Room for a full-size photo
Half a megabyte is generous for a JPEG. The 2000 x 1333 test photo fitted at quality 88 with no shrinking. The 12 MP photo, 4000 x 2667, came out at 4000 x 2667 and quality 57, still at full size.
Use 500 KB where the photo itself matters: a product listing, an insurance claim, a property advert or a portfolio page.
| Test image | Original | Result | JPEG quality | Pixels | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Photo | 694 KB | 499 KB | 88 | 2000 x 1333 | 5.3 s |
| 12 MP photo | 1.81 MB | 491 KB | 57 | 4000 x 2667 | 11.2 s |
| Screenshot | 46 KB | 115 KB | 95 | 1600 x 900 | 439 ms |
| Illustration | 94 KB | 81 KB | 95 | 1200 x 1200 | 401 ms |
Test images are synthetic files made by this project: a 2000 x 1333 landscape photo, a 1600 x 900 interface screenshot and a 1200 x 1200 transparent illustration. The 12 MP photo is the same photo scaled up to 4000 x 2667, the size a phone camera saves. Quality is lowered first and the image is only scaled down when quality alone cannot reach the target. A JPEG that is already under the target is left as it is. Timings: one thread of WebAssembly on Node v22.23.4, Intel(R) Xeon(R) Processor @ 2.10GHz, 2 cores, measured 2026-10-31. Other devices will differ.
Phone photos
Phone cameras save large JPEG or HEIC files, often 3 to 6 MB. Most come under 500 KB with a quality drop you will not see at normal size. HEIC photos from an iPhone are read directly, and the result is a JPEG that any site will take. There is also a separate HEIC to JPG page if you only need the format changed.
Files that are already small enough
A JPEG that is already under 500 KB is left as it is. Only its metadata is removed, so there is no second round of compression and no quality loss. A PNG is converted to JPEG unless you choose Same under Save as.
When 500 KB is not enough
Large scans of documents and very detailed photos can need more. If the result card says the target was reached by scaling, the image got smaller in pixels. Raise the target with the size buttons or type your own value, or try the 1 MB page.
A set of photos for a listing
Drop all the photos for a listing at once. Each one is brought under 500 KB on its own, so a dark interior shot and a bright exterior shot both get the quality they need. Download them as a ZIP, ready to upload. Each photo counts once toward the free limit of 10 a day.
Checking the result
The result card shows the size before and after, the quality used and the pixel size. Compare puts the original and the result side by side with a slider and a 100% view, which is where compression damage shows up if there is any.
Questions
Does this change the photo dimensions?
Only when quality alone cannot reach 500 KB. Most photos keep their full size.
Why is my file smaller than 500 KB?
The tool picks the highest quality that fits, in whole steps, so the file lands just under the target and sometimes well under it.
Can I get WebP instead of JPEG?
Yes, choose WebP under Save as. It keeps more detail at the same size, but some forms do not accept it.