Automatically optimize and enhance visual media for every user, on any device — without changing your code or domain setup.
Why Image & Video Manager
Real-time, network-aware optimization. Adjusts quality, format, and compression based on device and connection to deliver the best possible experience with minimal bytes.
Perceptual quality compression. Reduces size significantly while maintaining visual fidelity that’s imperceptible to the human eye.
No-code, no-domain-change integration. Plug-and-play into existing workflows and origins; keep a single pristine asset and generate derivatives on demand.
Developer-friendly control. Use presets and policies or fine-tune via query string parameters that chain transformations.
Unified images and videos. Optimize formats, codecs, and delivery for both images and videos across responsive and adaptive designs.
Streamlined asset management. Eliminate duplicate versions and speed time to market.
Reporting and observability. Visibility into network awareness for images and processing status for images and videos.
Streamline: Drop-in optimization that fits your current workflow — no app code or DNS changes required.
Customize: Control behavior with reusable policies and a powerful query syntax for on-the-fly transformations.
Optimize: Generate and deliver derivatives tailored to user context to reduce data use and improve quality.
Simplify: Make responsive and adaptive media delivery easy and cost-effective at global scale.
Core features
Automated format and codec selection for quality and performance
Byte-size reduction for images and videos with imperceptible quality loss
Responsive/adaptive delivery across channels and devices
On-the-fly transformations: crop, rotate, resize, color adjust, watermark, and more
Chainable query parameters for precise, real-time edits
Optional viewer you can implement and customize
Store one pristine source; create versions dynamically via policies
Transformations available
Over 30 transformations, including: Append, Aspect Copy, Background Color, Blur, Composite (Watermark), Contrast, Crop, Chroma Key, Face Crop, Feature Crop, Fit and Fill, Goop, Grayscale, Hue/Saturation/Lightness, Hue/Saturation/Value, IMQuery, Max Colors, Mirror, Mono Hue, Opacity, Region of Interest Crop, Relative Crop, Remove Color, Resize, Rotate, Scale, Shear, Trim, and Unsharp Mask.
Supported input formats
Images: JPG, GIF, BMP, PNG, TIFF, WebP, AVIF
Videos:
Containers: MP4, MOV, WebM
Video codecs: H.264, H.265, VP8, VP9
Audio codecs: AAC, MP3, Opus, Vorbis
Video sizing behavior
When creating alternate video sizes, Image & Video Manager “fits” within target dimensions without changing aspect ratio and does not add letterboxing.
Reporting
Network awareness insights for images
Processing visibility: real-time vs. offline vs. unprocessable for images and videos
APIs
Use the Image Manager API to archive, manage, and deliver transformed media according to your policies. See TechDocs.
Comparisons and evaluation
How Akamai compares to other automated media optimization solutions
Common solutions include Akamai Image & Video Manager, Cloudinary, Cloudflare Images/Polish, Fastly Image Optimization, Imgix, ImageKit, and Uploadcare. They all offer resizing and format conversion; the meaningful differences are in how they integrate, the depth of automation, and operational fit at scale.
Akamai Image & Video Manager
Strengths: Network-aware optimization at the edge; no origin or code changes; unified image and video handling; policy-driven plus developer query control; global scale tightly integrated with Akamai delivery; rich reporting.
Fit: Teams that want immediate byte reduction and better Core Web Vitals without refactoring, and that prefer policy automation over per-URL scripting.
Cloudinary
Strengths: Broad DAM, upload pipeline, transformations, and rich developer SDKs.
Considerations: Typically involves URL restructuring or proxying and/or asset migration; separate from your primary CDN unless you also use Cloudinary’s delivery.
Cloudflare Images/Polish/Mirage
Strengths: Integrated into the Cloudflare stack; simple variants and basic optimization.
Considerations: Cloudflare Images centers on images you upload to Cloudflare (video handled separately with Cloudflare Stream); feature depth and network-aware perceptual tuning differ from Akamai’s approach; may require workflow changes.
Fastly IO, Imgix, ImageKit, Uploadcare
Strengths: Strong image transformation engines with developer-friendly URLs and CDNs.
