Compress PNG Images Online Free
PNG files are often far larger than they need to be — screenshots in particular can run to several megabytes for something that is mostly flat colour. This tool brings them down to a size you choose.
You can also compress any image to a target size, or compress JPEG images, or compress WebP images.
Why compress PNG here
- Very large reductionsScreenshots and flat-colour graphics commonly drop by 80–95% with little visible change.
- You pick the target sizeSet a figure in KB and the compressor works down to it rather than guessing.
- Ideal for oversized screenshotsThe most common PNG problem — a multi-megabyte capture that will not attach.
- No signup or watermarkFree, with nothing added to the image you download.
How to Compress a PNG Image (Step-by-Step)
- 1
Upload your PNG image
Click the upload button or drag in your PNG file.
- 2
Set a target size
Enter the size in KB you need the finished file to fit within.
- 3
Click Compress
The image is reduced towards your target in a few seconds.
- 4
Download the result
Download immediately — no account, no email, no watermark.
When compressing a PNG makes sense
PNG is the right format for producing an image and frequently the wrong one for sending it. These are the cases where converting down is clearly worth it:
- A screenshot too large to attach: Full-resolution captures routinely exceed message and form limits.
- Photographs accidentally saved as PNG: PNG is a poor container for photos and inflates them enormously.
- Uploading to a form with a size cap: Where the portal cares about kilobytes and not about file extension.
- Reducing page weight on a website: For photographic content, a JPEG is far lighter than the PNG equivalent.
Why PNG files get so large
PNG is lossless. It stores enough information to reconstruct the original image exactly, pixel for pixel, and never discards detail to save space. That is precisely why it is the right choice for screenshots, diagrams and anything with text — nothing is ever smeared or approximated.
The cost is size. Lossless compression works by spotting repetition, which is highly effective on flat colour and hopeless on photographic detail. A photograph saved as PNG has almost no repetition to exploit, so the file can end up five or ten times larger than the same picture as a JPEG, with no visible benefit.
This is why a phone screenshot containing a photo behaves so badly. The interface parts compress well, the photographic part does not, and the result is a file far bigger than anyone expects from a screenshot.
When you should not compress a PNG here
If the transparency matters, stop. Logos, icons, stickers and anything intended to sit on top of another background rely on their transparent areas, and flattening them to white destroys that — the image will look correct on a white page and obviously wrong anywhere else.
If the file must remain a PNG for a technical reason — a specification that names the format, or a system that checks the extension — this tool will not satisfy it, because the output is a JPEG regardless of what went in.
And if the image is line art, a diagram, or text on a flat background, converting to JPEG may be a poor trade. Those are exactly the images JPEG handles worst, producing faint smudging around sharp edges. PNG exists for that content precisely because it keeps those edges clean.
Getting the best result
Choose the largest target size you can live with. Compression cannot be reversed, and there is nothing to gain from squeezing an image below whatever limit you are actually working to.
If the PNG is enormous mainly because of its dimensions — a 4K screenshot destined for an email — cropping or resizing before uploading gives a much better result than compression alone, because you remove the pixels rather than degrading them.
Keep your original. The PNG you started with is the only lossless copy you have, and once you have a JPEG there is no route back to it.
Privacy and Security
Every image you upload is transmitted over an encrypted HTTPS connection. Once compression finishes and you have downloaded the result, both the original and the compressed copy are permanently deleted from our servers. We never store, view or share your files.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I get a PNG file back?
No. The compressed file is returned as a JPEG, which is how the large size reduction is achieved. If you specifically need a PNG out, this tool will not produce one.
What happens to a transparent background?
It is filled with white. JPEG has no transparency channel, so transparent areas must resolve to a solid colour. If transparency matters to your image, do not compress it here.
How much smaller will my PNG get?
Often dramatically — 80 to 95 per cent is common for screenshots and photographic content. Simple flat-colour graphics that were already small will see less benefit.
Why is my screenshot so big in the first place?
PNG stores every pixel losslessly. That works beautifully for interface elements but very badly for any photographic content in the capture, which is what inflates the file.
Is it free?
Yes, with no account, no signup and no watermark on the result.