Compress PNG Online
This PNG compressor makes a PNG file smaller by reducing its color palette, up to 256 colors, and dropping the hidden metadata. Choose a PNG and it is compressed straight away. You see the original and the compressed image on a draggable slider, and the sizes side by side, before you download anything. The compression runs in your browser, so the image is never uploaded.
How to compress a PNG
- Select Choose a PNG or drop it here and pick one PNG file, or drop it on the box. One file at a time.
- Wait a moment while it says Compressing…. The result opens by itself.
- Drag the divider on the slider to compare Original and Compressed.
- Check the three cards: the original size, the compressed size and how much smaller the file is.
- Select Download PNG. The file is saved as
yourname-compressed.png.
To compress another image, select the back arrow at the top left of the tool.
Reduce the colors for a smaller PNG
Open Fine-tune to get the Colors slider. It runs from 2 to 256 and starts at 256. Drag it toward Smaller file for fewer colors, or toward Better quality for more. The result recalculates shortly after you stop moving the slider, and the slider and the size cards update together.
| Image | Where to set Colors |
|---|---|
| Logo, icon or flat graphic | Often fine well below 64 colors. Drag down until the slider shows a difference. |
| Screenshot or diagram | Try 64 to 128, then check text edges and gradients. |
| Photo or smooth gradient | Stay near 256. Fewer colors show up as visible banding. |
These are starting points, not rules. The before/after slider is the check that matters.
This is lossy. Fewer colors means a smaller file and a slightly different image. Keep your original if you may need every color back.
What stays and what is removed
| Kept | Not kept |
|---|---|
| Image size in pixels | Embedded color profile (ICC): the image gets an sRGB tag instead |
| Transparency, including soft edges | Metadata text chunks, such as EXIF |
| The frames of an animated PNG | Colors beyond the palette you choose |
If a photo's colors look a little different after compressing, the dropped color profile is the likely reason. To remove location and camera details from a photo without touching its pixels, use the EXIF Remover.
When the PNG is already small
If the file is already about as small as it can get, the tool says so and disables Download PNG, because a larger or equal file would not help you. Open Fine-tune and try fewer colors.
Limits
PNG files only, up to 40 MB and about 48 megapixels. A file that is not a PNG, is too large or is damaged gets a message saying so instead of a result. For JPG, WebP or several images at once, use the Image Compressor. To change a PNG into another format, use the Image Converter, and to change its pixel size, the Batch Image Resizer.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you compress a PNG without losing quality?
PNG itself is lossless, so a PNG can only get much smaller if some detail is given up. This tool does that by reducing the number of colors, up to 256, and strips hidden metadata. On logos, screenshots, icons and flat graphics the change is usually invisible, which you can confirm on the before/after slider. On photos, fewer colors cause visible banding, so keep the Colors slider near 256 or use a different format.
Is PNG compression lossy or lossless?
The PNG format compresses losslessly, but this tool adds a lossy step: it reduces the color palette. That is what makes the file much smaller. The pixel shapes and transparency stay, while the number of distinct colors drops. If you need every color exactly as it is, do not use a palette reduction on that image.
Why is my PNG file so large?
PNG stores every pixel without discarding detail, and it can hold millions of colors, an alpha channel and metadata. Screenshots, photos saved as PNG and large exports are the usual causes. Reducing the palette is the biggest saving, and dropping metadata chunks removes a little more.
How do you reduce the number of colors in a PNG?
Choose a PNG and it is compressed at up to 256 colors automatically. Press Fine-tune to open the Colors slider, which runs from 2 to 256. Drag it toward Smaller file for fewer colors, or toward Better quality for more, and the result recalculates a moment after you let go.
Can I compress a PNG and keep the transparent background?
Yes. Transparency is kept in the compressed file, including soft edges and shadows. Fewer colors can make a soft edge slightly rougher, so check the edges on the slider before you download.
How do you compress a PNG to 100KB or 1MB?
There is no target-size box. Lower the Colors slider under Fine-tune and watch the Compressed size card until it reaches the size you need. Large images with many colors may not reach a small target without banding. If the image is already about as small as it gets, the tool says so and suggests fewer colors.
Does this work to compress a PNG on a Mac or Windows PC?
Yes. It runs in the browser, so it works the same on a Mac, a Windows PC, Linux or a phone, with no app to install. The image is processed on your device and is not uploaded.
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