Free
ShortPixel
Compresses JPG, PNG and animated GIF images with a choice of three strengths, and converts them to WebP or AVIF for the web.
FreemiumBeginnerWeb
Overview
ShortPixel makes image files smaller. It reads JPG, PNG and GIF, including animated GIFs, and can write the newer WebP and AVIF formats that load web pages faster. Its distinctive choice is three compression strengths rather than one slider. Lossless keeps every pixel and saves the least. Lossy discards image data and saves the most. Glossy sits between, for a smaller file with no visible change.
It runs in the browser, and the same compression powers ShortPixel's WordPress plugin. Work runs on credits: 100 free credits a month, with files capped at 10 MB until you sign in. Beyond that you subscribe, or buy one-time credit packs the vendor states never expire, which suits occasional bursts.
Key features
✓Lossless, glossy & lossy compression
✓Reads JPG, PNG & animated GIF
✓Converts to WebP & AVIF
✓Resize to a maximum width & height
✓Keep or remove EXIF data
✓Converts CMYK to RGB
✓Archive Optimizer takes a ZIP of many images
✓Background removal & 2x to 4x enlargement
✓One-time credits that do not expire
✓Same compression as its WordPress plugin
When to use
Use ShortPixel if:
- You have photos slowing a page down and you want them smaller without picking settings yourself.
- You want to choose how much you lose. Lossless, glossy and lossy are three defined strengths rather than a number you guess at.
- You need WebP or AVIF. It converts as part of the same job.
- You have a folder to get through. The Archive Optimizer takes a ZIP of many images in one upload, and it handles animated GIFs as well as photos.
- You optimise occasionally. The one-time credit packages do not expire, so they survive the gaps between jobs.
- You run a WordPress site. The same compression exists as a plugin that handles new uploads for you.
When NOT to use
Skip ShortPixel if any of these describe you:
- Your images cannot go to a server. Everything is uploaded here. Squoosh and BIRME process on your own machine.
- You want to see the trade-off as you make it. This applies a named strength. Optimizilla shows a preview against a slider.
- You compress at volume for free. The free allowance is 100 credits a month and each image spends credits. Compare other image compressors.
- Cutting out backgrounds is the actual job. That tool is here, but a dedicated background remover goes further.
- You want to keep every pixel and every byte of camera data. Lossless does the first, and EXIF is a setting to check on the second.
Frequently asked questions
You get 100 free credits a month, and files are capped at 10 MB until you sign in. Past the free credits you either subscribe or buy a one-time package of credits. Each image you optimise spends credits, so the free allowance is a number of images per month rather than unlimited use.
Lossless rearranges how the file is stored without changing a single pixel, so the image is untouched and the saving is modest. Lossy throws away image data to make the file much smaller. Glossy is the middle setting, intended for photographers who want a large saving without visible change. If you are unsure, glossy is the compromise between the two.
It depends how you buy them. The 100 free monthly credits renew and do not build up. The vendor states that credits bought as a one-time package never expire, which suits someone who optimises a batch every few months rather than every week. Subscription credits come with the billing period.
Both are newer formats that make web pages load faster than JPG or PNG at the same quality, and ShortPixel can produce them as part of the job. AVIF usually makes the smallest file. Both are supported by current browsers, so the choice depends on what your site or platform accepts.
That is your choice. EXIF is the data your camera writes into a file: shutter speed, lens, date, and sometimes the location. Removing it makes the file smaller and removes the location, and keeping it preserves the record. The option sits with the compression settings.
Yes, through the Archive Optimizer: you upload a ZIP file of images and it returns them optimised, which is aimed at large sets rather than a handful. Each image in the archive still spends credits. If the images are on a WordPress site, the plugin handles them there instead.
Alternatives to ShortPixel
Freemium
Free
Optimizilla
Compresses a batch of images entirely inside your browser, with a quality slider per image and nothing uploaded.
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Freemium
Compressor.io
Shrinks an image file as far as it can, lossy or lossless, and lists the size saved for every file.
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