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Lazy Loader

By Florian Brinkmann

Performance & Optimization / Caching Solutions

Reviewed by Omar Dabbas

Trusted WordPress expert with 20+ years of experience evaluating plugins for the WP ecosystem.

Lazy Loader Review - In-Depth Analysis

Lazy Loader is a plugin that enables lazy loading for images, iFrames, videos, and audio elements using the lazysizes script. It enhances site performance by loading media only when needed.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

6.98/10

User Rating

4.7/5 (based on 49+ reviews)

Active Installations

9,000+

Update Frequency

Average It is calculated using the weighted average of same category plugins.

Security Score

1 / 10 (Very Low Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

Lazy Loader is a powerful plugin designed to improve your website's performance by implementing lazy loading for various media types. It supports images, iFrames, video, and audio elements, utilizing the lightweight lazysizes script.

This plugin allows for manual modification of markup to lazy load background images, scripts, and styles. It automatically lazy loads images inserted via img or picture tags, post thumbnails, and inline background images without requiring any manual changes.

Additionally, Lazy Loader offers numerous options under Settings › Media › Lazy Loader options, including the ability to exclude specific CSS classes from lazy loading, enable lazy loading for iFrames, and include various lazysizes plugins for enhanced functionality. The plugin also provides a fallback for users with disabled JavaScript.

Comparing to Alternatives

Lazy Loader is a well-regarded plugin in the lazy loading category with several alternatives available that offer similar functionality.

Top alternatives

Strengths

High user satisfaction with a 4.7 rating out of 5
No known security vulnerabilities reported
Effectively improves site and PWA performance
Supports exclusion of specific images for flexibility
Works well with WEBP galleries in many cases

Weaknesses

May have compatibility issues with some themes
No pro version available for advanced features
Limited user feedback on handling complex gallery setups
Lacks some advanced customization options found in alternatives

User Sentiment Analysis

The plugin enjoys overwhelmingly positive reviews with nearly 90% five-star ratings and very few low ratings, indicating strong user satisfaction.

Positive highlights

'Works great. Improved my site and PWA performance and load times.' — azbce
'Finally a plugin that actually works!' — apollosk
'Solving the Threshold problem is invaluable.' — Orhan Bilikvar
'Great, you can just exclude images etc. I need it for that.' — Jonas
'Works with WEBP galleries' — Rafał

Common complaints

Weaknesses

Some users report it does not work on all themes
Limited support for certain gallery types like WEBP thumbnails in some cases
No advanced features due to lack of a pro version

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Users seeking a reliable, easy-to-use lazy loading plugin that improves site speed without complex setup.

Not ideal for

Those needing advanced customization or guaranteed compatibility with all themes and gallery types may find this plugin limiting.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version offers effective lazy loading functionality that enhances performance and supports image exclusion.

Final Verdict

Lazy Loader stands out as a highly rated and secure plugin that effectively improves website loading performance with minimal user effort. Its strong positive feedback and lack of security issues make it a trustworthy choice for most users.

However, the absence of a pro version and occasional compatibility issues with certain themes and gallery types may limit its appeal for users requiring advanced features or broader support. Overall, it is a solid free option for basic lazy loading needs.

Other Notable Features

Here are a few other notable features of this free Lazy Loader plugin.

Images

Lazy Loading

Performance

FAQ

Yes. See the following example that would generate lazy-load-ready output for the result of the not-supported wp_get_attachment_image() function:

global $lazy_loader; if ( isset( $lazy_loader ) && $lazy_loader instanceof FlorianBrinkmann\LazyLoadResponsiveImages\Plugin ) {     echo $lazy_loader->filter_markup( wp_get_attachment_image( 1261 ) ); }

To make it happen, you need to pass the markup that contains the image (or images) to $lazy_loader->filter_markup(). The if statement ensures that the Lazy Loader object is there and that it is an object of the correct class.

Important: If you modify or remove the inline styles, also the style that shows the loading spinner is affected. So if you remove the styles or modify them without adding back the spinner styles, the spinner option will not work. I created a Gist with the spinner styles – just add them to your modification to make it work.

To disable or modify the plugin’s inline styles (except the style that hides the img.lazyload elements when JS is disabled, so only the noscript version is displayed) you can use the lazy_load_responsive_images_inline_styles filter. For example, to remove the inline styles, use the following code:

add_filter( 'lazy_load_responsive_images_inline_styles', function () {     return ''; } );

If you want to modify it, you can do that like in the following code block (remember to include the opening and closing style tags for additions/replacements). The code modifies the duration of the fade-in-effect:

add_filter( 'lazy_load_responsive_images_inline_styles', function ( $default_styles ) {     $default_styles = sprintf(         '%s <style>:root {     --lazy-loader-animation-duration: 600ms; }</style>',         $default_styles     );      return $default_styles; } );

The CSS from the example are the default styles that are used by the plugin (without the loading spinner styles). The display: block for .lazyload is important for the aspectratio plugin option.