AltText.ai vs Altomatic: Which WordPress Alt Text Plugin Should You Use?

If you're researching AI alt text tools for WordPress, AltText.ai and Altomatic are two of the top options. Both use AI to generate descriptive alt text automatically. But there's a fundamental difference: AltText.ai only generates alt text. Altomatic generates alt text AND compresses your images, at the same $5/month starting price. This comparison breaks down exactly what each tool does so you can decide which one fits your site.

Quick Comparison

What AltText.ai Does Well

AltText.ai is a specialized tool that's been focused on AI alt text generation for longer than most competitors. It's worth understanding where it genuinely excels:

Dedicated Focus on Alt Text

AltText.ai is built specifically for alt text. If alt text generation is all you care about, their product has had more time to mature in that specific area. They offer alt text generation across multiple platforms, not just WordPress.

Multi-Platform Support

AltText.ai supports Shopify, Webflow, and other platforms alongside WordPress. If you're managing multiple sites on different platforms and want a single tool for all of them, that's a genuine advantage.

AI Search Visibility Positioning

AltText.ai has been pivoting their messaging toward "AI search visibility," the idea that well-described images are more discoverable by ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other AI search engines. It's an emerging angle worth watching. Both tools generate descriptive alt text that would benefit from this, but AltText.ai has leaned into the messaging more.

What Altomatic Does Differently

Image Compression in the Same Plugin

This is the core difference. Altomatic combines AI alt text generation with image compression (WebP and AVIF conversion) in a single WordPress plugin. Images that would normally require two separate tools, with two separate subscriptions, are handled in one place.

In practice, this means:

• One plugin to install and configure, not two
• One dashboard to check, not two
• One subscription to manage, not two
• Images processed once, not twice

Core Web Vitals Impact

Alt text alone doesn't help your page speed scores. Image compression does. Images are responsible for the majority of Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) issues, the Core Web Vitals metric that measures how fast your page visually loads. Converting images to WebP or AVIF typically reduces file sizes by 60-75%, which has a direct positive impact on LCP and your Google PageSpeed score.

AltText.ai doesn't touch your file sizes at all. With Altomatic, both problems are solved together.

For more on the performance side, see our guide on fixing Core Web Vitals image issues in WordPress.

Free Tier

Altomatic offers 50 free credits per month with no credit card required, covering both alt text and compression. AltText.ai does have a free signup option, but it's not clear how many credits are included, and their paid plans start at $5/month for 100 credits (alt text only).

WordPress-First

Altomatic is built exclusively for WordPress. That means deeper integration with the WordPress media library, compatibility with WooCommerce, and integrations with popular SEO plugins like Yoast SEO, Rank Math, and All in One SEO, where your focus keyphrase can inform the generated alt text.

Pricing Comparison

Which Should You Use?

Choose AltText.ai if:

• You're managing sites on multiple platforms (Shopify, Webflow, WordPress) and want a single alt text tool across all of them
• You already have a separate image compression solution you're happy with and don't want to change it
• You specifically need alt text features that go beyond what Altomatic offers (check both products' current feature lists)

Choose Altomatic if:

• You run a WordPress site and want both alt text generation and image compression in one plugin
• You want to save money vs. paying for two separate tools
• You care about page speed and Core Web Vitals in addition to accessibility
• You have a WooCommerce store with lots of product images that need both optimization and alt text
• You want to try it before paying. The free tier lets you test with 50 credits/month at no cost

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I switch from AltText.ai to Altomatic?

Yes. Altomatic installs as a standard WordPress plugin. Any alt text already added to your media library images will remain in place. Altomatic will handle new uploads automatically and can bulk-process any images that still need compression or alt text.

Does Altomatic work with WooCommerce?

Yes. Altomatic works with any image uploaded through the WordPress media library, including WooCommerce product images, gallery images, and variation images. See our WooCommerce image accessibility guide for specifics.

Does AI-generated alt text actually help with ADA compliance?

Yes, significantly. Missing alt text is the most common image accessibility violation cited in ADA lawsuits. AI-generated alt text from either tool will produce descriptive, compliant alt text that meets WCAG 2.1 requirements. You should review generated alt text for sensitive or critical images, but for most product and content images, AI-generated alt text is accurate and compliant. See our ADA compliance checklist for the full picture.

What's a "credit" in Altomatic?

Each image processed by Altomatic uses one credit, whether that's for alt text generation, image compression, or both. The free tier gives you 50 credits per month, and paid plans start at $5/month for more credits.