In this guide
Why image size matters
A single modern phone photo can be 4–8 MB. A handful of those — from a website gallery, a document scan or an email attachment — quickly becomes a problem. Large images make pages load slowly, get rejected by email limits and fail form upload checks that cap size in KB or MB.
Compression reduces the file size by removing visual detail the eye barely notices. The result looks nearly identical but takes up a fraction of the space.
How to compress an image
- Open the compressor. Go to the Image Compressor page. It runs entirely in your browser.
- Upload your images. Drop in JPG or PNG files, or click to browse. You can compress several at once.
- Set a target. Choose a target size in KB or MB, or accept the recommended setting.
- Download. Save each compressed image to your device.
Compressing to a target size
Many uploads — especially forms and job portals — demand a file under a specific limit, like 20kb, 50kb, 100kb or 200kb. The compressor lets you pick a target and works until the output fits under it. This is exactly what you need when a portal says “photo must be between 20kb and 50kb”.
Quality versus file size
- Higher quality keeps more detail but produces larger files — good for photos and print.
- Lower quality shrinks files more, at a slight cost in fine detail — ideal for the web, where small is fast.
- Start balanced. Compress at the default setting first; if the file is still too large, lower the quality and try again.
Tip: for images that must be both small and a specific width or height, resize first with Resize Image, then compress to the target size.
Frequently asked questions
Will compression make my images look bad?⌄
At moderate settings the difference is invisible on screen. Lower settings start to soften fine detail, so check the output before using it.
Can I compress multiple images at once?⌄
Yes. Upload several JPG or PNG files and compress them together in one batch.
What file size should I aim for?⌄
For websites, under 100–200kb per image is a good target. For forms, follow the limit stated on the portal (commonly 20kb to 300kb).
Are my images uploaded to a server?⌄
No. Compression runs locally in your browser, so your images never leave your device.