The best free image compressors in 2026, compared
TinyPNG for a quick drop of a few images, Squoosh for tuning one image by eye, and a browser-based batch compressor for whole folders or exact file sizes. Here is how they compare on limits, privacy and what each does best.
Updated 2 min read
The tool this guide uses
Drag files here, or
JPEG, PNG, WebP, AVIF and GIF. Decoded on your device, never uploaded.
Encodes at quality 76, tuned to be indistinguishable from the original at normal viewing size. This is the setting to use when you just want the file smaller.
Optional. Height follows automatically.
Ready. Runs locally on your device.
Your files stay on your device. The tool works directly in your browser, using your device to process your files. Nothing is sent to our servers, and we never receive, store, or see your files or figures.
The short answer
- A handful of images, quickly: TinyPNG, within its free limits.
- One important image, tuned by eye: Squoosh.
- A whole folder, or every image under a set size: a browser-based batch compressor, such as the one above.
Compared at a glance
| Where it runs | Images at once | Size limit per image | Target a file size | Images kept | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reembun | Your browser | As many as you add | Your device’s memory | Yes | Never received |
| TinyPNG | Its servers | Up to 20 | 5 MB | No | Up to 48 hours |
| Squoosh | Your browser | One | Your device’s memory | No | Never received |
TinyPNG figures are from its own home page, and Squoosh details from its public project page, as they read on 11 September 2026.
Each option, briefly
TinyPNG. The best known name, and deservedly so. Drop in up to 20 images of up to 5 MB each and it compresses them on its servers, in formats including JPEG, PNG, WebP and AVIF. Its PNG palette reduction is excellent on graphics and screenshots. Images are kept for up to 48 hours and then permanently deleted. It also offers an API for automated workflows.
Squoosh. An open source app from Google Chrome Labs that compresses entirely in your browser. Its split view shows the original and the result side by side, and it exposes detailed options for every codec. It works on one image at a time, which is ideal for a single hero image and slow for a folder.
Reembun. Compresses in your browser, like Squoosh, but built for batches: add as many images as you have, apply one setting to all of them, and download a ZIP. Its To a file size mode encodes each image at the highest quality that fits a limit such as 200 KB, and Limit width shrinks oversized photos in the same pass. It has fewer per-codec options than Squoosh.
The saving most people miss
Format and quality matter less than dimensions. A phone photo is about 4,000 pixels wide. Shown 1,200 pixels wide on a page, it carries more than ten times the pixels anyone will see. Resizing before compressing, or setting Limit width in the tool above, usually saves more than any quality setting.
How this comparison was made
Limits and file handling come from each tool’s own pages, read on 11 September 2026. We have not run a side by side quality test on the same images; for JPEG and WebP the tools use the same class of techniques, and the practical differences are the workflow ones in the table.
Common questions
Which one compresses best?
For JPEG and WebP, results are close, because the underlying techniques are the same. TinyPNG's palette reduction is particularly good on PNG graphics. The bigger differences are in workflow: how many images at once, whether you can target a size, and where the images go.
Which ones keep images private?
Squoosh and Reembun compress in your browser, so images never leave your device. TinyPNG uploads images to its servers and keeps them for up to 48 hours before deleting them, according to its own page.
Cite
Cite this page
Reembun. (2026, September 11). The best free image compressors in 2026, compared. https://reembun.com/guides/best-free-image-compressors
About Reembun
Reembun is a free collection of more than 100 online tools for PDFs, images, video, audio, text and everyday calculations. Every tool runs inside your browser, so your files are processed by your own device and are never uploaded to a server. There is nothing to install, no account to create, and no watermark on what you make.
You do not have to take our word for it. Open your browser’s developer tools, watch the Network tab, and use any tool: your file never appears there.
Reembun is built and run by PT RHP Cipta Digital, a registered company in Indonesia.