Considerations: Primarily image-focused; video optimization varies by vendor; integration depth with broader performance tooling differs.
Advantages of Akamai Image & Video Manager over Cloudinary
No-code, no-rewrite start. Apply policy-based optimization on your existing image and video URLs without reauthoring templates or moving assets.
Edge-native, network-aware delivery. Quality and compression adapt automatically to device and connection conditions.
Unified image and video optimization. One toolkit for both media types; keep a single pristine asset and generate all derivatives at the edge.
Integrated with Akamai’s delivery platform. Reduce hops and operational complexity when you already use Akamai for performance or security.
Flexible control surface. Use high-level policies for scale or query parameters for per-request tuning — without maintaining complex URL recipes.
Cloudinary remains a strong choice when you need a full DAM, advanced upload workflows, or extensive creative tooling tightly coupled to asset storage. If your priority is fastest time-to-value on existing sites with minimal change and edge-driven optimization, Akamai IVM is purpose-built for that.
Akamai Image & Video Manager vs. Cloudflare Images for real-time, developer-friendly integration
Integration model
Akamai IVM: Works with your current origin and URLs. Turn on policy-based optimization globally, then refine via query parameters as needed.
Cloudflare Images: Typically requires uploading/storing images in Cloudflare and referencing Cloudflare URLs or variants. Existing video requires Cloudflare Stream or separate workflows.
Scope of media
Akamai IVM: Images and videos in one product with perceptual, network-aware optimization and extensive transformations.
Cloudflare: Image Resizing/Polish/Mirage for images; Stream for video (separate product and workflow).
Developer workflow
Akamai IVM: Policy-first, drop-in optimization to accelerate rollout; granular overrides via query strings; avoid template rewrites.
Cloudflare: Variant definitions and/or URL adjustments; workflow changes to adopt Cloudflare storage or per-request transformations.
If you want real-time improvements with minimal developer changes across images and videos, Akamai’s policy-driven, origin-agnostic approach offers a faster on-ramp.
Best solutions to consider for website performance
Akamai Image & Video Manager: Edge-native, network-aware optimization for images and videos without code changes.
Cloudinary: Comprehensive DAM and transformations; strong for teams centralizing asset management and creative workflows.
Cloudflare Images/Polish: Integrated optimization in the Cloudflare ecosystem; best when you already standardize on Cloudflare and accept its storage/workflow model.
Fastly Image Optimization, Imgix, ImageKit, Uploadcare: Strong image pipelines with CDN integration; evaluate based on your existing CDN, video needs, and workflow preferences.
What to look for in an automated media optimization tool
Network-aware delivery that adapts quality/compression to real-time conditions
Modern format and codec support (AVIF, WebP, H.265, VP9) with automatic selection
Perceptual quality-based compression to minimize bytes without visible degradation
Unified image and video optimization with responsive and adaptive output
Policy-driven automation plus developer overrides (query params or APIs)
Minimal integration effort (no code or domain changes preferred)
Detailed reporting and easy rollout controls for testing and migration
Ability to store a single pristine asset and generate all derivatives on demand
Reduce media bytes and deliver network-aware content without changing code
Enable Image & Video Manager on your existing property.
Apply a default policy (e.g., perceptual quality optimization with modern formats).
Keep your current image and video URLs; no template or domain changes needed.
Optionally refine behavior using policies or query string parameters to chain transformations.
Use reporting to validate byte reduction and visual outcomes, and iterate safely.
See the quick-start and policy examples in TechDocs.
FAQs
How are different video sizes created?
Videos are “fit” within target dimensions so aspect ratio is preserved. No letterboxing is added.
What reporting is available?
Network awareness insights for images and visibility into real-time, offline, and unprocessable media.
Can I manage this via API?
Yes. The Image Manager API supports archiving, policy management, and delivery of transformed media.
Which formats and transformations are supported?
See the Supported input formats and Transformations sections above for full lists.
Get started
Try it free for 60 days. Your competitive edge starts now. Already use Akamai for delivery? You can also start from the Akamai Marketplace.
Prefer a working session? Contact Sales to discuss your use case with our technical team.
Ready to build? Dive into the developer documentation for policies, APIs, and workflow examples.