Image Compressor
Shrink JPEG or WebP file size with a live quality preview, right in your browser.
What is Image Compressor?
Image compression is the process of reducing an image's file size by re-encoding it with fewer bytes, ideally with little or no visible loss in quality. It works by discarding or simplifying data that the human eye barely registers, with the trade-off controlled by a quality setting where a lower value yields a smaller file. Lossy formats like JPEG and WebP are built specifically for this: JPEG has near-universal compatibility, while WebP typically achieves 25 to 35 percent smaller files at equivalent visual quality. Compressing images before publishing them to a website or app makes pages load faster and cuts bandwidth, which is why nearly every photo online has been compressed at least once.
How to Use Image Compressor
- Drag an image onto the drop zone, or click it to choose a file from your device.
- Pick an output format (JPEG or WebP) and drag the quality slider — the compressed result and its new file size update live.
- Compare the before/after file size and percentage saved at the top of the result.
- Click "Download" to save the compressed image.
Examples
Photo at 80% quality (JPEG)
Input: 4.2 MB PNG screenshot
Output: ≈ 380 KB JPEG, ~91% smaller
Photo at 60% quality (WebP)
Input: 2.1 MB JPEG photo
Output: ≈ 240 KB WebP, ~89% smaller
Common Mistakes
- Compressing an already-compressed JPEG repeatedly ("generation loss") — each re-encode discards a little more detail permanently, so always compress from the original/highest-quality source, not a previously compressed copy.
- Using a very low quality setting on images with text or sharp edges (screenshots, diagrams) — lossy compression is tuned for photographic content and tends to visibly smear fine detail and text at low quality settings.
- Assuming compression always shrinks the file — a tiny or already highly-compressed image can occasionally come out larger; the savings display accounts for this rather than showing a misleading negative percentage.
Why Use This Tool
- Runs fully client-side — no upload, no file size limit from a server, no wait for a round trip.
- Live before/after preview and file size comparison as you adjust the quality slider.
- Supports both JPEG and WebP output for different compatibility/compression trade-offs.
- No watermarks, no sign-up, no daily usage cap.