Free tool · works offline · no upload
Compress a photo to a target file size
Forms and websites often reject photos over a set size. Choose a photo, type the limit, and get the sharpest version that fits under it.
- 1Choose
- 2Check
- 3Process
- 4Verify
- 5Download
Runs entirely in this page. Your files are never uploaded: apart from a cookie-free visit count, this page's security policy blocks it from sending anything.
How to use it
- Choose one or more photos, or drop them on the box.
- Type the size limit you need and pick KB or MB. Leave a little room if the form is strict.
- Choose JPEG for the widest support, or WebP for a smaller file where WebP is accepted.
- Press Compress. The tool tries quality levels until it finds the highest one that fits, and reduces the pixel size only if it has to.
- It checks that the result is under your limit and opens correctly, then offers the download.
How it reaches the target
A JPEG or WebP file gets smaller as its quality setting goes down, but the relationship isn’t simple. The same quality gives very different sizes for a sky and for a crowd. So the tool searches: it saves the photo at a high quality, checks the size, and halves the gap toward your target until it finds the highest quality that fits. That takes about eight tries and a second or two.
If even a modest quality is still too big, smaller pixel dimensions do less damage than heavier compression. A 12-megapixel photo reduced to 3 megapixels still looks sharp on any screen, while the same photo crushed to a very low quality shows blocks and smears. The tool reduces the dimensions in steps until a good quality fits. You can turn that off and keep the original dimensions.
Choosing a target
- ID and application forms often ask for 100 KB to 500 KB. Upload the exact file the tool gives you, and check the form’s pixel requirements too.
- Email works best under a few megabytes per photo, even when the limit is higher.
- Websites and profiles often recompress whatever you upload, so starting from a sensible size gives the site less to damage.
If the form also needs exact dimensions, resize first with the image resizer, then compress.
Private by design
Photos of IDs, documents and family are exactly what people need to compress for forms, and they shouldn’t pass through a server to do it. Everything here happens in your browser. The only thing the page sends is a cookie-free visit count (which page, the site you came from, your browser type and how fast the page loaded), and its security policy blocks every other connection.
Questions
Is a kilobyte 1,000 or 1,024 bytes here?
1,000 bytes, the same unit phones use. A file under 500 KB here is also under 500 KB on a form that counts 1,024 bytes per kilobyte, so it fits either way.
Why did my photo get smaller in pixels?
Below a certain quality, JPEG photos turn blocky. When quality alone can't reach your target, the tool reduces the pixel size a little instead, which looks much better. Untick the option if you need the original dimensions.
Does compressing remove the photo's location?
Yes. The compressed copy is drawn fresh from the picture, so it carries no location, camera details or dates. The original file is unchanged.
Should I choose JPEG or WebP?
JPEG is accepted almost everywhere. WebP makes smaller files at the same quality, but some older forms and programs don't accept it. If you aren't sure, use JPEG.
My photo is already under the limit. What happens?
The tool still makes a fresh copy at high quality, which removes metadata and is usually smaller. If you only need the size, you can keep using the original.