How do I compress an image to under 1 MB?

Use target-size mode: enter 1 MB and the tool finds the best quality that fits just below it, scaling dimensions only if necessary.

Can I compress to 200 KB or other small limits?

Yes — enter 0.2 MB. Very small targets on large photos will visibly soften detail; that's the physics of the limit, not the tool.

Which formats can I compress?

JPG, PNG, WebP and HEIC. Photos come out smallest as JPG or WebP; transparency is preserved when the output supports it.

Is there a batch or size limit?

Files up to 50 MB each, with no daily caps, watermarks or sign-up.

Are my images uploaded?

No. Compression runs entirely in your browser, so images never leave your device.

How to Compress an Image to a Specific Size (Free)

How to compress an image to a specific size

“Image must be smaller than 1 MB.” Every visa application, job portal and CMS seems to have its own limit, and photos straight off a phone camera are usually 3–10× over it.

This guide shows two free ways to hit any limit in your browser: a quick quality preset when you just need “smaller”, and a target-size mode when you need to land under an exact number.

Compress to an exact size (target mode)

Target mode does the trial-and-error for you: it searches quality levels — scaling dimensions down only if needed — until the file lands just under your limit at the best possible quality.

1Open the free Image Compressor.
2Drag in your JPG, PNG, WebP or HEIC image.
3Switch to target-size mode and type the limit — for example 1 MB or 0.2 MB for 200 KB.
4Download the result, guaranteed under your limit.

Or just pick a quality level

No hard limit to meet? Choose a quality preset instead. Recommended keeps photos visually indistinguishable while typically cutting 70–90% off camera images; stronger levels trade a little softness for even smaller files.

Getting the most out of compression

Format matters: photos compress smallest as JPG or WebP, while PNG stays large because it's lossless — the compressor re-encodes efficiently for you.

Dimensions matter more than anything: a 4000-pixel-wide photo shown in a 800-pixel slot wastes most of its bytes. Target mode scales oversized images automatically when quality alone can't reach your limit.

Compress a copy, keep the original. You can always make a smaller file from the original; you can't recover detail from a compressed one.