Description
WordPress recompresses every image you upload. JPEG and WebP files are saved at a quality of 82, and since WordPress 5.3 images larger than 2560 pixels are replaced by a compressed “-scaled” copy. If you already optimise your images before uploading them, or use an image optimisation service, this extra compression can make them look blurry or pixelated.
SMNTCS Deactivate Image Compression turns all of that off:
- JPEG images are saved at full quality
- WebP and AVIF images, and every other format the image editor writes, are saved at full quality
- Large uploads are kept at their original size instead of being downscaled
There are no settings. Activate the plugin and every new upload keeps its full quality. Images you uploaded before activating the plugin are not changed.
Installation
- Upload
smntcs-deactivate-image-compressionto the/wp-content/plugins/directory. - Activate the plugin through the
Pluginsmenu in WordPress.
FAQ
-
Can I keep the big-image downscaling?
-
Yes. Add this line to your theme’s functions.php file or a small plugin:
remove_filter( 'big_image_size_threshold', '__return_false' ); -
Does the plugin change images I already uploaded?
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No. Only new uploads and newly generated image sizes are affected. Use a plugin such as Regenerate Thumbnails to rebuild existing image sizes.
Reviews
There are no reviews for this plugin.
Contributors & Developers
“SMNTCS Deactivate Image Compression” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.
Contributors
“SMNTCS Deactivate Image Compression” has been translated into 4 locales. Thank you to the translators for their contributions.
Translate “SMNTCS Deactivate Image Compression” into your language.
Interested in development?
Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.
Changelog
2.3 (2026.09.27)
- Remove duplicated FAQ entries from the readme
- Remove the Purpose section, which repeated the description
2.2 (2026.09.26)
- Test up to WordPress 7.1
- Update development dependencies and GitHub Actions
- Save WebP, AVIF and all other image formats at full quality
- Stop WordPress from downscaling and recompressing large uploads
2.1 (2026.08.14)
- Test up to WordPress 7.0
2.0 (2025.03.21)
- Test up to WordPress 6.8
1.9 (2024.10.19)
- Test up to WordPress 6.6
1.8 (2023.10.15)
- Test up to WordPress 6.4
1.7 (2022.12.03)
- Test up to WordPress 6.1
1.6 (2022.05.29)
- Test up to WordPress 6.0
1.5 (2022.04.21)
- Test up to WordPress 5.8
1.4 (2021.12.30)
- Test up to WordPress 5.8
1.3 (2021.04.26)
1.2 (2020.05.03)
1.1 (2019.12.27)
1.0 (2019.07.10)
- Initial release