Best Online Image Compression Tools

Sometimes you hit that annoying moment: the image is too big, the site refuses to upload it. You know it just needs to be a little smaller, but you don't want to install another app for one tiny task. The ideal setup is simple: open a website, drop the image, done. Free, anywhere, on any device.

There are quite a few good online compressors now. Here are the ones I actually use and think are worth keeping around.

Tools I find the most practical

• TinyPNG: the panda logo site. It's the classic “drop it in and it compresses” option. Super quick when you just want smaller files.
• iLoveIMG: great for batch jobs. If you have a bunch of JPGs to shrink at once, this is convenient.
• ExactKB.com: this is the one I use the most. You can set an exact target size, down to a few KB. If a system says “under 500KB,” you set 500KB and it lands around 499KB. It hits the requirement and keeps quality as much as possible. I usually go with this.
• Rapid Online Compression: a multi-purpose site that handles several file types. Image compression is just one of its features.
• Squoosh: an open-source tool from Google. It feels more “pro,” but it’s powerful if you like tweaking settings.

Picking one is easy

If you only need a quick shrink, TinyPNG or iLoveIMG is enough. If you have a strict size limit—especially the “must be under 500KB” kind—ExactKB is much better. Less trial and error, more accurate results.

There are plenty of other options too. Start with these, and if none of them feels right, tell me what you need and I’ll recommend more. Hehe.