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EWWW vs Smush: Which is Better in 2026?

Choosing between EWWW and Smush comes down to understanding what each tool does best. This comparison breaks down the key differences so you can make an informed decision based on your specific needs, not marketing claims.

Bottom line: EWWW wins this matchup. Our overall SEO Tools pick is Writesonic Chat. Our free SEO Tools pick is nopCommerce. Pick Smush if you need image editing.

··Methodology
Editor reviewed0 verified reviews comparedPricing checked Sep 2026

Short on time? Here's the quick answer

We've tested both tools. Here's who should pick what:

EWWW

Supercharge your website speed with premium image optimization and performance enhancements.

Best for you if:

  • You want significantly improves website load times
  • You want offers both free and premium compression options

Smush

Optimize, compress, and lazy load images for WordPress to boost site performance and SEO.

Best for you if:

  • You want significantly improves website loading speed and performance
  • You want enhances Google PageSpeed scores and SEO
At a Glance
EWWWEWWW
SmushSmush
Starts at
$8/moStandard
$30/moBasic
Best For
Developer ToolsImage Editing
Rating
4.3/5-
Free plan
No No

Choose EWWW or Smush?

EWWW

Choose EWWW if

Supercharge your website speed with premium image optimization and performance enhancements.

  • You want significantly improves website load times
  • You want offers both free and premium compression options
  • Your work is developer tools-shaped, not image editing-shaped
Smush

Choose Smush if

Optimize, compress, and lazy load images for WordPress to boost site performance and SEO.

  • You want significantly improves website loading speed and performance
  • You want enhances Google PageSpeed scores and SEO
  • Your work is image editing-shaped, not developer tools-shaped
FeatureEWWWSmush
Pricing ModelPaidPaid
User Rating
4.3/5
26 reviews
No ratings yet
Categories
Developer ToolsSEO Tools
Image EditingSEO Tools

In-Depth Analysis

EWWWEWWW

Supercharge your website speed with premium image optimization and performance enhancements.

Starts at $8/mo
Good value

EWWW's pricing is quite competitive, especially the Standard tier at $8/month for unlimited images and sites, which is generous.

Watch out

Additional bandwidth on Infinite tier at $0.065/GB

Strengths

  • +Significantly improves website load times
  • +Offers both free and premium compression options
  • +Compatible with many third-party providers and WordPress hosts
  • +Includes CDN and performance optimization features beyond just images
  • +Provides excellent customer support, with priority for paying customers

Weaknesses

  • -Certain free features (like lossless PNG/GIF/SVG compression) depend on web host support for local compression
  • -SWIS Performance plugin is WordPress-only
  • -Bandwidth limits on paid plans, with overage charges for the highest tier

Key features

Automatic image compression (lossless and premium)WebP and AVIF conversionControl over image resizing and generation30-day backup of original imagesEasy IO CDN for optimized image deliveryAutomatic JS/CSS compression and minification

SmushSmush

Optimize, compress, and lazy load images for WordPress to boost site performance and SEO.

Starts at $30/mo
Good value

The pricing for Smush is quite generous, especially for the lower tiers.

Watch out

CDN/backup limits could incur overages

Strengths

  • +Significantly improves website loading speed and performance
  • +Enhances Google PageSpeed scores and SEO
  • +Comprehensive image optimization features including CDN and next-gen formats
  • +Compatible with all WordPress plugins, themes, and builders
  • +Included with a suite of other premium WPMU DEV plugins

Weaknesses

  • -Requires a paid WPMU DEV membership for full Pro features
  • -CDN bandwidth is limited by plan tier

Key features

Unlimited bulk image compression up to 256MB5x compression for reduced file size with quality preservation119-Point Smush Global CDN for worldwide image deliveryAutomatic Next-Gen Conversion (WebP & AVIF)Perfect-Fit Auto Resize for ideal image displayPreload Critical Images to improve LCP

Pricing: EWWW vs Smush

PlanEWWWSmush
Tier 1
$8/month
Standard
$30 /y
Basic
Tier 2
$16/month
Growth
$60 /y
Standard
Tier 3
$32/month
Infinite
$100 /y
Plus
Tier 4N/A
$1000 /y
Premium

Pricing verified from each vendor's public pricing page. Compare in detail on EWWW pricing and Smush pricing.

Who Should Use What?

On a budget?

Both are paid. Compare plans on their websites.

Go with: EWWW

Want the highest-rated option?

EWWW is rated 4.3/5. Smush has no ratings yet.

Go with: EWWW

Value user reviews?

EWWW: 26 reviews (4.3/5). Smush: no ratings yet.

Go with: EWWW

3 Questions to Help You Decide

1

What's your budget?

Both are paid. Pricing won't help you decide here.

2

What's your use case?

EWWW is a developer tools tool. Smush is in image editing. Pick the category that matches your needs.

3

How important are ratings?

EWWW is rated 4.3/5; Smush has no ratings yet.

Key Takeaways

EWWW

  • Our pick for this comparison

Smush

  • Better fit for image editing

The Bottom Line

EWWW wins this matchup. Our overall SEO Tools pick is Writesonic Chat. Our free SEO Tools pick is nopCommerce.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is EWWW or Smush better?

EWWW is rated in our evaluation. Both are paid.

What are EWWW and Smush used for?

EWWW: Supercharge your website speed with premium image optimization and performance enhancements.. Smush: Optimize, compress, and lazy load images for WordPress to boost site performance and SEO..

What does EWWW cost vs Smush?

EWWW is a paid tool. Smush is a paid tool. Visit their websites for detailed pricing.

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