8 Best Free Image Compression Tools in 2026

TinyPNG wins because most website owners need a quick decision: select the files, compress them, and get back to the page. Automatic settings save the quality-slider work. Its name also undersells the current service, which handles JPEG, WebP, AVIF, and JPEG XL alongside PNG. See the current web tool for supported inputs.

The free plan allows 20 images per session, capped at 5 MB each. That ceiling matters for large camera photos. Web Pro raises it to 75 MB and removes the compression count limit for $3.25 per month billed annually; Ultra displays $12.42 per month billed annually, with a 150 MB ceiling and unlimited conversions. Free and Pro include three conversions per session. Those are the web plans, separate from API billing.

In April 2026, a textile-image user praised the simple batch workflow but noticed slight softness in some watercolor designs. June reviews also praised the quick compression process. (Trustpilot)

My reason for putting it first is convenience for prepared, ordinary web images. The weaknesses are clear: you upload files to a service, and you can't fine-tune its automatic compression. I'd move to Squoosh for a banner whose texture needs a closer look. Our Squoosh vs TinyPNG comparison explains that choice.

Pick it if you want a batch ready with few decisions. Skip it if local processing or detailed quality controls are requirements.

Squoosh's original developers have left Google, and its code has gone more than two years without a new commit. In May 2026, original developer Jake Archibald said the team had left Google and Google had declined to maintain or transfer Squoosh. He still had commit and publishing access and planned JPEG XL and AVIF codec updates. (Developer comment) The latest commit shown on the default branch was dated August 19, 2024 when checked. (Commit history)

I'd still recommend it for occasional manual exports. I wouldn't make it the central service for a team's daily image production. That puts it second here, even though it's my first choice for inspecting a single difficult image. The proposed codec updates aren't a reason to choose it until they arrive.

The free browser app gives you resizing, encoder choices, quality settings, and a draggable comparison view. You can look at fine text, edges, or texture while watching the output size. The person opening that May discussion praised its encoder range and divided preview while asking about the inactivity.

There's no batch queue in the web app. Working through 40 product photos individually would get tedious. Squoosh is free under Apache 2.0, with no premium tier. Follow our Squoosh compression and resizing guide for the controls and export checks.

Pick it if one important image deserves a visual decision. Skip it if you need unattended batches and dependable ongoing product support.

iLoveIMG's generous batch allowance is the attraction: its free compression task accepts 30 files totaling up to 200 MB. Free resizing has the same task limits. Premium is a paid subscription and raises these tasks to 120 files and 4 GB. (Pricing)

I'd choose it for a set of event photos that needs a width limit before it goes into a blog. Compression, resizing, cropping, and conversion live in one suite, although they're separate tools. The documentation explains batch resizing by maximum width and height, plus importing from and returning files to Google Drive or Dropbox.

A September 2026 reviewer praised the image compression quality; another liked being able to set exact pixel dimensions for social and work uploads. (Trustpilot) In March, a reviewer reported that the service hadn't recognized a paid subscription despite a receipt, leaving the Premium features unavailable for about a month. (Subscription review)

The catch is control. The vendor says you can't change the compression level in its compressor. (FAQ) If a result is too soft or still too large, there's no quality slider to try another setting. Basic also has ads, while Premium removes them. Files are uploaded for processing; the privacy policy says they're deleted within two hours.

Pick it if your batch needs both size reduction and straightforward editing. Skip it if you want to choose the compression strength yourself.

Caesium's users have a clear idea of what they want to keep. In the major-release discussion opened in March 2025, they praised offline processing, resizing and conversion in one operation, and a compact interface that works beside other windows. They also asked for more formats, especially HEIC, AVIF, and JPEG XL. (GitHub discussion)

The current desktop app supports JPEG, PNG, WebP, and TIFF, with batch compression, resizing, and output controls. Windows and macOS downloads are offered on the official site. The project is free and GPL-3.0 licensed, so there's no monthly image allowance to manage.

I'd pick it before a browser compressor for a folder of standard RGB product photos on Windows. You can work through the batch locally and choose how the results are written. It also makes sense when the same files need both a smaller width and lower JPEG quality.

I'd be more cautious with print files. A June 2026 report shows CMYK colors changing during compression. (Issue #385) That's a reason to check the color mode before feeding it print artwork. The limited current format list is another reason to choose something else for a mixed HEIC or AVIF collection.

