TinyPNG vs Squoosh vs CompressIMG: Honest Comparison

You need to compress some images. You type "image compressor" into Google and get dozens of options. TinyPNG, Squoosh, CompressIMG, and a pile of others.

They all promise smaller files. But they work in very different ways. Some limit what you can do for free. Some only handle one image at a time. Some only support a few file formats.

This is a no-fluff comparison of three popular tools. What they do well, where they fall short, and which one fits your actual needs. If you're new to image compression, start with our complete guide first.

What Makes Each Image Compressor Different?

These three tools share one goal but take different paths to get there.

TinyPNG is the oldest and most well-known. It started in 2014 as a PNG-only compressor. Now it handles JPEG, WebP, and AVIF too. You upload images, it compresses them with its own algorithm, and you download the result. Simple.

TinyPNG makes every decision for you. There's no quality slider. No format options. You drop in files and get back smaller files. That's the entire experience.

Squoosh is Google's open-source compressor. It runs fully in your browser. Your images never leave your device. It gives you deep control over codec settings, a real-time side-by-side preview, and support for newer formats like AVIF and JPEG XL.

The trade-off? Squoosh only handles one image at a time. No batch processing at all.

CompressIMG sits in the middle. It handles batch uploads (up to 20 images), gives you a quality slider, and supports the widest range of file formats. It also offers a developer API for automated workflows.

Here's a quick overview:

Feature	TinyPNG	Squoosh	CompressIMG
Batch upload	Up to 20	1 image only	Up to 20
Quality control	No slider	Full codec settings	Quality slider (1-100)
Input formats	JPG, PNG, WebP, AVIF	JPG, PNG, WebP, AVIF, GIF	JPG, PNG, WebP, AVIF, TIFF, GIF, HEIC
Side-by-side preview	No	Yes	Yes
Processing	Server-side	In-browser	Server-side
API	Yes (paid)	No	Yes
Account needed	No (web)	No	No
Open source	No	Yes	No

Which Tool Gives You the Most Control Over Quality?

This is where the three tools differ the most.

TinyPNG gives you zero control. You upload an image. It compresses it. You get what you get. There's no quality slider, no format picker, no advanced settings.

For many people, that's fine. TinyPNG's algorithm does a solid job. It typically reduces file size by 40-70% with minimal visible quality loss. If you just want "make this smaller" without thinking about it, TinyPNG works.

But if a file comes back too small and blocky? You can't tell it to back off. If it's not small enough? You can't push it harder.

Squoosh is the opposite extreme. It gives you full control over everything. Pick your codec (MozJPEG, OxiPNG, WebP, AVIF). Adjust quality with a precise slider. Tweak advanced settings like color palette size and effort level.

Squoosh also shows a real-time preview. You can drag a slider across the image to compare the original and compressed version pixel by pixel. This is great for finding the exact quality sweet spot.

The downside? You need to know what you're doing. Choosing between MozJPEG at quality 75 and WebP at quality 80 requires some knowledge. For beginners, the options can feel overwhelming.

CompressIMG takes a balanced approach. You get a quality slider from 1 to 100. The default is 60, which works well for most images. Slide it up for better quality, down for smaller files. It also auto-detects your file format, so you don't have to pick a codec manually.

Like Squoosh, CompressIMG shows a side-by-side comparison with a slider. You can drag it across the image to see the original next to the compressed result. This makes it easy to spot quality changes before you download.

This hits the sweet spot for most users. Enough control to adjust results. A visual preview to check quality. Not so many options that you need a manual.

Can You Compress Multiple Images at Once?

This is the single biggest differentiator between these tools. If you work with more than a few images, batch support changes everything.

TinyPNG lets you upload up to 20 images at once. Drop them in, wait a moment, and download them all as a ZIP. For web designers and content creators working with multiple files, this saves a lot of time.

The catch is the free tier limits. Each file can't exceed 5 MB. And the free web tool allows about 100 compressions per month. Hit that limit and you'll need to pay.

Squoosh handles exactly one image at a time. There's no batch mode at all. If you need to compress 20 photos, you have to process each one individually. Upload, adjust settings, download, repeat.

Squoosh did have a command-line tool (squoosh-cli) that supported batch processing. But the project seems to have slowed its development. For most users, it's still one image at a time.

This is Squoosh's biggest weakness. It makes the tool impractical for anyone processing more than a handful of images.

CompressIMG also supports up to 20 images per batch. Upload them all, set your quality level once, and compress everything together. No monthly compression limits on the web tool. No account needed.

For batch work, TinyPNG and CompressIMG are roughly equal. Squoosh falls far behind.

What File Formats Does Each Compressor Actually Support?

Format support matters more than you might think. Not everyone works with JPEGs and PNGs. Photographers shoot in HEIC. Designers work with TIFF. GIFs are everywhere.

Format	TinyPNG	Squoosh	CompressIMG
JPEG/JPG	✅	✅	✅
PNG	✅	✅	✅
WebP	✅	✅	✅
AVIF	✅	✅	✅
TIFF	❌	❌	✅
GIF	❌	✅ (input only)	✅
HEIC/HEIF	❌	❌	✅ (converts to JPEG)
JPEG XL	❌	✅ (beta)	❌

TinyPNG covers the four most common web formats: JPEG, PNG, WebP, and AVIF. That's enough for most website work. But if you have TIFF files from a scanner or HEIC photos from an iPhone, you'll need to convert them first with another tool.

