ProRank vs Optimole
ProRank delivers 91.7% AVIF savings vs Optimole's 76.6% — a 15pp gap. Local image storage without CDN lock-in, plus caching, SEO, and schema included.
ProRank Premium
- JPEG 79.4% — best-in-class via Google cjpegli
- AVIF 91.7% — 15pp ahead of Optimole
- JPEG XL support (55.9%) — rare among WP plugins
- Images stored locally — no CDN dependency
- Includes caching, SEO, schema markup
Optimole
- Real-time CDN optimization via CloudFront
- WebP and AVIF conversion
- AVIF was larger than WebP on 2/3 images
- No JPEG XL support
- CDN lock-in — images served from Optimole servers
- No caching, SEO, or schema features
Key Findings
Visual Quality Comparison
Same image: original JPEG vs ProRank WebP. Drag the slider to compare.
Compression Face-Off
File size reduction (%) — higher is better. Tested with 3 Unsplash JPEGs (2400px wide).
JPEG
WebP
AVIF
JPEG XL
Format Support
| Format | ProRank | Optimole |
|---|---|---|
| JPEG (JPEGli) | ||
| WebP | ||
| AVIF | ||
| JPEG XL |
How They Work
ProRank
Cloud API (cjpegli + Sharp + cjxl)
- Google cjpegli for JPEG — highest quality per byte
- Sharp for WebP & AVIF — tuned quality offsets
- cjxl for JPEG XL — rare among WordPress plugins
- Smart compression adapts to image dimensions
Optimole
CDN Proxy (CloudFront, real-time)
Optimole uses a CDN-proxy model: images are served from Optimole's CloudFront CDN, optimized in real-time. While this provides a built-in CDN, it means your images depend on Optimole's infrastructure. If you cancel, image URLs break.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | ProRank | Optimole |
|---|---|---|
| Image Compression | ||
| JPEGli (Google encoder) | ||
| WebP conversion | ||
| AVIF conversion | ||
| JPEG XL conversion | ||
| Smart compression | ||
| Bulk optimization | ||
| Architecture | ||
| Local processing option | ||
| Cloud API processing | ||
| CDN delivery (CloudFront) | ||
| Images stored on your server | ||
| Works offline | ||
| Performance & SEO | ||
| Page caching | ||
| Critical CSS | ||
| Script Manager | ||
| SEO toolkit | ||
| Schema markup | ||
| Pricing | ||
| Free tier | Local optimization only | 2K visitors/mo |
| Visitor-based limits | ||
| Flat annual fee | From $99/yr (5K images) | $229/year |
Features may vary by plan and version. Last verified February 16, 2026.
Pricing
ProRank Premium
Pro: 5,000 images/yr ($99), Business: 20,000/yr ($199), Agency: 100,000/yr ($399)
- Cloud image optimization (5K–100K/yr by plan)
- Page caching & critical CSS
- Complete SEO toolkit
- Schema markup (30+ types)
Optimole
Free for 2,000 visitors/mo, then $19.08/mo
- Image optimization only
- No caching
- No SEO features
- No schema markup
Methodology
All plugins tested at their maximum lossy/aggressive compression setting. Results represent average savings across 3 images. Each plugin's cloud API was used directly with default aggressive settings. ProRank uses cjpegli for JPEG, Sharp for WebP/AVIF, and cjxl for JXL.
The Bottom Line
Optimole is a solid CDN-based optimizer with convenient delivery. But ProRank compresses dramatically better — especially AVIF where it leads by 15pp — stores images on your server without lock-in, and includes the full SEO and performance stack. One plugin, better results.