How to Compress an Image Online
Drop your image above, select an output format (JPEG, WebP, or PNG), and adjust the quality slider. The tool re-encodes the image at your chosen settings and shows you the resulting file size. Download when satisfied. No upload to any server. No watermark.
This is useful for optimizing images before uploading to a website, email attachment, or CMS. A 5 MB JPEG from a phone camera can often drop to under 500 KB at 80% quality with no perceptible difference. For video file size reduction, use the video compressor.
JPEG vs WebP vs PNG: Choosing the Right Format
JPEG is the universal lossy format. It works everywhere and compresses photos well, but it does not support transparency. WebP is a modern format that produces smaller files than JPEG at similar quality and supports both transparency and animation. Browser support is now universal.
PNG is a lossless format. It preserves every pixel exactly, making it ideal for screenshots, diagrams, and images with text. The trade-off is larger file sizes. For photos on the web, WebP is usually the best choice. For maximum compatibility, use JPEG. For graphics that need sharp edges, use PNG.
Why Compress Images in the Browser?
Cloud-based image compressors process your files on remote servers. That means slower round trips and your images passing through third-party infrastructure. This tool uses the Canvas API to re-encode images locally. Typical web images finish quickly.
You can also convert between image formats or rotate images using the same local approach. For professional media workflows, explore Velocaption. See all free tools on the tools page.
