How to compress an image
- Choose a quality level. 70–80% is the sweet spot for photos: much smaller files with no visible change.
- Choose an output format. WebP gives the smallest files; JPG is the most compatible; "Keep original" leaves the format unchanged.
- Drop your images onto the box (or click it to browse). They are compressed instantly.
- Check the before/after sizes, then download files one by one or all at once.
Why compress images?
Modern phone cameras produce photos of 3–8 MB each. That is far more detail than you need to share a picture on chat, attach it to an email, or show it on a website. Oversized images cause real problems: emails bounce because of attachment limits, upload forms reject files over 1 or 2 MB, and websites load slowly — which hurts both visitors and search rankings, since Google uses page speed (Core Web Vitals) as a ranking signal.
Compression fixes this by re-encoding the image more efficiently. Lossy formats like JPG and WebP discard fine detail that the human eye barely registers, especially in areas of smooth colour such as sky or skin. At 75% quality most people cannot tell the compressed image from the original side by side, yet the file is often a quarter of the size.
Choosing the right quality
| Quality | Typical saving | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| 90–100% | 10–40% | Printing, archiving, photography portfolios |
| 70–85% | 50–80% | Websites, blogs, email, social media |
| 40–65% | 80–95% | Thumbnails, previews, strict upload limits |
JPG, PNG or WebP?
WebP produces the smallest files and supports transparency; every modern browser displays it, making it ideal for websites. JPG is universally supported by every device, app and printer, so use it when you are unsure what the recipient can open. PNG is lossless — great for screenshots and logos, but it cannot be compressed much without changing format. To change format without compressing, try PNG to WebP or PNG to JPG.
Need a specific file size?
Upload forms often set a hard limit. These presets automatically find the best quality that fits: 20 KB, 50 KB, 100 KB, 200 KB, 500 KB, 1 MB.
Need exact dimensions?
Reducing pixel dimensions shrinks files even further than compression alone. If an image will only be shown 1200 pixels wide, there is no reason to keep 4000 pixels. Use the Image Resizer first, then compress.
Frequently asked questions
How much smaller will my images get?
It depends on the image. Phone photos often shrink by 60–85% at 75% quality with no visible difference. Screenshots and graphics saved as PNG usually shrink the most when converted to WebP or JPG.
Is there a file size or count limit?
No fixed limit. Because everything runs on your device, the only limit is your device memory. Very large images (50+ megapixels) may be slow on older phones.
Are my images uploaded?
No. Compression runs entirely in your browser. Your photos never leave your device.
Why did my PNG get bigger?
PNG is lossless, so "Keep original format" cannot compress a PNG much. Choose WebP or JPG as the output format to make PNG files dramatically smaller.
Does compression remove EXIF data like GPS location?
Yes. Re-encoding through the browser drops metadata such as camera model and GPS location, which is a nice privacy bonus when sharing photos.