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Images to WebP

By kubiq

Performance & Optimization / Image Optimization & Compression

Images to WebP Review - In-Depth Analysis

Convert PNG, JPG, and GIF images to WebP format to enhance website speed and reduce page weight.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

6.77/10

User Rating

4.4/5 (based on 32+ reviews)

Active Installations

9,000+

Update Frequency

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

Security Score

5 / 10 (Medium Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

Statistics say that WebP format can save over a half of the page weight without losing image quality. Convert PNG, JPG, and GIF images to WebP and speed up your web, save visitors download data, and improve your Google ranking.

This plugin features an automated test after activation to ensure compatibility with your server. It works with all types of WordPress installations, including domain, subdomain, subdirectory, and multisite/network setups. It is compatible with both Apache and NGiNX servers.

The original image URLs remain unchanged, allowing seamless integration in src, srcset, , and even CSS backgrounds without cache issues. The original files are untouched, and you can set the quality of converted images, auto-convert on upload, and only convert images if the WebP filesize is lower than the original.

Bulk conversion of existing images to WebP is supported, with options to choose folders and convert only missing images. The plugin also works with the Fly Dynamic Image Resizer plugin.

For developers, there are hooks available to customize the plugin's functionality, including disabling WebP for thumbnails, modifying htaccess rules, and generating WebP for other plugins.

Comparing to Alternatives

Images to WebP is a straightforward plugin focused on converting images to the WebP format, competing with several other image optimization plugins that offer similar features.

Top alternatives

Strengths

Simple and easy to use with clear instructions.
Efficient conversion process that integrates well with cropping plugins.
Free to use without hidden costs.

Weaknesses

Limited to WebP format only, no support for AVIF or other modern formats.
Lacks advanced optimization features found in some alternatives.
No premium version to access additional functionalities.

User Sentiment Analysis

Users generally appreciate the plugin's simplicity and effectiveness, highlighting its ease of use and reliable performance.

Positive highlights

"All Plugins are super simple and very easy to use." - igitt23
"Simple to use, clear instructions – very effective." - oasisclub
"Fantastic plugin and easy to get working with cropping plugins." - pulsecode
"Working great! It was challenging for me to optimize the existing images, but it makes it simple." - Shuaib
"I am highly impressed by this well thought out and elegant module." - philrees

Common complaints

No support for AVIF format as requested by users.
Limited features compared to some other image optimization plugins.

Weaknesses

No updates to converted images when cropping is changed without manual intervention.
Lack of advanced settings for image optimization.

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Users seeking a simple, free solution to convert images to WebP format without needing advanced optimization features.

Not ideal for

Those who require support for multiple image formats like AVIF or need comprehensive image optimization and management tools.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version offers straightforward WebP image conversion with easy setup and integration, providing good value for users needing basic functionality.

Final Verdict

Images to WebP is a reliable and user-friendly plugin that effectively converts images to the WebP format, making it a solid choice for users who want a no-fuss solution.

While it lacks advanced features and support for newer formats like AVIF, its free availability and ease of use make it a valuable tool for basic image optimization needs.

Other Notable Features

Here are a few other notable features of this free Images to WebP plugin.

Convert

Media

Optimize

Pictures

Screenshots

FAQ

It should work almost everywhere 😉
PHP 5.6 or higher
GD or Imagick extension with WebP support
Enabled server modules: mod_mime, mod_rewrite

Plugin should automatically update your .htaccess with needed rules.
In case it’s not possible to write them automatically, screen with instructions will appear.
Anyway, here is how it should look like:

<IfModule mod_mime.c>     AddType image/webp .webp </IfModule>  <IfModule mod_rewrite.c>     RewriteEngine On     RewriteCond %{HTTP_ACCEPT} image/webp     RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} "/"     RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} "\.(jpg|jpeg|png|gif)$"     RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME}\.webp -f     RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} !no_webp     RewriteRule ^(.+)$ $1\.webp [NC,T=image/webp,E=webp,L] </IfModule>

After you activate plugin, screen with instructions will appear.
Anyway, here is how it should look like:

You need to add this map directive to your http config, usually nginx.conf ( inside of the http{} section ):

map $arg_no_webp $no_webp{     default "";     "1" "no_webp"; }  map $http_accept $webp_suffix{     default "";     "~*webp" ".webp"; }

or without map directive:

if ( $http_accept ~ "image/webp" ) {     set $webp .webp ; }  location ~* (.*)\.(?:png|jpe?g|gif)$ {     if ( -f $document_root$1.webp ) {             set $webp serve$webp ;     }     if ( $webp = "serve.webp" ) {         return 301 '$1.webp';     } }

then you need to add this to your server block, usually site.conf or /nginx/sites-enabled/default ( inside of the server{} section ):

location ~* ^/.+\.(png|gif|jpe?g)$ {     add_header Vary Accept;     try_files $uri$webp_suffix$no_webp $uri =404; }

There is no button to do that and it will also not delete generated WebPs automatically when you deactivate the plugin, but if you really need this, you can run some shell command to achieve this:

find . -type f -name "*.webp" -exec bash -c 'if [ -f "${1%.webp}" ]; then echo "Deleting $1"; rm "$1"; fi' _ {} \;

This will find all the files with a .webp extension and if there is similar file with the exact filename, but without the .webp extension, then it will delete it.