AI labeling in WordPress: plugins compared
AI labeling in WordPress: plugins compared by detection, metadata and visible label, with prices. As of October 2026.
Article 50 of the EU AI Act has applied since 2 August 2026, and the number of WordPress plugins for AI labeling has grown fast since. This comparison explains what the plugins actually do. Disclosure: we develop IMG Performer and include it in the overview. All details on other plugins come from the public plugin and vendor pages, the dates are in the table.
What a plugin has to do
Article 50 has two levels: a machine-readable marker in the image file and a visible label for visitors. For website operators, the visible label for deepfakes is what matters most, that is realistic-looking images of people, places or events. The machine-readable marker is set by the AI providers, but in WordPress it is often lost when the image sizes are generated. More in How to label AI images in WordPress: C2PA, thumbnails and the EU AI Act.
That gives six points of comparison:
- Detection: automatic from provenance data, heuristic (file name, EXIF) or purely manual.
- Machine-readable: does the plugin write or preserve a marker in the file?
- Visible label: badge, banner or caption on the image.
- Extras: bulk processing, image optimization, alt text.
- Data path: does everything run on your server, or do images go to an external service?
- Price: free, freemium or paid.
The plugins at a glance
| Plugin | Detection | Machine-readable | Visible label | Price | Installs (WordPress.org, 13 Oct 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IMG Performer | automatic from provenance data (C2PA, XMP/IPTC, signatures of known AI tools), borderline cases manual | writes XMP/IPTC (DigitalSourceType) into every generated image size | badge, can be switched on and off | Free for new uploads, Pro €69/year or €9/month (retroactive scan, customizable label) | 30+ |
| SEO’n’AI – AI Image check&mark | checks uploads for IPTC DigitalSourceType and C2PA | writes an IPTC/C2PA label | badge | free, optional paid Pro add-on (price not listed) | 100+ |
| AI-Label24 (free version in the plugin directory: Image AI Labels) | Free manual (checkbox in the media library), Pro automatic (beta) via C2PA, IPTC and over 80 generator signatures, only when “very likely” | not checked | label, font, color and 9 positions adjustable | Free, Pro €39/year (1 domain), Lifetime €169 (1 domain), plus VAT | 70+ |
| IP2C – Ki(Ai)-Kennzeichnung nach EU AI Act | C2PA, IPTC/XMP, generator metadata, optional visual detection with a vision AI | reads metadata, badge can be burned into the image (Pro) | three designs | Freemium, Pro price not public | not found in plugin search |
| EU AI Label | manual per image | does not write C2PA/metadata | badge overlay | Free, Pro upgrade | 100+ |
| AIM Transparency | not checked | metadata that, according to the vendor, survives download | badge, 22 EU languages | free | 80+ |
| EU AI Act Ready | heuristic (file name, EXIF, metadata), manual correction | no C2PA | banner, inline, badge, modal | free | 100+ |
| Schnieders AI Media Labels | reads XMP/IPTC DigitalSourceType on upload | optionally writes IPTC “trainedAlgorithmicMedia”, no C2PA | overlay or caption | free | 10+ |
| Grafiduo AI Content Flag | manual | no | the three official EU label types | Free (“Tiny”), more variants via the vendor | under 10 |
Feature and price details come from the plugin and vendor pages, checked between 5 September and 13 October 2026. “Not checked” means we did not find the information on the public pages.
Klarvo AI Transparency takes a different approach: it does not label individual images but shows a badge listing which AI tools a website uses. It is free, and a Pro plan starts at €1.99 per month (5 sites). It is not meant for image labeling under Article 50.
What to look for
You want more than labeling. Among the plugins compared here, we found none that combines labeling with image optimization (WebP, AVIF) and AI alt text, except IMG Performer. There, the alt text is part of the Pro version.
You only want to label, with metadata. SEO’n’AI, Schnieders AI Media Labels and IMG Performer Free write a marker into the file. The differences are the format (C2PA or IPTC/XMP) and whether every generated image size keeps the marker.
You only want a visible label. EU AI Label, AI-Label24 (Free) and Grafiduo AI Content Flag add a visible label without metadata. For the operator duty on deepfakes that is the decisive part. You then have to classify your images yourself.
Your images have no provenance data. Images from tools like Midjourney often carry no provenance data. Plugins that only read metadata cannot detect them automatically. You classify them manually, ideally with a plugin that lets you do that in the media library.
Data protection. Plugins with visual AI detection such as IP2C send images to an external AI provider (according to the vendor, a vision model such as GPT-4o-mini). You need a data processing agreement for that. Plugins that only read metadata work locally.
Burned-in badge or overlay. A badge burned into the image survives download and screenshot but changes the file. An overlay in the frontend leaves the original untouched. Both approaches have their place.
Where IMG Performer comes in
IMG Performer detects AI images on upload from existing provenance data and writes the label as XMP/IPTC (DigitalSourceType) into every generated image size, including the WebP variants (AVIF in Pro). A badge shows the label visibly. Images without provenance data you classify yourself in the media library. The labeling is included in the free version. Pro (€69 per year or €9 per month) adds the retroactive scan of the existing media library, a customizable label, AVIF and AI alt text. More at img-performer.enfants.de.
Disclaimer
As of October 2026. This comparison is an overview, not legal advice. Plugin features and prices change, so check the vendors’ pages before you decide.
FAQ
Which WordPress plugin is right for AI labeling? That depends on what you need: only a visible label, a marker in the file, or image optimization and alt text on top. The table above shows the differences.
Do I need a plugin for AI labeling at all? For the visible label on a single deepfake, a note in the post is enough. A plugin pays off with many images and when the marker in the file should survive all image sizes.
Is a visible label enough? For the duty of website operators on deepfakes (Article 50(4)), the visible notice is the decisive part. The marker in the file is a useful addition because machines can read it.
Which plugins write C2PA? According to its plugin page, SEO’n’AI writes a C2PA label. Schnieders AI Media Labels writes IPTC, not C2PA. IMG Performer writes XMP/IPTC and reads C2PA provenance data.