What is Image compression?
A plain-English definition, and the tools that work with it.
Image compression reduces an image's file size. Lossy compression (JPG, WebP) discards detail your eye barely notices for big savings. Lossless compression (PNG) shrinks the file while keeping every pixel. The right kind depends on whether small size or perfect fidelity matters more.
- Lossy is best for photos, where a smaller file with minor, invisible detail loss is a great trade.
- Lossless is best for graphics, screenshots and anything with crisp edges or text you can't afford to soften.
- Over-compressing shows visible artefacts (blocky patches, halos), preview and ease off if you see them.
Tools for Image compression
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Image Compressor
Shrink JPG, PNG and WebP images without a visible quality drop. Set the quality yourself, or compress to an exact target size like 100 KB. Free, entirely in your browser.
WebP Converter
Convert PNG and JPG images to WebP for smaller, faster-loading files, and turn WebP back into PNG or JPG when you need wider compatibility. Free and in-browser.
PNG to JPG
Convert PNG images to JPG in your browser: pick a background color for transparent areas, set the quality, and download a much smaller file.
Image Resizer
Resize any image to exact pixel dimensions with an optional aspect-ratio lock and ready-made social presets, free and fully in your browser.
Image compression problems we solve
Hit one of these? Here's the fix.
- My image file is too largePhone photos are often 3–8MB. Compress (and if needed resize) to hit a 100KB or 50KB upload limit while still looking clean.
- My email attachment is too largeGmail, Outlook and most providers reject attachments over ~25MB. Compress the file to the right type and send it normally. No cloud links needed.
Frequently asked questions
Related terms
- JPG (JPEG)JPG (also written JPEG) is the most common photo format. It uses lossy compression to make photographs small by discarding detail your eye barely notices, which is why it's ideal for pictures but poor for sharp graphics, text or transparency.
- PNGPNG (Portable Network Graphics) is a lossless image format that supports transparency. Because it never degrades on save and keeps sharp edges, it's the go-to format for logos, icons, screenshots and any graphic with text or a transparent background.
- WebPWebP is a modern image format from Google that makes photos and graphics significantly smaller than JPG or PNG at similar quality. It's designed for the web to speed up page loads, and supports both lossy and lossless compression plus transparency.
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