What Smush gets right
Smush is one of the best known image-optimization plugins on WordPress, with a very large install base. It compresses images in bulk and on upload, can resize oversized originals, offers lazy loading, serves images in next-gen formats, and on its paid tiers routes images through a CDN and lets you restore originals after a bad compression. It is a full image pipeline with a friendly UI, and for stores and media-heavy sites that is genuinely valuable.
If image performance is a primary concern and you want a dedicated tool with lazy loading, a CDN, and bulk restore, Smush is a strong, mature option. Credit where it is due.
The difference: an image suite versus an admin command
Smush is built around images and the screens that manage them. That focus is its strength.
TrueCommander approaches the same job from the command bar. optimize images compresses your library and can convert to WebP (and toggle automatic WebP for new uploads); add images alts fills in missing alt text across your media. Both run from the same ++W bar that backs up the site, scans for broken links, and locks down logins, and both can be put on a schedule so the work happens without you.
In short: Smush is a dedicated image suite. TrueCommander makes image optimization a scheduled command inside a broader maintenance toolkit, and throws in automatic alt text for accessibility and SEO.
Shown in advanced mode, where commands start with tp. In easy mode you type the same command without the tp prefix.
Smush vs TrueCommander, feature by feature
An honest side by side. They overlap on compression and WebP, and pull apart on everything around them.
| Feature | Smush | TrueCommander |
|---|---|---|
| Bulk-compress the media library | optimize images | |
| Convert images to WebP | Plus auto-WebP on upload | |
| Fill in missing image alt text | add images alts | |
| Lazy loading and image CDN | CDN on paid tiers | Not its focus |
| Restore original images after compression | Choose quality up front | |
| Run optimization on a schedule | On upload / on demand | With execution logs |
| Back up the site, security, broken-link scans, more | 91 commands | |
| Price | Free on WordPress.org, paid pro tiers | $59/year, everything included |
Smush details are from its WordPress.org listing and change over time. Check the live listing for current features and pricing.
When Smush is the right pick
Be honest about the job. Smush is the better fit when:
- Image performance is a top priority and you want lazy loading and a CDN built in.
- You want to restore original images after the fact, or tune compression with a dedicated UI.
- Image optimization is your main need and a free, focused plugin covers it.
When to choose TrueCommander
TrueCommander earns its place when image optimization is one chore among many:
- You want compression and WebP plus automatic alt text for accessibility and SEO, in one step.
- You want the optimization to run on a schedule so new uploads get handled without you remembering.
- You would rather not run a separate plugin for images, another for backups, another for security, when one bar can do all three.
They can coexist. If you rely on Smush's CDN and lazy loading, keep it, and use TrueCommander for scheduled alt-text fills and the rest of your maintenance. Pick the optimizer that fits, and let the command bar handle everything else.
Frequently asked questions
optimize images -webp converts your library to WebP, and a toggle turns on automatic WebP conversion for new uploads so you set it once. You can also set a quality level, for example -quality=82.add images alts command fills in missing alt text across your media library, which helps both accessibility and image SEO. You can also re-run it to overwrite existing values if you want.