Image Compress — Reduce Image File Size in Your Browser
Compress JPG, PNG, WebP images to smaller sizes. Three quality levels, batch processing, runs entirely in your browser. No uploads, no limits.
Drop your image here
PNG, JPG, or WebP (max 50MB)
Image compression is one of the most common chores in web work, and the math behind it has been stable for decades. A typical photo at 4K resolution (4032 x 3024) is 36 megapixels and weighs in at 8-12 MB as a raw capture or 3-5 MB as a high-quality JPG. For a web page, an email attachment, or a CMS upload, the target is usually under 500 KB — a 10x reduction. Getting there means re-encoding the JPG at a lower quality, downscaling the resolution, or both. The right pick depends on what the image is for: a thumbnail can lose detail that a hero image must keep, and a screenshot with text needs different treatment than a photo with gradients.
The non-obvious decision is between fixed-quality and size-target modes. Fixed-quality mode (Light, Medium, Aggressive presets) produces output that looks consistent across a batch of images — every file is encoded at the same quality setting, so the visual fidelity is predictable. Size-target mode is the opposite — every file ends up roughly the same size, with the quality adapting to image complexity. A simple graphic with hard edges hits the size target at quality 95; a photo with gradients needs quality 60 to land at the same size. For batch processing where uniform output size matters (an email blast with attachment limits), size-target is the right pick. For a photo gallery where consistent visual quality matters, fixed-quality is the right pick.
For a final hand-off: if the goal is the smallest possible file at acceptable quality, try the format converters — WebP is roughly 30% smaller than JPG at equivalent visual quality, and AVIF is another 20% smaller than WebP. If the goal is preserving transparency or pixel-perfect graphics, the JPG compression here is the wrong tool — use PNG and accept the larger file. If the goal is a print-ready archive, do not compress — keep the high-quality original and create a separate compressed copy for distribution.
How to use
Drop one or many images
Drag JPG, PNG, or WebP files into the drop zone, or paste from clipboard. Batch conversion processes each file independently and the queue shows progress per item.
Pick a target
Choose a quality preset (Light, Medium, Aggressive), or set a target file size in KB and let the tool find the highest quality that fits. The size-target mode is the right pick for email attachments and CMS upload limits.
Download the compressed files
Each file compresses in under a second on a modern device. Downloads are individual by default; switch to zip mode for batches above a dozen files.
Frequently asked
Will recompressing a JPG lose more quality?
Yes — JPG is lossy, and every re-encode drops detail that cannot be recovered. If the source is already a low-quality JPG, the output of any compression pass will be visibly softer. The right pick is to compress from the original high-quality source once, not to chain multiple compressions.
What is the difference between quality and size target?
Quality mode encodes at a fixed quality setting (e.g., 85%) — the output size varies with image content. Size-target mode varies the quality to hit a specific output size in KB — the quality adapts to image complexity. Size-target is the right pick when you have an upload limit; quality mode is the right pick when you want consistent visual fidelity.
Does compression keep EXIF and metadata?
By default EXIF (camera make, model, GPS, datetime) is stripped to maximize the size saving. Toggle 'preserve metadata' to keep the EXIF block — useful for archival workflows but adds 5-15% to the output size on photos.
Why is my PNG output barely smaller?
PNG is a lossless format designed for graphics with hard edges, large flat areas, and transparency. Photos compressed to PNG do not shrink much because the format is not designed for photographic content. For photos, the JPG or WebP converters deliver much better size reduction.
Can I compress a screenshot to under 100 KB for an email?
Yes — use size-target mode with 100 KB as the target. The encoder varies the JPG quality until the output fits. Screenshots with text benefit from quality 70-80; photos with gradients need higher quality to avoid banding.
Limitations
- Lossy output for JPG and WebPJPG and lossy WebP re-encoding is irreversible. Photos soften, screenshots with text develop JPEG artifacts around the letters. If pixel-perfect output is required, use a lossless format (PNG) and accept the larger file size.
- No format conversionThe output format matches the input. A JPG stays a JPG; a PNG stays a PNG. For format conversion (e.g., PNG to WebP for smaller files), use the format-specific converters in the image category.
- Strips metadata by defaultEXIF, IPTC, XMP, and ICC color profiles are removed by default to maximize the size reduction. Toggle 'preserve metadata' if you need the camera info, GPS coordinates, or color profile to survive the compression.
Platform notes
- macOS
- Preview can re-save JPGs with quality adjustment via File > Export > JPEG. The browser tool is the right pick for batch compression where Preview's one-at-a-time workflow is too slow, or when size-target mode is needed.
- Windows
- Windows' built-in Photos app offers a 'Smaller file size' export but no batch mode. The browser tool is the right pick for compressing dozens of images at once, or for hitting a specific KB target.
- Linux
- ImageMagick's `convert input.jpg -quality 80 output.jpg` does single-image compression. The browser tool is the right pick for batches or for size-target mode that adapts to image content.
- Web
- Runs entirely client-side. Works offline once the page has loaded. Useful for ad-hoc compression in restricted environments where installing command-line tools is not an option.