CinchPad

Image Compressor

Drop in photos, choose how much quality to trade away, and download the smaller versions. Your images are processed by your own browser and never uploaded.

Drop images here or click to choose

JPG, PNG or WebP · several at once · nothing is uploaded

How image compression works

JPEG and WebP compression works by discarding detail your eye is bad at noticing — mostly fine colour variation, which human vision resolves far less precisely than brightness. Dropping a photo from 100% to 75% quality typically cuts the file by 60–80% while looking essentially identical on screen. The other lever is dimensions: a 4000-pixel-wide phone photo displayed in an email at 800 pixels is carrying 25 times more pixels than anyone will ever see, so limiting the width often saves more than the quality slider does.

What settings to use

PurposeWidth limitQualityFormat
Email attachment1280 px70%JPEG
Website or blog image1920 px75%WebP
Social media post1080–2048 px80%JPEG
Online form upload1280 px65%JPEG
Printing at 6×4 in1800 px90%JPEG
Screenshot with textOriginalPNG

Screenshots, diagrams and anything with sharp text should stay PNG. JPEG compression puts visible fuzz around hard edges, which is exactly what text is made of.

Choosing a format

  • JPEG — the right default for photographs. Universally supported, no transparency, and lossy compression that suits continuous tones.
  • WebP — typically 25–35% smaller than JPEG at the same visual quality, with transparency support. Supported by every current browser, but some older desktop software still cannot open it.
  • PNG — lossless, so it never degrades, and it handles transparency. Much larger for photos, but the only sensible choice for screenshots, logos and line art.

Note that re-compressing an already-compressed JPEG loses a little more each time. Always compress from the original if you have it.

Why this one does not upload

Most online image compressors upload your file to a server, process it there, and hand back a download link. That means your photograph — which may show your home, your family, your documents — sits on someone else's machine, subject to their retention policy.

This tool uses the browser's own canvas API to decode and re-encode the image on your device. Nothing is transmitted. You can open your browser's network tab and watch that no request is made, or disconnect from the internet entirely and it will still work.

One useful side effect: because the image is redrawn from scratch, EXIF metadata — including GPS coordinates recorded by your phone — is stripped from the output.

How to use the Image Compressor

  1. Drop your images onto the box, or click to choose them. You can add several at once.
  2. Set the quality. 75% is a good default; drop to 60% if you need a much smaller file.
  3. Optionally limit the width — this usually saves more than quality alone.
  4. Download each file, or use Download all.

Frequently asked questions

Are my photos uploaded anywhere?

No. Compression happens entirely in your browser using the canvas API. Your images never leave your device, and the page works offline.

How do I get a photo under 1 MB?

Start by limiting the width to 1920 or 1280 pixels, then lower the quality until the size shown is under your limit. Reducing dimensions is usually far more effective than reducing quality alone.

Will compressing lose quality?

JPEG and WebP are lossy, so technically yes — but at 75% quality the difference is invisible at normal viewing sizes. PNG output is lossless and loses nothing, though it produces much larger photo files.

Why did my PNG get bigger?

PNG uses lossless compression optimised for flat colour. Saving a photograph as PNG frequently produces a larger file than the JPEG you started with. For photos, choose JPEG or WebP.

Does this remove EXIF and location data?

Yes, as a side effect of redrawing the image. The output contains no camera metadata and no GPS coordinates, which is useful before sharing photos publicly.

How many images can I do at once?

As many as your device’s memory allows. Very large batches of high-resolution photos may slow the browser, so work in groups of ten or twenty if you notice lag.

Related tools

Last reviewed September 4, 2026. Results are estimates for general information only.