, Squeeze keeps optimization on your server and in your browser instead of a SaaS queue.
Unlike cloud-based plugins, Squeeze:
♾️ No compression limits — squeeze your entire Media Library, not just the first 100–500 images per month. 
☁️ No third-party servers — images never leave your site; processing happens locally in the browser (ideal for GDPR-sensitive and membership sites). 
⚡ Direct WebP conversion — convert JPG/PNG to WebP and replace the original file on disk (no duplicate copies cluttering storage). 
🖼️ Optimize on upload — compress in Gutenberg, GenerateBlocks, and the Voxel theme before files hit the server (Elementor on-upload squeeze is available in <a href="https://pluginarium.com/squeeze/#premium" rel="nofollow ugc">Premium</a>).
The result: smaller files, faster page loads, and lower hosting storage—without SaaS fees or API keys.
<a href="https://pluginarium.com/squeeze/" rel="nofollow ugc">Squeeze official website</a> | <a href="https://pluginarium.com/squeeze/squeeze-documentation/" rel="nofollow ugc">Plugin documentation</a>
<h3>🌟 New in 1.7.x</h3>
<ul>
<li>Direct WebP conversion: Convert JPG/PNG to WebP and replace originals—save storage without duplicate files.</li>
<li>Pre-upload compression: Shrink images in the browser before upload (Gutenberg, GenerateBlocks, Voxel create-post and gallery fields).</li>
<li>Three WebP delivery modes: Direct WebP, separate squeeze-webp folder with URL rewrite, or server-side delivery via .htaccess.</li>
<li>Voxel theme support: Pre-upload squeeze on multipart AJAX uploads in create-post and file/gallery fields.</li>
</ul>
<h3>✨ Key Features</h3>
<ul>
<li>Faster pages: Smaller images improve load time, Core Web Vitals, and mobile bandwidth use.</li>
<li>WebP conversion & serving: Convert to WebP and serve efficiently—choose Direct WebP, HTML URL rewrite, or .htaccess delivery for supported browsers.</li>
<li>Client-side squeezing: Compress in the browser; nothing is uploaded to external optimization servers.</li>
<li>Upload optimization: Compress on the fly during upload so optimized files land in your Media Library.</li>
<li>Gutenberg & GenerateBlocks: Squeeze images as you add them in the block editor.</li>
<li>Voxel theme: Compress before upload on Voxel create-post and file/gallery fields.</li>
<li>Bulk compression: Compress hundreds of Media Library images in one run (pause/resume supported).</li>
<li>Custom directory squeeze: Pick any folder under your site root and optimize all images inside it.</li>
<li>Exclusions: Skip images by URL or filename pattern (one per line).</li>
<li>Fine-tuned quality: Per-format tabs for JPEG, PNG, WebP, and AVIF (MozJPEG, OxiPNG-style PNG, and more).</li>
<li>Backup option: Keep a <code>.bak</code> copy to restore the original after squeezing.</li>
<li>Formats: JPEG, PNG, WebP, and AVIF.</li>
</ul>
<h3>⚜️ Premium Features</h3>
<ul>
<li>Image comparison in the Media Library (before/after sizes).</li>
<li>Resize originals to max width/height before squeeze.</li>
<li>Bulk squeeze from a page — all images used on one post or page.</li>
<li>Elementor integration — squeeze on upload while editing in Elementor.</li>
<li>CDN URL — map CDN image URLs to local files for all WebP delivery modes.</li>
<li>Priority support & updates</li>
</ul>
<a href="https://pluginarium.com/squeeze/#premium" rel="nofollow ugc">Explore Premium</a>
<h3>How does Squeeze work?</h3>
Open the Media Library, run Bulk Squeeze, or upload a new image — Squeeze runs Google Chrome team–backed codecs (the same family as Squoosh.app) inside your browser via Web Workers. No account, no API key, no off-site upload queue.
<a href="https://pluginarium.com/squeeze/squeeze-documentation/" rel="nofollow ugc">Full documentation</a>

Squeeze – Image Optimization & Compression, WEBP Conversion


Great plugin! I'd love webp support if possible.


Works great

Compress images in WordPress & convert to WebP — no API key, no quotas, no cloud. Unlimited local image optimizer; private browser-side compression.

Squidge vs Squeeze – Image Optimization & Compression, WEBP Conversion