couic or TinyPNG: from the generalist panda to pure WordPress
TinyPNG is a global reference, but it's a generalist tool: 500 free images a month, then $0.009 per image, across every platform. couic is single-minded about WordPress, unlimited at a flat price, media library, bulk processing and <picture> delivery, never counting per image.
TinyPNG, the panda, made smart PNG and JPEG compression mainstream. Its model is refreshingly clear: a generous free quota, then pay-as-you-go, image by image. Perfect for a one-off need or a homemade script; less obvious for a WordPress site re-optimizing thousands of visuals.
couic starts from the other end. Everything is built for WordPress, and the counter doesn't exist: a flat price, the volume you want, and a plugin that handles the media library, the variants and delivery end to end.
| Criterion | couic | TinyPNG |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | €4.99/month | Free 500 images/mo, then $0.009/image |
| Model | Unlimited (fair-use) | Per image (pay-as-you-go) |
| WebP | Included | Included |
| AVIF | Included | Included |
| Where your images live | None, stateless, never kept | Processed via the Tinify API |
| Shared hosting | Yes (no exec() needed) | Via plugin / API |
| WordPress plugin | Yes, dedicated plugin | Yes (generalist, multi-CMS) |
| API / automation | Yes, REST + MCP | API (no MCP) |
Why pick couic
- Unlimited in fair-use, where TinyPNG bills every image past 500 a month.
- 100% WordPress: media library, bulk processing, <picture> and .htaccess delivery.
- WebP and AVIF included, with no per-image count.
- REST API and MCP server to automate and plug in your agents.
- Stateless: your files neither route through nor stay on a third-party server.
Per-image pricing, the bill on a real site
$0.009 an image sounds trivial, until you multiply. An e-commerce site with 3,000 products, four visuals each, is 12,000 images: past the free 500, the bill climbs on every pass, and you re-run it on every new import.
With couic, that volume is included. The price doesn't move whether you process a hundred images or a hundred thousand in a month, predictability matters as much as the rate.
Generalist vs 100% WordPress
TinyPNG is for everyone: developers, designers, other CMSs. Its strength is versatility. Its limit, on WordPress, is that the integration stays one plugin among many, without the full media library → variants → <picture> / .htaccess chain couic handles.
couic does one thing: lighten the images of a WordPress site, from upload to display, with no convoluted setup.
WebP, AVIF and automation
Both handle WebP and AVIF. The difference is elsewhere: couic exposes a REST API and an MCP server, enough to wire in your scripts, your deployment pipelines or an agent, without paying as each image goes through.
And your files?
TinyPNG processes your images through the Tinify API. couic is stateless: nothing is kept after optimization. For many sites that's a footnote; for those handling sensitive visuals, it's a real one.
JPEG, PNG, WebP, AVIF: a format for each case
A photo compresses better as JPEG or WebP; a flat graphic or a logo is better kept as PNG, or moved to lossless WebP. couic reads the input format, recompresses the original in its own format, then always adds a WebP and an AVIF variant.
The plugin then serves the right version to each browser. No manual conversion, no file to regenerate by hand: the right format goes to the right visitor.
Cut the weight without harming the image
Compressing a heavy PNG or a multi-megabyte JPG shouldn't show on screen. couic's "normal" level targets visually lossless; "aggressive" and "ultra" push the gain when every kilobyte counts.
And since an image is never replaced unless the optimized version is smaller, you never degrade a file for nothing.
Frequently asked questions
Does TinyPNG work with WordPress?+
Yes, through a plugin, but TinyPNG stays a generalist tool billed per image. couic is built for WordPress end to end, unlimited.
Is TinyPNG free?+
Free up to 500 images a month, then $0.009 per image. couic is flat-price, unlimited.
Does TinyPNG support AVIF?+
Yes, TinyPNG handles AVIF and WebP. So does couic, included on every image.
Is couic cheaper than TinyPNG?+
From a few thousand images a month, yes, clearly: couic stays at €4.99 while TinyPNG bills each image past the free quota.
How do I shrink a JPG that's too heavy?+
Drop it into couic, or let the WordPress plugin handle it on upload: it recompresses the JPEG and generates WebP and AVIF variants, with no visible loss at the "normal" level.
Can I compress an image to a specific size?+
couic aims for the best weight/quality ratio per level rather than an exact target size. On "ultra", with a max-width cap, it goes very low while keeping a crisp result.