Skip to main content
ToolNimbly

JPG Compressor

A JPG-only compressor with the controls that matter for photographs, and a warning when quality drops too far.

Runs in your browser. Nothing you enter here is uploaded to a server.

Loading the tool…

Embed the JPG Compressor

Paste this into any page. The tool runs in place, and the credit line below it links back here.

Appearance

Adjust height if your layout needs it.

Please keep the “Powered by” line. It is the only thing we ask in return, and it is what keeps the tool free to embed.

What this tool does

This tool accepts JPG and JPEG files only and re-encodes them at the quality you choose, in your browser. Photographs are what JPEG was designed for, and a quality setting in the high seventies usually cuts file size dramatically with no visible change. You can also cap the dimensions, which often saves more than quality does. Batch several photos at once and download them together as a ZIP.

How to use this tool

  1. Step 1: Add your JPG files

    Drag and drop or use the picker. Only JPEG files are accepted here; use the general image compressor for mixed formats.

  2. Step 2: Set the quality

    The slider runs from low to high. The tool warns you below the point where compression artefacts usually become visible.

  3. Step 3: Optionally cap the dimensions

    A maximum width or height scales oversized photos down before encoding. Images are never enlarged.

  4. Step 4: Compress and download

    Each file lists its original size, new size and percentage saved. Download one at a time or take them all as a ZIP.

Worked example

What quality actually costs

A typical 3,000 × 2,000 photograph of about 2.8 MB, re-encoded at several settings with no resizing.

Quality 95
about 2.1 MB — visually identical
Quality 85
about 950 KB — no difference at normal size
Quality 75
about 620 KB — the usual recommendation
Quality 50
about 330 KB — artefacts visible around edges

The steep part of the curve is between 95 and 75, where the file shrinks by two thirds for almost no visible cost. Below 60 the savings shrink while the damage grows.

How JPEG compression works

JPEG discards detail your eye is least sensitive to. The image is split into blocks, converted into frequency components, and the fine detail is quantised away more aggressively at lower quality settings.

  • The quality number is a setting on that quantisation, not a percentage of anything. Quality 50 does not mean half the detail.
  • Because the discarded detail is gone for good, re-compressing the same file repeatedly degrades it each time. Always work from the original.
  • EXIF orientation is applied before encoding so a portrait photo stays upright, and the remaining metadata — including GPS coordinates — is stripped by default.
  • Target-size mode, where offered, searches for a quality setting that lands near a size you name. It is approximate by nature and never guarantees an exact byte count.

Sources and methodology

ToolNimbly performs this work locally in your browser using the method shown above. Read how ToolNimbly tests calculations and generated documents.

How JPEG quality affects a photograph

JPEG divides an image into blocks, transforms their colour information and rounds away detail according to a quantisation table. A quality slider controls that rounding, but quality values are not standardised between applications. A setting of 75 in one encoder does not promise the same file size or appearance as 75 in another. Fine textures, noise and sharp text usually need more data than smooth skies or softly focused backgrounds.

Reducing dimensions before encoding is often the cleanest way to reach a web-size target because it removes detail that cannot be displayed anyway. Metadata can also add size, although it is rarely the main cause in a large photograph. Judge the result around edges, gradients and faces, and avoid compressing the same JPEG repeatedly. Keep the original file so a future size or quality can be produced without another generation of loss.

Limitations and privacy

What this tool does not do

  • JPEG cannot store transparency. That is not a limitation of this tool but of the format, and it is why PNG screenshots are better left as PNG.
  • Each re-encode loses a little more quality. Compressing an already heavily compressed photo gives poor results.
  • Browsers use different JPEG encoders, so the same quality setting can produce a slightly different file size in Chrome, Firefox and Safari.
  • Photographs compress well; screenshots, line art and text do not. JPEG blurs sharp edges, so flat-colour images belong in PNG or WebP.
  • Maximum 20 MB and 40 megapixels per image, 20 files per batch.

Your photographs are decoded and re-encoded in this browser tab. Nothing is uploaded, and location data in the original file is removed from the output by default.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best quality setting for JPG?

For photographs, 75 to 85. That range typically removes 60 to 80% of the file size with no difference most people can see at normal viewing distance. Go higher only when the image will be printed or edited further.

Can I compress a JPG without losing any quality?

Not by re-encoding, which is what this tool does — JPEG is lossy, so every pass discards some detail. Truly lossless JPEG optimisation exists but requires specialist tools. If you need lossless, keep the original.

Why is my JPG still large after compressing?

Almost always because of its pixel dimensions. A 12-megapixel photo has a lot of data regardless of quality setting. Cap the maximum width to around 2,000 pixels for web use and the file will drop sharply.

Does compressing remove EXIF and GPS data?

Yes, by default. Orientation is read and applied to the pixels first so the photo stays the right way up, then the metadata — including GPS coordinates, camera model and timestamp — is left out of the output.

Can I compress several photos at once?

Yes, up to 20 per batch. Each file is processed independently with its own before-and-after figures, and you can download them individually or together as a single ZIP.

Read more about this

Related tools

Other tools people use alongside the jpg compressor.

  • Image Compressor

    Compress JPG, PNG and WebP images in your browser. Adjust quality, cap dimensions and download one file or a ZIP. Nothing is uploaded to a server.

  • PNG Compressor

    Shrink PNG files with a lossless pass that keeps every pixel, or a lossy mode that reduces colours for a much smaller file. Transparency is preserved.

  • Image Resizer

    Resize JPG, PNG and WebP images by pixels or percentage, with aspect-ratio lock, contain or cover fitting and a choice of output format.

  • JPG to PNG Converter

    Convert JPG and JPEG photos to PNG in your browser, one at a time or in a batch, with correct orientation and a clear before-and-after size comparison.

  • JPG to PDF Converter

    Combine JPG photos into one PDF in the order you choose, with A4 or Letter pages, adjustable margins and automatic orientation correction.

Part of Image Tools. Last reviewed .