How to compress photos without losing quality
A practical guide to image compression for the web. What's the difference between JPEG, PNG and WebP, what quality to choose, and why file size is important for SEO.
Why is it important to compress images?
Images are the main reason for slow websites. According to Google, 53% of users leave a website if it takes more than 3 seconds to load. Optimizing images directly affects:
- Core Web Vitals (LCP - Largest Contentful Paint)
- SEO rating (speed is a ranking factor)
- Conversion (fast pages = more sales)
JPEG vs PNG vs WebP
| Format | Compression | Transparency | Better for |
|---|---|---|---|
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **JPEG** | Lossy (with losses) | ❌ | Photos, realistic images |
| **PNG** | Lossless | ✅ | Logos, screenshots, text |
| **WebP** | Lossy + Lossless | ✅ | Everything - 25-35% less JPEG |
Recommended quality settings
Photos for social networks: JPEG 80-85%, 1200px
Banners on the site: WebP 80%, real size
Icons and logos: PNG (lossless)
OG images: JPEG 85%, 1200×630px
Product photos: WebP 85%, 800px 80/20 rule for JPEG quality
At 100% quality, the difference from 85% is not noticeable to the eye, but the file size is 3-4 times smaller.
- 100% = 1.2 MB - no point
- 85% = 380 KB - good balance
- 70% = 180 KB - aggressive compression
- 50% = 90 KB - noticeable artifacts
Tools
Our Image Compressor works directly in the browser - your photos are not transferred to the server. 100% private.