ShortPixel Image Optimizer vs Smush
Two WordPress plugins head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
Smush leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #65, ahead of ShortPixel Image Optimizer at #193. Over the last 7 days Smush held its place and ShortPixel Image Optimizer climbed 1 place. Smush has the largest install base, roughly 3.3× the next: 1M+ active installs against 300K+ for ShortPixel Image Optimizer. Downloads this week: ShortPixel Image Optimizer 123,118 and Smush 45,991. Ratings: ShortPixel Image Optimizer 4.5★ from 819 and Smush 4.8★ from 6,051 reviews.
| Metric | ShortPixel Image Optimizer | Smush |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #193 ▲ 1 | #65 ▬ |
| Active installs | 300K+ | 1M+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 123,118 | 45,991 |
| Rating | 4.5★ (819) | 4.8★ (6,051) |
| Last updated | Sep 9, 2026 | Aug 24, 2026 |
| Current version | 6.5.6 | 4.3.2 |
| Best rank on record | #193 | #64 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Nov 2014 | Dec 2008 |
| Sites detected by our detector | 0 | 20 |
Highlighted cells mark the strongest figure in each row. Rank and installs are from the latest WordPress.org capture; downloads are the last seven captured days.
Ranking history Lower is better
Active installs
Downloads per day
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- Smush vs EWWW Image Optimizer
- Smush vs Imagify
- Smush vs Image optimization service by Optimole
- Smush vs TinyPNG - JPEG, PNG & WebP image compression
Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, ShortPixel Image Optimizer or Smush?
By active installs, Smush: 1M+ sites run it against 300K+ for ShortPixel Image Optimizer, according to WordPress.org figures captured on September 12, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, ShortPixel Image Optimizer or Smush?
Smush, at #65 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with ShortPixel Image Optimizer at #193. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are ShortPixel Image Optimizer or Smush alternatives to each other?
Yes. All of them are image optimization plugins, so a site would normally run one of them. The figures above show which one more WordPress sites choose and how that has changed over time.
Where do these numbers come from?
WordPress.org publishes each plugin’s active install count and its position on the popular list. This site records both every day, along with per-day downloads and ratings, so the charts above show how the plugins have moved over time rather than a single day.