Online forms love strict file size limits. A visa portal might ask for a photo under 100 KB, a job site may cap attachments at 200 KB, and your email provider may refuse a message full of 5 MB phone pictures. This image compressor gets your file under the limit without making you guess at settings.
You can work in two ways. Use the quality slider when you just want a lighter file, or enter a target size in KB and let the tool find the highest JPG or WebP quality that fits. If quality alone is not enough, it can also scale the image down step by step until the result fits.
How to use: Compress Image Online
- Click Choose an image file and select a JPG, PNG or WebP photo up to 15 MiB.
- Under Compression method, choose Quality setting for manual control or Target file size (KB) for an exact limit.
- Pick an Output format: WebP is usually smallest, while JPG (white background) is the safest choice for forms.
- Drag the JPG / WebP quality slider, or type a number such as 100 into Target size (KB).
- Leave Also reduce resolution if needed checked if the target is tight, then click Compress image.
- Check the new dimensions, size and quality shown under the preview, then click Download.
Example: a 3.4 MB phone photo compressed to under 200 KB for a job application form.
When you need to compress an image to a specific size
Upload limits are the most common reason people search for "compress image to 100KB." Government portals, exam registrations, university applications and HR systems often set a maximum size for photos and scanned signatures. Requirements change and vary by country, so always check the current instructions on the official site before you submit.
Smaller images also make websites faster. Large hero images are a frequent cause of a slow Largest Contentful Paint, one of Google's Core Web Vitals. Compressing a 2 MB banner to 150 KB can noticeably improve load time on mobile data.
How target size mode works
In Target file size (KB) mode, the compressor tests different quality levels and keeps the highest one that stays under your limit. You can enter any value from 5 to 10,000 KB. If the image still does not fit at a reasonable quality and Also reduce resolution if needed is on, the tool shrinks the dimensions by about 15% per step and tries again, without dropping quality below 40%.
Target mode works only with JPG and WebP. PNG is lossless, so it has no quality setting to trade for size; if you pick PNG, the tool switches you to WebP. A note on units: the tool measures in KiB (1 KiB = 1,024 bytes). Some websites count 1 KB as 1,000 bytes, so leave a little headroom, for example aim for 95 KB when the limit is 100 KB.
Tips and common mistakes
Compression works best when you remove pixels you do not need first. A tiny target like 20 KB on a large, detailed photo forces heavy downscaling, so crop to the face or document area before compressing.
- Crop away empty background first, then compress.
- For photos, quality between 70% and 85% is usually hard to tell apart from the original.
- Pick WebP for websites and JPG for forms that may not accept WebP.
- Compress from the original, not from an already compressed copy.
Frequently asked questions
How do I compress an image to 100KB?
Choose your photo, set Compression method to Target file size (KB), choose JPG or WebP as the output format and enter 100 (or 95 for a safety margin). Keep Also reduce resolution if needed checked, then click Compress image. The result line shows the final size, quality and dimensions so you can confirm it fits.
Can I compress a photo to 20KB or 50KB?
Yes, any target from 5 KB to 10,000 KB is accepted. Very small targets usually require the tool to reduce resolution as well as quality, so a 20 KB photo will be noticeably smaller in pixels. That is fine for passport-style thumbnails, but check that the form does not also require minimum dimensions.
Does compressing an image reduce its quality?
JPG and WebP compression is lossy, so some detail is discarded. At moderate settings, around 75% to 85%, most people cannot see the difference on a normal screen. Quality loss becomes visible as blocky areas or blurry edges when you push the quality very low or demand a tiny target size.
Why can't I use PNG with a target size?
PNG is a lossless format with no quality slider, so there is nothing to lower in order to hit a specific size. The only way to make a PNG smaller is to reduce its dimensions or switch formats. That is why target mode works with JPG and WebP only.
Why is my compressed file larger than the original?
If the original was already heavily optimized, re-encoding it at a high quality can add bytes. This also happens when converting a small, simple PNG to JPG. Lower the quality slider, choose WebP, or use target size mode, which guarantees the output stays under the number you enter.
Is my photo uploaded when I compress it?
No. Compression happens in your browser on your own device, and the file is never sent to a server. As a bonus, EXIF metadata such as GPS location, capture date and camera details is not copied to the compressed file, which makes it safer to share publicly.