Everyone's used TinyPNG. It's the default "make this image smaller" tool, and its compression is genuinely good. But every roundup I read compares these tools on file size alone, and in 2026 that's the least interesting difference between them.
Here's the direct answer: the tools differ less on file size than on where your images get processed and what you pay. TinyPNG uploads your files to its servers and charges a subscription (Web Pro is $3.25/month billed annually — $39/year, verified on their pricing page today). Browser-local tools like Squoosh and SnapShrink process everything on your device. I build SnapShrink, a batch image compressor that runs 100% in the browser, and I'll tell you exactly where TinyPNG still wins. If you handle client photos, ID scans, or unreleased work, the privacy angle matters more than a 5% size difference, and almost nobody writes about it.
The comparison that actually matters
| TinyPNG | Squoosh | SnapShrink | Compressor.io | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Where files are processed | Their servers | Your browser | Your browser | Their servers |
| Free batch limit | 20 images, 5 MB each | 1 image at a time | 10/session, no file cap | ~10/session |
| Pricing | Free tier + Pro/Ultra subscriptions ($39/year Pro) | Free forever | $9 one-time | Free tier + subscription |
| API / WordPress plugin | Yes, mature | No | No | No |
| Target an exact file size | No | No | Yes (type the KB) | No |
| EXIF stripped | Server-side | N/A (local) | On-device, automatic | Server-side |
TinyPNG's free tier is honest: 20 images at once, 5 MB each. The paid product is a subscription — $39/year for Web Pro, $149/year for Ultra. That's a fine model for a server-side tool, because bandwidth and compute cost real money per image. It's just worth asking whether your use case needs a server at all.
How does in-browser compression actually work?
No magic, and no server: the browser reads your files with the File API, encodes them in a Web Worker (so the tab stays responsive), and hands you the bytes back. The network is never involved — your CPU does the work your laptop was already going to do.
The quality difference people worry about is real but small. Browser canvas encoders are a bit less efficient than TinyPNG's proprietary quantizer at maximum compression, but encoder choice matters less than your settings. On a 3000×2000 test photo I measured, JPEG quality 80 came out ~42% smaller than quality 95 with no visible difference at normal viewing distance — and switching the same photo to WebP at quality 80 cut the file to less than half the JPEG. Quality level, dimensions, and format dwarf the tool-to-tool gap.
How can you verify a compressor really keeps your files local?
Don't trust privacy policies — test them. This 30-second check works on every compressor on the market, including mine:
- Open any compressor, press F12 → Network tab.
- Drop in photos, compress.
- Filter for uploads (POST/PUT with file bodies).
With a browser-local tool you'll see zero — because there are none to see. Run the same test on a server-side compressor and watch the difference.
There's a second angle nobody mentions: EXIF data. Phone photos carry GPS coordinates, timestamps, device info. Upload that to a server compressor and the metadata travels with the file — you're trusting their pipeline to strip it. Local tools strip it on your device before anything could leave. (I wrote up why that matters separately.)
When should you stick with TinyPNG?
Plenty of cases where I'd pick TinyPNG myself:
- You need compression inside an automated workflow — build pipeline, CMS, upload endpoint. TinyPNG's API is built for exactly that; browser tools are manual.
- You use the WordPress plugin. Mature, set-and-forget.
- You want their specific PNG quantization. For aggressive PNG size reduction it's still excellent.
- You're compressing 1–5 images occasionally and don't care about uploads or subscriptions.
The honest version: these tools overlap but aren't identical. TinyPNG has the ecosystem. Browser-local tools have the privacy model and (in our case) the pricing model.
Why can a browser tool charge $9 once while TinyPNG charges $39/year?
Because the cost structures are completely different. Server-side tools pay for bandwidth and compute on every single image — subscriptions make sense for them. A browser tool's marginal cost per image is ~zero after the page loads, so charging monthly rent for it is a business choice, not a technical necessity.
That's the whole argument for $9 once: pay through Dodo Payments, get a license key by email, paste it in, done. Offline verification, no account, 14-day money-back guarantee.
Limitations, stated plainly: no API, no WordPress plugin, no AVIF output in v1, 10 free images per session. If any of those are your workflow, TinyPNG or Squoosh is the better pick.
FAQ
Is SnapShrink actually free?
The first 10 images per session are free, no account needed. After that it's a $9 one-time payment for unlimited use — not a subscription. There's a 14-day money-back guarantee, and the license is verified offline, so the tool keeps working even without an account system.
Does browser compression match TinyPNG's quality?
Close enough that your settings matter more than your tool. TinyPNG's quantizer has a small edge on maximum PNG compression, but quality level, dimensions, and format choice (especially WebP) move file size far more than encoder choice. My own test: JPEG quality 80 vs 95 on the same photo — 42% smaller, no visible difference.
What happens to EXIF data in my photos?
It's stripped on your device, automatically, before anything could leave — because nothing ever leaves. With server-side compressors, your GPS coordinates and timestamps travel with the upload and you're trusting their pipeline to strip them. I wrote a separate guide on stripping metadata from photos if you want the full picture.
Can I hit an exact file size, like under 100KB?
Yes — that's the one thing most compressors can't do. Instead of guessing the quality slider, you compress an image to an exact file size by typing the target KB, and the tool finds the quality setting that fits at or under it.
The longer version with the full comparison table and decision matrix lives on the blog: TinyPNG Alternative You Pay Once ($9). Try the tool free — getsnapshrink.com/app.
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