Compress a JPEG
Reduce a JPEG to a size that suits where it is going. Useful when you have the finished image but not the project file it came from.
or drop images here
How it works
- 1
Choose or drag in your JPEG files.
- 2
Set the size you want in KB.
- 3
Click Compress and download the result.
Why use this converter
- Works without the original
For when the project file is gone and all you have is the JPEG.
- You set the ceiling
Enter the KB your page or mailbox needs.
- Large savings on camera files
Phone and camera output carries far more detail than a screen shows.
- Batch friendly
Compress a set towards the same target.
When to use it
- Images handed over without sources: The common case: a folder of JPEGs and no project files.
- Stock and licensed photography: Delivered as finished JPEGs at print resolution.
- Email attachments: Several full-size photos will exceed a typical mailbox limit.
- Reducing page weight: Where images are the heaviest thing a visitor waits for.
Why the second compression costs more than the first
JPEG discards detail the eye is least likely to notice. Doing that once is usually invisible. Doing it again means the encoder is working from a version where the easy savings are already gone, so it starts removing detail that does matter.
The effect compounds. An image compressed lightly three times looks worse than the same image compressed once to the same final size — which is why a single pass from the largest version you have beats several passes from progressively smaller copies.
Resize first when the image is oversized
A 4000-pixel photo displayed in an 800-pixel column is carrying detail the browser discards on every load. Compressing it to a small target means the encoder degrades pixels nobody was going to see.
Reducing the dimensions first removes those pixels outright rather than approximating them, then compression only has to work on what remains. The result at any given file size is noticeably better.
Frequently asked questions
Does compressing twice make it worse?
Yes, slightly each time, because JPEG is lossy and each pass works from the previous approximation. One pass is normally invisible.
Why did my already-small JPEG come out poor?
Most of the discardable detail had already gone. Compressing from the largest version you have gives a much better result.
Should I re-export instead?
If you still have the original or project file, yes — exporting once at the size you need beats recompressing a finished JPEG.
Can I compress several at once?
Yes, each towards the same target.