Images are usually the heaviest part of a web page. Compressing them is the single biggest speed win for most sites, and done right, nobody can tell the difference. Here is how.
How compression works
There are two kinds:
- Lossy (JPEG, WebP): drops detail the eye barely notices to make files much smaller. Best for photos.
- Lossless (PNG): keeps every pixel, smaller savings. Best for graphics with sharp edges, logos, and screenshots with text.
The goal is to compress as much as possible before the loss becomes visible. For most photos, that point is far lower than the original file size.
Compress in your browser
- Open the Image Compressor.
- Drop in your JPG, PNG, or WebP.
- Download the smaller file. Your images are processed on your device and never uploaded.
Use WebP where you can
WebP typically beats JPEG and PNG at the same quality, often 25 to 35% smaller. Every modern browser supports it. For photos and most graphics, converting to WebP is an easy win. Keep a JPEG or PNG fallback only if you must support very old browsers.
Right-size before you compress
Compression helps, but serving a 4000px image into a 800px slot wastes bandwidth no matter how well it is compressed. Resize the image to the largest size it will actually display, then compress. The two steps together often cut a file to a fraction of its original weight.
Related tools
- Need to change dimensions first? Use the Image Resizer.
- Converting formats? Try PNG to WebP or the Image Converter.
- Want to see your total page weight? Run the Page Size & Request Analyzer.
Resize to the real display size, convert to WebP, compress. Faster pages, same-looking images.