TodayTools

Compress image to 500 KB

Big phone photos that pass any upload box.

PrivateNo uploadsRuns in your browser

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Format
Quality: set to fit the file size
Quick target

What fits in 500 KB

Where 500 KB is asked for

  • Upload boxes that allow up to 500 KB
  • Photo contests, portfolios and listings that want detail
  • Sharing many photos in one email
  • Saving phone space while keeping photos you may print small

How big the picture stays

About 2400 to 3000 px on the long side, close to the original for most screens.

Phone photo
3.3 MB, 4032 x 2663 px
After
464 KB, 2919 x 1928 px

Tested on a 3.3 MB family photo from a phone: hard to tell apart from the original.

Tip for 500 KB

Most phone photos only need a smaller pixel size to reach 500 KB, so the quality stays high.

Other sizes: 100 KB, 50 KB, 20 KB, 200 KB.

How KB is counted. Here 500 KB means 500,000 bytes. Some sites count 500 x 1,024 = 512,000 bytes (sometimes written KiB). A file under 500,000 bytes passes both.

How to compress an image to 500 KB

  1. Choose photos

    Tap the big button or drop photos on it. You can add many at once, or paste a picture.

  2. It fits 500 KB

    Each photo is made just under 500 KB straight away. The row shows the size before and after.

  3. Check and download

    Zoom in on the before and after to see it is clear, then download one photo or all as a zip.

Good to know

  • Max file size keeps the whole picture and balances pixel size and quality, so the file lands just under the limit and still looks clear. The row shows the quality it settled on.
  • Paper with text, such as a form or certificate, keeps more pixels so the words stay readable, and may be saved in grey for a very small size.
  • Longest side limits the longer edge and keeps the aspect ratio. 0 keeps the original size, and images smaller than the limit are never enlarged.
  • Large photos are processed in the background, so the page stays smooth. SVG files are turned into pixels at their own size.
  • Animated GIF and WebP files are converted as a still image of the first frame.
  • Green output sizes are smaller than the original. Turning a small JPEG into PNG usually makes it larger, because PNG is lossless.
  • The zip is built in the browser and stores the files without extra compression, since the images are already compressed.
  • A file that fails to decode shows the reason on its row. HEIC and RAW files are the usual cause; export them as JPEG from your phone or camera software first.

Where people use it

  • Upload box with a 500 KB limit

    Make a big phone photo fit with almost no visible change.

  • Listings and portfolios

    Keep detail for a property, product or portfolio photo.

  • Many photos in one email

    Send a whole set without hitting the attachment limit.

  • Exact size in pixels

    Resize to a set width and height instead.

    Image resizer

Why this one

It shrinks the pixel size a little and keeps quality high, so a 500 KB copy is hard to tell apart from the original.

  • Close to the original: about 2400 to 3000 pixels kept.
  • Many photos at once, with one zip to download.
  • Nothing is uploaded. Your photos stay on your device.

What you can change

  • Target already set to 500 KB
  • Keep the format or switch to JPEG or WebP
  • Longest side limit in pixels
  • Many photos at once, one zip

People find this page by searching

  • compress image to 500kb
  • reduce image size to 500kb
  • jpg to 500kb
  • photo under 500kb
  • compress photo without losing quality
  • image size below 500kb
Cite this tool
  • APA
    sdev.in. (n.d.). Compress image to 500 KB online [Web tool]. https://www.sdev.in/tools/compress-image-to-500kb
  • MLA
    "Compress image to 500 KB online." sdev.in, https://www.sdev.in/tools/compress-image-to-500kb.
  • Chicago
    sdev.in. "Compress image to 500 KB online." https://www.sdev.in/tools/compress-image-to-500kb.
  • BibTeX
    @misc{sdev-compress-image-to-500kb,
  title = {Compress image to 500 KB online},
  author = {{sdev.in}},
  howpublished = {\url{https://www.sdev.in/tools/compress-image-to-500kb}},
  note = {Web tool}
}

Questions people ask

How do I compress a photo to 500 KB?

Choose the photo. The 500 KB target is already set, so a big phone photo comes out just under 500 KB with its detail kept.

Will my photo still be clear at 500 KB?

Yes, as clear as the size allows. The tool keeps the whole picture and never crops it. It lowers the pixel size a little and keeps the quality in a good range, instead of pushing the quality so low that faces turn into blocks. Zoom in on the before and after to check.

Is the file really under 500 KB?

Yes. It aims just under 500000 bytes, so it passes whether a form counts a KB as 1000 or 1024 bytes. The row shows the exact size before and after.

What happens to a PNG?

A PNG photo cannot get this small and stay clear, so it is saved as JPEG and the row says so. A PNG with see-through parts, such as a logo, stays PNG.

Are my photos uploaded?

No. Everything happens in your browser on your own device. Nothing is sent to a server.

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