weconvertit

Image

Compress JPEG

Free, private, and instant — your files never leave your device.

Loading tool…

JPEG compression is permanent and set at encode time — the quality level is baked into the file and cannot be improved after the fact. To reduce a JPEG's file size, you re-encode it at a lower quality setting: the compressor runs again, discarding additional spatial detail that the eye barely notices at the frequencies JPEG targets. At quality 80, most photographs end up 40–60% smaller with almost no visible change at normal viewing distances. The critical caveat is generation loss: every re-encode is lossy, and compression artefacts compound each time you save. Always compress from the highest-quality original you have — re-compressing an already-degraded JPEG at a low quality setting is a reliable way to introduce visible blocking and ringing around edges.

When you’d want to compress

  • Reducing photo file sizes before emailing, sharing, or uploading to social media
  • Fitting photos under upload size limits on web platforms or email servers
  • Batch-reducing a folder of camera exports before posting to a portfolio or CMS
  • Optimising site images to improve Core Web Vitals and page load times

What to watch for

Re-encoding stacks quality loss — each compression pass discards a little more detail. Start from the highest-quality source you have, not from a previously compressed copy.
Very low quality settings introduce visible blockiness and ringing around sharp edges. Stay at quality 70 or above for images that will be viewed at full size.

How to Use

  1. 1

    Drop your JPEG files onto the upload area or click to browse.

  2. 2

    Set the quality slider. Quality 80 is a good starting point — small files, nearly invisible loss. Go higher for product or portfolio photography.

  3. 3

    Optionally set a maximum width or height to scale down oversized photos at the same time.

  4. 4

    Download compressed files and spot-check quality before discarding the originals.

Related Conversions

JPEG to WebP JPEG to AVIF JPEG to PNG

Compress Other Formats

Compress PNG Compress WebP Compress AVIF Compress GIF Compress BMP Compress HEIC

Related Guide

PNG vs JPG vs WebP vs AVIF

Frequently Asked Questions

How much smaller will the compressed JPEG be?

At quality 80, most photographs compress 40–60% from a quality-95 source, and 20–35% from an already-compressed quality-85 JPEG. The exact savings depend on image content — smooth, low-frequency subjects (sky, skin) compress more efficiently than high-frequency detail (foliage, fabric).

Does re-encoding the JPEG reduce quality further?

Yes. Each lossy encode pass discards additional information. The degradation is controlled by the quality slider — at quality 80+ it is minimal and typically imperceptible in photographs. At quality 50 or below, blocking artefacts become visible. The damage compounds if you repeatedly re-encode, so compress only once from your highest-quality source.

What quality setting should I use?

Quality 80 is the standard starting point for web images — small files, minimal visible loss. Use 85–90 for product shots, portfolio images, or anything viewed at large sizes. Use 70–75 if you need aggressive file-size reduction and the image will only be displayed small. Avoid going below 65 except where file size is the only concern.

See all compress tools

Browse every format — compression and conversion, free and in-browser.

All Conversions