Shopify lazy-load and preload images apps are some of the best ways to speed up your web page loading. In a digital world, lazy-loading means a delayed installation, and as for images, it means that they aren’t loaded until the visitor reaches the exact part.
You may be wondering whether you genuinely need the app for this. However, the best Shopify apps, including lazy-load and preload, allow merchants to quickly optimize their tasks without having to master coding. And optimizing your web store’s speed is essential, as pages that load over 6 seconds may lose 1 of every 2 visitors.
No less important is to select a capable Shopify app. Hence, we have tested and selected the best x Shopify lazy-load and preload images apps that excel in functionality, performance, and ease of use. Read on and find a solution for your store.
Best Shopify image lazy-loading and preloading apps
- TinyIMG - the best app for optimizing images with asset preloading
- Loadify - Shopify app for nice page transitions and better speeds
- Avada - image optimization with advanced SEO features
- Lazify - the top lazy-load image app for beginners
- Swift - AI-driven SEO and speed optimizations
- Hyperspeed - all-about-speed Shopify app with lazy loading
A detailed apps overview
There are many Shopify apps for image or speed optimizations. However, not all of them offer lazy loading and preloading functionalities.
Hence, we selected the top 6 apps with lazy-load and preload images, as well as additional features that help to improve your store’s performance.
1. TinyIMG
TinyIMG is an all-around app for improving your SEO and boosting page loading speed by optimizing your images. This, specifically built for Shopify app, includes both – lazy loading and asset preloading.
Additionally, you receive various tools that help you optimize your online store. It offers image compression without affecting the quality, picture resizing, site audit for SEO, and more top-notch tools.
Pros
- Offers image lazy-load
- Has preload function for assets
- Compresses images without quality loss
- Includes site audit
- SEO improvement features
- 3rd party script management for even faster pages
Cons
- No lazy loading with the free version
With TinyIMG’s selection of automatization features, even beginners will build a high-quality and profitable store. Plus, there’s a free version you can try out. You get to optimize up to 50 monthly images and enjoy some of the premium features, like asset preloading. For more possibilities, the prices start from $2.49 to $19.99.
2. Loadify
Loadify is a Shopify app that can help to improve your customer’s experience in multiple ways, including better loading speeds and visual entertainment.
Due to cache technologies, this app reduces the excessive script loads, so your website won't lose its speed. For even better performance, Loadify offers a lazy-load function for images. And you may also boost your customers’ engagement by adding branded page transitions.
Pros
- Custom page transition animations
- Possibility to make lazy loading visuals
- Preloading option is available
- Web page speed booster
Cons
- No lazy loading with a free plan
- No extra features
Loadify is an excellent option for anyone with high bounce rates, thanks to fast loading and improved graphical entertainment. The provider offers a free limited version, which you can use for preloading, adding speed-optimized GIFs, and a little more. For lazy-load images or transition animations, you’d need to go premium, starting from $3.99 to $5.99/month.
3. Avada
Avada is one of the top Shopify apps overall and it’s no surprise that it offers multiple ways to improve your store’s speed. One of them is image optimization, such as lazy loading or smart speed functionality.
Besides enhancing your images, Avada ensures your website’s SEO is at its best. You get automatic metadata optimizations, SEO audits for products, collections, or pages, and even SEO reports.
Pros
- Image optimization
- Lazy-load or smart speed functionalities
- Automatic optimizations for SEO meta tags
- Page redirections
Cons
- Has lots of advertisements on the app
Avada is suitable for all-size Shopify stores, as it can help you start making revenue or give a kick toward better results. You receive a free version for testing out the program. With it, you can optimize up to 50 images. Meanwhile, premium plans unlock features, such as lazy loading or advanced speed up, and allow optimizing unlimited pictures. The prices vary from $34.95 to $79.95/month.
4. Lazify
Lazify is a simple but powerful solution for improving page loading speed using lazy-load or offscreen images. Even better, it works with image-heavy web pages, so you don’t have to sacrifice your visuals over performance.
Due to its simplistic take, Lazify is very easy to use. For instance, it has a one-click enable function. It means that you can select which desired product images you want to lazy-load.
Pros
- Beginner-friendly Shopify app
- Makes lazy-load pictures
- Defer offscreen images with a one-click button
Cons
- No free version nor a free trial
- Has only a couple of features
The Lazify app is made just for lazy-loading, which is an excellent pick if you already have applications for other store management tasks. Unfortunately, there is no free plan or a free trial to test the app. Plus, only one subscription plan is available, costing $5.99 per month.
5. Swift
The Swift app has some fantastic attributes to help run an e-commerce business on Shopify. With it, you can compress your images and choose which ones to lazy-load for better page performance.
Other than lazy loading, Swift includes other speed optimization features, such as preloading content following customer behavior or minifying files. Additionally, the app integrates ChatGPT to help you optimize your store’s SEO.
Pros
- Minifies JavaScript, CSS, HTML, and lazy-load images
- SEO optimizations with ChatGPT
- Content preloading driven by machine learning
- Image compression
Cons
- Optimizations aren’t customizable
Although Swift offers a good variety of features, the app is user-friendly, making it the right choice for either beginners or advanced users. There’s a free plan available but with lazy loading and a handful of other features excluded. To unlock more functionalities, there are paid plans, costing from $19 to $49/month.
6. Hyperspeed
Hyperspeed is the ultimate speed booster for your Shopify store. To help you achieve better performance, it enables lazy-load images, offers unlimited picture compression, and more.
Furthermore, Hyperspeed can safely minify your store's JS and CSS so that they load quickly without rendering issues in their functionality. Plus, it always monitors for new apps or images so as not to affect your store’s speed performance.
Pros
- Allows critical CSS inlining
- Supports lazy-load images
- Compresses images with no quality loss
- Included app caching
Cons
- No free version
- On the pricier side
Due to Hyperspeed’s price-to-quality ratio and a selection of advanced features, this app is a better option for advanced merchants. With it, you don’t receive a free version, but there’s a 7-day free trial. Afterwards, the monthly price is $49.
Summary
Lazy-load images can seemingly improve your web store’s performance. Likewise, Shopify lazy-load and preload apps not only optimize the images for better loading speeds but also offer additional features for SEO optimization and automatization functionalities.
Based on our tests, the top pick for preloaded images is TinyIMG. The app is available either for free or for a maximum of $19.99. Apart from image optimizations and compression, you receive a handful of SEO tools. Hence, it’s a versatile Shopify app with a great price-to-quality ratio.
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