Pick it if you want local batch control over ordinary photo formats. Skip it if CMYK artwork or newer formats make up most of the job.

ImageOptim is a free Mac app; its paid web service is a separate product. That matters when a search result sends you to a pricing page and makes the desktop app look subscription-based. The Mac download requires macOS 11 or later and uses lossless optimization by default, with lossy options available.

The attraction is a short route from exported files to optimized files. A January 2026 Mac-app discussion praised access through the Dock and macOS services. (Community discussion) I'd choose it for a designer who exports JPEGs and PNGs locally and wants a simple finishing step, without a cloud allowance or a large editing suite.

PNG processing can be slow. In January 2026, a GitHub report called out the bundled Intel-only pngout executable on Apple Silicon. (Issue #457) The vendor's FAQ suggests disabling PNGOUT or Zopfli when speed matters more than squeezing out extra bytes.

There's also an output behavior to understand before starting: ImageOptim optimizes files in place. Its usage instructions explain how the app writes the result. For a separate destination folder and a more involved conversion job, I'd choose Caesium or XnConvert.

Pick it if you want a small local optimizer for a Mac. Skip it if you need Windows support or a detailed batch conversion recipe.

RIOT now offers Windows, Apple Silicon Mac, and Linux versions. The current 2026.10 release is free, according to the official site. It's worth checking the present download options if you remember it as a Windows-only utility.

It combines a before-and-after preview with batch processing. You can open AVIF files, but the listed output formats are JPEG, PNG, WebP, and GIF. I'd choose it for someone who wants to inspect a sample image, settle on settings, and then process a batch locally. The point is to choose a result you can see before committing to a folder-wide setting.

Its most revealing current discussion is about a missing feature. In September 2026, users praised the interface and results but asked for automatic compression to a target file size. One said they'd gone back to an older release to get that function. The maintainer discussed possibly adding it to a future Pro edition. (Feature discussion)

I'd judge the release you can download today: it doesn't give you that automatic size target. If a form demands an image below a fixed kilobyte limit, expect to adjust settings yourself. You also need another encoder for AVIF output. See the RIOT directory entry for the product link.

Pick it if you want local preview and batch controls across desktop platforms. Skip it if automatic target-size compression is your main reason for installing it.

ShortPixel's free plan means 100 optimization credits per month, not 100 WordPress uploads. Each generated thumbnail can consume a credit, and WebP or AVIF versions add more. The vendor's example of one image, eight thumbnails, and nine WebP outputs costs 18 credits. (Credit calculation)

I'd recommend it when the problem is remembering to optimize every new media upload. Its WordPress plugin offers bulk processing and Lossy, Glossy, and Lossless choices. An April 2026 reviewer praised starting a bulk job and continuing other work. A November 2025 reviewer reported errors; ShortPixel's reply traced them to the host's memory limits and firewall. (Reviews and vendor replies)

That extra setup is why it sits below the general-purpose tools here. WordPress theme thumbnails, hosting limits, and image delivery settings need attention. Before starting a large library, choose which thumbnail sizes actually need optimization. The free allowance can disappear after relatively few uploads.

The pricing page lists Unlimited at $10.99 per month and non-expiring one-time packs starting at $19.99. I'd consider a pack for a one-off cleanup and a subscription for a continuing workload. Its products page also covers APIs and tools beyond WordPress. Processing uses ShortPixel's cloud service.

Pick it if optimization belongs inside your publishing workflow. Skip it if you only need a few local files compressed and want no account or credit management.

XnConvert can save a sequence of actions: resize, adjust, and export with the settings you need. That makes it a stronger choice than a simple compressor when every new folder needs the same treatment. The official page lists Windows, macOS, and Linux versions, extensive format support, metadata controls, and watched-folder processing.

I'd pick it for a repeated product-image job with a consistent output width, format, and naming pattern. Once you settle the recipe, you can reuse it on the next folder. A January 2026 Mac workflow discussion recommended it for mixed image collections and batch actions. (Community discussion)

The interface takes more attention than TinyPNG's drop zone. In August 2026, forum users missed the Add Folder control after an Input-tab change and asked for the earlier workflow back. (User forum) That kind of change can interrupt a routine you previously did without thinking.

The free license also has a condition: private, educational, and nonprofit use are free; commercial use requires a paid license. I'd use Caesium for an unrestricted free business photo batch if its formats cover the job.

Pick it if you repeat a multi-step image job and can save the actions. Skip it if you want a one-button tool or need free commercial use.