Small Pics vs Bunny Optimizer
Bunny Optimizer bundles image optimization into its CDN. Small Pics is a dedicated image transform service. Here is how they compare.
| Feature | Small Pics | Bunny Optimizer |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $9/mo (Lite) | $9.50/mo per Pull Zone + CDN bandwidth |
| Pricing model | Flat tiers: origins + transforms | Per Pull Zone + per-GB bandwidth |
| Multi-site (10 sites) | $19/mo (Starter, 10 sources included) | $95/mo (10 Pull Zones) + bandwidth |
| Bandwidth charges | None | Yes, per GB (varies by region) |
| Images per plan | 2,500 to 52,000 origins | Unlimited per Pull Zone |
| Transforms per plan | 17,500 to 364,000 | Unlimited per Pull Zone |
| AVIF | Yes (default) | No |
| JPEG XL | Yes | No |
| Output formats | AVIF, WebP, JPEG, PJPG, PNG, GIF, JPEG XL | WebP, JPEG, PNG |
| URL transform API | Full (resize, crop, fit, watermark, format, quality) | Limited (resize, WebP conversion) |
| CSS/JS minification | No | Yes |
| Imgix URL compatibility | Built-in | No |
| Craft CMS (Imager X) | Dedicated transformer plugin | No dedicated plugin |
| Custom domains | Included (5 to 120) | Custom hostname per Pull Zone |
| Free trial | 14 days, no credit card | 14-day trial |
How does Small Pics compare to Bunny Optimizer?
Bunny Optimizer is an add-on to Bunny CDN's Pull Zone infrastructure. It automatically optimizes images, converts to WebP, and handles basic resizing. Small Pics is a standalone image transform service with a full URL-based API for resizing, cropping, format conversion, quality control, and watermarks.
The biggest technical difference is format support. Bunny Optimizer does not support AVIF, which is the most efficient modern image format and can reduce file sizes by 30-50% compared to WebP. Small Pics serves AVIF by default with automatic format negotiation, and is one of very few services offering JPEG XL output as well.
Bunny's advantage is simplicity for single sites. You get unlimited images and transforms per Pull Zone, plus CSS and JS minification bundled in. If you run one site with high volume and do not need AVIF or advanced transforms, Bunny is straightforward.
How does pricing work?
Small Pics has four flat tiers. Lite is $9/mo for 2,500 origins and 17,500 transforms. Starter is $19/mo for 5,000 origins and 35,000 transforms. Standard is $59/mo for 16,000 origins and 112,000 transforms. Extended is $189/mo for 52,000 origins and 364,000 transforms. CDN delivery is included with no bandwidth charges.
Bunny Optimizer costs $9.50 per month per Pull Zone. Each site typically runs on its own Pull Zone, so costs scale linearly with the number of sites. On top of the optimizer fee, CDN bandwidth is billed separately. Bunny's bandwidth pricing varies by region (starting around $0.01/GB for EU/NA, higher for Asia-Pacific and South America). For a site serving 100 GB/month of images, bandwidth alone could add $1 to $5+ depending on your audience location.
For a single site, the costs can be comparable. For multiple sites, the math shifts significantly in Small Pics' favor.
Does Bunny Optimizer support AVIF?
No. As of early 2026, Bunny Optimizer does not support AVIF output. It converts images to WebP for supported browsers and serves the original format otherwise. This is a meaningful gap because AVIF delivers substantially better compression than WebP, especially for photographic content.
Small Pics serves AVIF by default with automatic content negotiation. If the browser does not support AVIF, Small Pics falls back to WebP, then JPEG. This alone can reduce image payload by 30-50% compared to WebP-only delivery, which directly improves Core Web Vitals scores.
Which is better for agencies with multiple sites?
Small Pics is significantly cheaper for multi-site setups. An agency with 10 client sites would pay $95/mo just for Bunny Optimizer (10 Pull Zones at $9.50 each), plus bandwidth for each zone. With Small Pics Starter at $19/mo, you get 10 sources and 10 custom domains, all within one plan. That is a 5x cost difference before bandwidth charges.
Small Pics also offers Imgix parameter compatibility and a Craft CMS plugin, which are useful for agencies migrating sites from other services. Each source can have its own origin (S3, R2, DO Spaces, Hetzner, any HTTP) and its own custom domain for branded image delivery.
When should you use Bunny instead?
Bunny Optimizer makes sense when you run a single high-volume site and do not need AVIF, JPEG XL, or advanced image transforms. The unlimited images and transforms per Pull Zone mean you never worry about origin or transform counts. If your images are predominantly JPEG and your audience uses modern browsers that support WebP, Bunny's automatic WebP conversion handles the basics well.
Bunny is also the better choice if you need CSS and JavaScript minification bundled with your CDN. Small Pics does not handle non-image assets. And if you are already using Bunny CDN for your site delivery, adding the optimizer is a one-click toggle with no additional infrastructure to manage.
See also: Pricing, Small Pics vs Imgix, Small Pics vs Cloudinary, Small Pics vs ImageKit.
Frequently asked questions
- Does Bunny Optimizer support AVIF?
- No. Bunny Optimizer supports WebP and standard JPEG/PNG output but does not support AVIF or JPEG XL. Small Pics serves AVIF by default, with WebP fallback for older browsers, and also supports JPEG XL.
- How much does Bunny Optimizer cost per site?
- Bunny Optimizer costs $9.50 per month per Pull Zone. Each site typically needs its own Pull Zone. CDN bandwidth is billed separately based on region. For multiple sites, costs add up quickly compared to Small Pics.
- Does Bunny Optimizer have a URL-based transform API?
- Bunny has limited URL-based transforms. It handles automatic optimization, resizing via query parameters, and WebP conversion, but does not offer the full range of crop modes, format options, and watermark features that Small Pics provides.
- Is Bunny cheaper for a single site?
- It depends on your bandwidth. Bunny at $9.50/mo includes unlimited images and transforms for one Pull Zone, which is competitive for a single high-traffic site. But CDN bandwidth is extra. Small Pics Lite at $9/mo includes delivery with no bandwidth charges.
- Can Bunny Optimizer do CSS and JS minification?
- Yes. Bunny Optimizer includes CSS and JavaScript minification as part of its Pull Zone optimization. Small Pics is focused on images only and does not handle CSS or JS. If you need asset minification, Bunny covers more ground.
- Which is better for agencies with 10+ client sites?
- Small Pics. At 10 sites, Bunny Optimizer costs $95/mo just for the optimizer (plus bandwidth). Small Pics Starter at $19/mo includes 10 sources and 10 custom domains. The savings grow with each additional site.
- Does Small Pics offer a free trial?
- Yes. Every Small Pics plan includes a 14-day free trial with no credit card required. You get access to the full feature set during the trial. Bunny offers a 14-day trial as well.
- Can I use my own domain with Small Pics?
- Yes. Every Small Pics plan includes custom domains, from 5 on Lite to 120 on Extended. Each site can have its own branded image domain at no extra cost. Bunny supports custom hostnames per Pull Zone.