Pewit AI Image Optimizer

Description

Heavy images are the most common reason a WordPress page fails Core Web Vitals. Pewit AI Image Optimizer finds the images that slow your site down, starting with the ones that decide your LCP score, and compresses them with the image editor already built into WordPress. No external service, no API key and no monthly image quota.

What you get for free

  • Library scan – list every image above a size threshold you set.
  • PageSpeed Budget – find LCP-critical images (featured image and the first image in content) that exceed your KB budget.
  • Optimize one image at a time – JPEG and PNG compression with a before / after preview and the exact saving.
  • Smart filters – only images actually used on the site, filename exclude patterns, EtchWP-aware scanning.
  • Runs locally – uses GD or Imagick on your server; images never leave your site.

What Pro adds

Pro is a separate plugin from pewitlabs.com, with a 14-day free trial.

  • Backups and one-click rollback – every original is saved before it is changed.
  • WebP and AVIF versions next to the original.
  • AV1 WebM video versions via ffmpeg.
  • Bulk optimization in the background and auto-optimize on upload.
  • Email report when a bulk job completes.
  • Agency plan – unlimited sites, white-label admin and priority support.

The free version does not contain Pro code. Upgrading means installing the Pro plugin, not unlocking hidden features.

External services

This plugin compresses and converts media locally on your own server using the WordPress image editor and (optionally) a locally installed ffmpeg binary. It does not send your images or media to any third-party AI provider, and no API key is required.

The only third-party service the plugin can connect to is Freemius, used for licensing and updates:

Freemius (licensing & updates — https://freemius.com):
* What and when: used for license activation, plugin updates and, for any optional paid plan, checkout as Merchant of Record. Opt-in diagnostic data sharing is optional and only sent if you agree during activation.
* Data sent: when opted in, basic site/environment and plugin usage data for license validation and update delivery.
* Terms: https://freemius.com/terms/ — Privacy: https://freemius.com/privacy/

Source code

All JavaScript and CSS shipped in this plugin (in assets/js and assets/css) is the original, hand-written, human-readable source. Nothing is minified, compiled, transpiled or generated by a build tool, so no separate source files are required — what you read in the plugin is the source. The only bundled third-party library is the Freemius SDK (vendor/freemius), whose source is available at https://github.com/Freemius/wordpress-sdk

Screenshots

Installation

  1. Upload the plugin ZIP through Plugins -> Add New -> Upload Plugin, or extract it to wp-content/plugins/pewit-ai-image-optimizer/.
  2. Activate the plugin.
  3. Open Pewit AI Image Optimizer -> Settings, set JPEG quality and PNG compression.
  4. Run a library scan, preview savings and apply.

The plugin folder must always be pewit-ai-image-optimizer/ and the main file pewit-ai-image-optimizer.php.

FAQ

What is free and what is Pro?

Scanning, the PageSpeed Budget / LCP scan and single-image optimization with preview are free. Backups and rollback, WebP / AVIF / AV1 sidecars, bulk jobs, auto-optimize on upload and email reports are part of Pro.

Do I need OpenAI or another AI API?

No. This plugin compresses images locally with the WordPress image editor — no API key and no AI provider calls.

Do I need ffmpeg?

Only for AV1 WebM video sidecars. Image compression and WebP/AVIF work without it (subject to your server’s GD/Imagick support).

Reviews

There are no reviews for this plugin.

Contributors & Developers

“Pewit AI Image Optimizer” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.

Contributors

Changelog

1.1.3.3

  • Fixed: some admin screens in the free version showed Pro-only buttons or skipped the API key prompt.
  • Fixed: dashboard text still said WebP/AVIF, backups and bulk jobs were free; “Optimize LCP over budget” is now marked as Pro.

1.1.3.2

  • Changed: backups & rollback, WebP / AVIF / AV1 sidecars, bulk jobs and auto-optimize on upload are now part of Pro; scanning, the LCP scan and single-image optimization stay free.
  • Improved: new plugin icon.

1.1.3.1

  • Improved: minor optimizations and licensing integration.

1.1.3

  • Changed: Tested up to WordPress 7.1.
  • Fixed: hide third-party admin notices (license nags from other plugins) on PEWIT admin screens.

1.1.2

  • Fixed: Plugin Check escaping and AJAX nonce/sanitization hygiene for wordpress.org directory publish.

1.1.1

  • Changed: the wordpress.org build now physically ships with zero license/plan feature gating — every feature is unconditionally available in the source. Plan checks live only in the separate Freemius premium build.
  • Fixed: prefixed remaining globals (AIIO_DeactivatePrompt, aiio_backup_root/aiio_backup_base_dir) to avoid collisions.
  • Added: “Source code” section documenting that all JS/CSS is hand-written, unminified source.

1.1.0

  • Changed: renamed to “Pewit AI Image Optimizer” (new slug pewit-ai-image-optimizer) for a distinctive directory name.
  • Changed: every feature is now free and fully functional — no license gating of built-in features. Optional paid support remains available as an external service.
  • Added: External services documentation (Freemius) with terms/privacy links.
  • Fixed: removed Google Fonts (no external font requests); admin uses a system font stack.
  • Fixed: all admin styles/scripts are enqueued with the plugin version constant.

1.0.2

  • Fixed: Plugin Check advisory warnings — annotated direct DB cleanup queries and the shared suite backup helper/hook.

1.0.1

  • Fixed: WordPress Plugin Check — i18n translators comments, filesystem helpers (wp_delete_file, annotated CSV/backup writes), removed manual textdomain loading.

1.0.0

  • First stable public release: compression, WebP + AVIF sidecars, video AV1 WebM sidecar (ffmpeg), LCP scan, bulk jobs, backups, rollback, auto-on-upload.

0.5.0

  • Optimize LCP over budget — one-click bulk job for LCP-critical images above KB budget.

0.1.0

  • Beta: scan, single optimize, WebP sidecars, backups, bulk cron jobs, rollback.