Squoosh supports a similar set of input formats plus GIF. On the output side, it also offers experimental codecs like JPEG XL and WebP v2. These aren't widely supported by browsers yet, but they're useful for testing future formats.

CompressIMG has the widest format support. It handles everything the other two do, plus TIFF, GIF, and HEIC. HEIC files from iPhones get auto-converted to JPEG during compression. No extra steps needed.

One thing to note about GIF compression. All these tools flatten animated GIFs to a single frame. If you need to compress an actual animation, you'll need a specialized GIF tool.

TIFF support is a niche feature. But if you work with scanned documents or print-ready files, it matters. Neither TinyPNG nor Squoosh can touch TIFF files.

Which Tool Is Best for Developers Who Need an API?

If you're building a website, app, or automated workflow, you don't want to manually compress images. You need an API.

TinyPNG has a well-documented API. You get 500 free compressions per month. After that, each compression costs $0.009 (about a penny). The API supports JPEG, PNG, WebP, and AVIF. It also has official plugins for WordPress, Magento, and other platforms.

TinyPNG's API is the most mature option. It's been around for years and thousands of developers use it. But the per-compression pricing can add up. A site that processes 10,000 images per month would pay around $85/month after the free tier.

Squoosh has no API at all. It's a browser tool and a CLI. There's no way to integrate it into a server-side workflow. For developers, this is a dead end.

CompressIMG offers an API that handles all supported formats, including HEIC and TIFF. API access requires a subscription plan. Usage is tracked by monthly quotas rather than per-compression billing.

CompressIMG also has an official n8n community node. This lets you add image compression to any n8n automation workflow. Connect it to file uploads, CMS triggers, or e-commerce pipelines without writing code. WordPress and Shopify integrations are planned too.

For developers, the choice is mainly between TinyPNG and CompressIMG. TinyPNG has more mature documentation and a larger plugin library today. CompressIMG offers wider format support, n8n integration, and a different pricing model. Squoosh isn't in the running.

Integration	TinyPNG	Squoosh	CompressIMG
REST API	✅	❌	✅
WordPress plugin	✅	❌	Planned
Shopify plugin	❌	❌	Planned
n8n node	❌	❌	✅
CLI tool	✅	✅	❌

How Do Free Plans and Pricing Compare?

Price matters. Especially when you're just trying to make a few images smaller.

TinyPNG (free tier):

• Up to 20 images per upload
• 5 MB max per file
• About 100 compressions per month
• No quality control

TinyPNG (paid plans):

• Pro: $39/year (unlimited compressions, 75 MB per file)
• Ultra: $149/year (unlimited compressions, 150 MB per file)
• API: 500 free/month, then ~$0.009 per compression

TinyPNG raised its Pro price from $25 to $39/year without adding new features. Some long-time users weren't happy about that.

Squoosh:

• Completely free, no limits
• No paid tier exists
• No API to pay for
• Open source

Squoosh wins on price. It's free forever with no caps. If you only need to compress one image at a time and want full control, it costs nothing.

CompressIMG (free web tool):

• Batch compression up to 20 images
• Quality slider
• All formats supported
• No account needed
• No monthly limit on the web tool

CompressIMG (API/premium):

• Subscription plans for API access
• Monthly usage quotas included
• Extended format support via API

For casual use, all three tools are free. The differences show up at scale. If you process hundreds of images, TinyPNG's per-compression costs add up. If you need batch processing and don't want to pay, CompressIMG's free web tool has no monthly cap.

What About Privacy and Security?

Where your images go matters. Especially if you work with sensitive photos or client files.

Squoosh is the clear winner here. All processing happens in your browser using WebAssembly. Your images never leave your device. Nothing gets uploaded to any server. For confidential images, this is ideal.

TinyPNG uploads your images to its servers for processing. The images are stored temporarily and deleted after a short period. For most uses, this is fine. But if you work with medical images, legal documents, or sensitive client data, server-side processing might be a concern.

CompressIMG also processes images server-side. Compressed files are stored temporarily using signed URLs that expire. Like TinyPNG, this is standard practice but means your images do pass through external servers.

If privacy is your top concern, Squoosh is the safest choice. If you need batch processing or an API, you'll need to trust server-side processing.

Which Image Compressor Should You Pick?

There's no single "best" tool. The right choice depends on how you work.

Pick TinyPNG if:

• You want zero decisions. Upload and compress.
• You need WordPress integration.
• You work only with JPG, PNG, WebP, or AVIF.
• You're okay paying $39/year for unlimited compressions.

Pick Squoosh if:

• You compress one image at a time.
• You want pixel-level control over quality.
• Privacy matters and you don't want images leaving your device.
• You like experimenting with newer codecs like JPEG XL.

Pick CompressIMG if:

• You compress multiple images in batches.
• You want both batch processing and a quality slider.
• You work with HEIC photos from iPhones or TIFF files from scanners.
• You need a developer API with broad format support.
• You want a free tool without monthly compression limits.

The honest answer? Keep all three bookmarked. Use Squoosh when you need precise control on a single image. Use TinyPNG when you want quick, no-thought compression. Use CompressIMG when you need batch processing, format flexibility, or API access.

Each tool is good at what it does. The smart move is knowing which one to reach for.