Description
Akukita Image Optimizer & WebP Converter speeds up your WordPress site by automatically compressing every image you upload and creating a modern WebP copy — all done on your own server. Your media is never sent to an external service, so it stays private and you are never rate-limited or charged per image.
On top of optimisation, it does two things most image plugins don’t: it finds unused images sitting in your media library, and it catches uploads from form plugins (Gravity Forms, WPForms, Formidable) that normally bypass WordPress and never get optimised.
Why this plugin?
Large images are the number one cause of slow WordPress sites, and over time the media library fills up with images nobody uses any more. This plugin tackles both: it optimises new uploads the moment they arrive, and it shows you the clutter you can safely review and clean up.
Free features
- Find unused images — scans your media library for images not referenced anywhere and lists them with their wasted disk space, so you can review what to remove. Detection is conservative and review-only; nothing is ever deleted automatically.
- Form-plugin integrations — automatically optimises images uploaded through Gravity Forms, WPForms and Formidable Forms, which normally bypass the WordPress media flow and never get compressed.
- Scan Uploads folder — finds JPEG/PNG images that exist on disk but were never optimised (placed there by migrations, FTP, or other plugins), and lets you optimise them all in one click.
- Automatic compression on upload for JPEG and PNG, at a quality level you control.
- WebP conversion — a
.webpcopy is generated for each image and its thumbnails. - Automatic WebP delivery — visitors whose browsers support WebP are served the smaller file automatically; everyone else gets the original.
- EXIF / GPS metadata stripping for smaller files and better privacy.
- 100% local processing using your server’s Imagick or GD library. No accounts, no API keys, no per-image limits.
- Savings dashboard showing how many images were optimised and how much space you saved.
- Translation ready and fully internationalised.
Premium features
A separate Premium add-on unlocks:
- Safe bulk deletion of unused images, with a backup so you can undo.
- Bulk optimisation of your entire existing media library, processed in the background.
- AVIF conversion for even smaller files than WebP.
- Scheduled re-optimisation and per-folder rules.
- One-click restore of original files.
- Priority email support.
Premium is optional. The free plugin is fully functional on its own.
Privacy
This plugin does not send your images, or any personal data, to any external server. All optimisation happens on your hosting. It does not phone home and sets no cookies.
Screenshots


Installation
- Upload the plugin files to the
/wp-content/plugins/akukita-image-optimizerdirectory, or install the plugin through the WordPress Plugins screen directly. - Activate the plugin through the Plugins screen in WordPress.
- Go to Settings Image Optimizer to choose your compression quality and WebP options.
- Upload an image — it is optimised automatically.
FAQ
-
Does this send my images anywhere?
-
No. All compression and conversion happens locally on your server using Imagick or GD. Nothing leaves your hosting.
-
My server says it cannot create WebP. What now?
-
Your hosting needs Imagick (with WebP support) or PHP’s GD extension with the
imagewebp()function. Ask your host to enable WebP support; compression will still work in the meantime. -
Will it optimise images I already uploaded?
-
The free version optimises new uploads. Bulk-optimising your existing library is a Premium feature.
-
Does deleting the plugin remove the WebP files?
-
Uninstalling removes the plugin’s settings and statistics but leaves the generated
.webpfiles in place so existing pages keep working. You can delete theuploads.webpfiles manually if you want a full cleanup. -
Is it compatible with caching and CDN plugins?
-
Yes. WebP files are standard files in your uploads folder, so caching and most CDNs handle them normally.
Reviews
There are no reviews for this plugin.
Contributors & Developers
“Akukita Image Optimizer & WebP Converter” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.
ContributorsTranslate “Akukita Image Optimizer & WebP Converter” into your language.
Interested in development?
Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.
Changelog
1.2.0
- New: form-plugin integrations — automatically optimises images uploaded via Gravity Forms, WPForms and Formidable Forms.
- New: “Scan Uploads” tool — walks the uploads folder for JPEG/PNG files placed there outside the standard WordPress flow (migrations, FTP, third-party plugins) and optimises them in one click.
- Improvement: optimiser now exposes a reusable
optimize_path()method for files that are not WordPress attachments.
1.1.0
- New: “Unused Images” finder — scans the media library for images not referenced anywhere and lists them for review (review-only; nothing is deleted automatically).
- Improvement: translations now load automatically (removed manual textdomain loading).
1.0.0
- Initial release.
- Automatic compression on upload for JPEG and PNG.
- Local WebP conversion and automatic WebP delivery.
- EXIF/GPS metadata stripping.
- Savings dashboard.
