Example: an 11-megapixel camera photo at 500 KB
A 3719 × 3056 harbour photo from a Sony DSLR (public domain, Wikimedia Commons), with File size set to 500 KB.
Three photos at 500 KB
| Photo | Before | After | Pixels | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harbour (DSLR, 3719 × 3056) | 4.97 MB | 487 KB | 3719 × 3056 (full size) | 78 |
| City at night (iPhone, 3024 × 4032) | 7.37 MB | 488 KB | 2742 × 3656 | 63 |
| Rocky coast (4008 × 2015) | 1.71 MB | 487 KB | 4008 × 2015 (full size) | 71 |
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 500 KB
At 500 KB most photos keep their full size. Two of the three photos above kept every pixel; the 12-megapixel iPhone photo was scaled to 2742 × 3656, about 10 megapixels.
Use it for listings and portals that keep full-size photos, or to email a lot of photos under an attachment limit.
How to compress an image to 500 KB
- Drop your photos above, or choose them, up to 30 at a time. File size is already set to 500 KB.
- Check each result's file size. If an image can't get under 500 KB, 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 500 KB
Will the file be exactly 500 KB?
A little under, usually within 3% of 500,000 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?
Usually. PicoDiet only reduces the dimensions when lowering the quality alone would make the photo look blotchy. Two of the three photos above kept every pixel.
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.