Example: an 11-megapixel camera photo at 1 MB
A 3719 × 3056 harbour photo from a Sony DSLR (public domain, Wikimedia Commons), with File size set to 1 MB.
Three photos at 1 MB
| Photo | Before | After | Pixels | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harbour (DSLR, 3719 × 3056) | 4.97 MB | 666 KB | 3719 × 3056 (full size) | 81 |
| City at night (iPhone, 3024 × 4032) | 7.37 MB | 999 KB | 3024 × 4032 (full size) | 73 |
| Rocky coast (4008 × 2015) | 1.71 MB | 835 KB | 4008 × 2015 (full size) | 81 |
Public-domain photos from Wikimedia Commons. The score compares each result with the original at the same size: 80 looks the same at normal viewing, 60 shows small flaws up close.
When you need 1 MB
Forums, older websites and some job sites limit uploads to 1 MB. At that size photos rarely need scaling. Two of the three photos above already looked the same as the original at 666 and 835 KB, so PicoDiet stopped there instead of filling the limit. The iPhone night photo kept all 12 megapixels at 999 KB.
How to compress an image to 1 MB
- Drop your photos above, or choose them, up to 30 at a time. File size is already set to 1 MB.
- Check each result's file size. If an image can't get under 1 MB, PicoDiet shows the smallest result it found and tells you. Open any image to compare it with the original, zoomed in.
- Download one, or all of them as a ZIP. To try another limit, pick it above the results.
PicoDiet lowers the quality first and reduces the dimensions only when a full-size image would look blotchy. Photos come out as JPEG, which most upload forms accept; images with transparency stay PNG and GIFs stay GIF. How PicoDiet picks the size
What happens to your images
Uploaded over HTTPS to the nearest of our servers, processed automatically, and deleted within 3 minutes after you finish. Never shared, sold or used for training. No account needed. Privacy policy
Questions about 1 MB
Will the file be exactly 1 MB?
A little under, usually within 3% of 1,000,000 bytes. That also passes forms that count a kilobyte as 1024 bytes. If the image already looks the same as the original in less, you get the smaller file.
Will my photo keep its full size?
Almost always. PicoDiet only reduces the dimensions when lowering the quality alone would make the photo look blotchy. All three photos above kept their full size.
Can I choose another size?
Yes. Pick another size above the results, or type your own under Custom, in KB or MB (such as 1.5 MB). You can also give one image a size of its own.
Does it work for PNG, HEIC and screenshots?
Yes. Photos become JPEG, including iPhone HEIC photos. Screenshots and graphics keep their format; a PNG gets fewer colours before it gets fewer pixels.
Are my images private?
Yes. Images are uploaded over an encrypted connection to the nearest of our servers, optimized, and deleted within 3 minutes after you finish. They are never shared, sold or used for training, and there is no account to sign up for. Details are in the privacy policy.