Compress Image to 20KB Online, Free and Exact

🖼️

Drop your image here, or click to browse

JPG, PNG, or WebP — up to 40 MB

🔒 100% private — files are processed in your browser and never uploaded to any server.

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Check the preview looks good, then download.

How to compress an image to 20 KB

Add your photo. Drop a JPG, PNG or WebP into the box above, or click to browse. It opens in your browser and is never uploaded.
The 20 KB target is already set. There is nothing to change. If your form asks for a different limit, type that number into the size box instead.
Check the preview, then download. The finished size is shown before you save, so you know it will clear the upload form on the first try.

📄 Need to compress a PDF instead?🔄 Convert JPG ↔ PNG ↔ WebP 📄 Turn images into a PDF 📊 PDF to Excel

Frequently asked questions

How do I get my photo under 20 KB without ruining it?

Don't guess with quality sliders. This tool automatically finds the highest quality (and, if needed, the largest dimensions) that still fits 20 KB — the result is the best-looking image that passes the limit.

Is my photo uploaded to your server?

No. Compression happens entirely inside your browser using its built-in image engine. Your photo never leaves your device — there is nothing to upload, and nothing for us to store.

What formats can I compress?

JPG, PNG and WebP input. Output is JPG (works everywhere) or WebP (smaller, supported by all modern browsers and portals). PNG output isn't offered because PNG can't hit small size targets for photos.

Need a different image size?

Every limit below uses the same tool with a different target, so you can go straight to the one your form or inbox actually asks for. If you only need a smaller file size in general and no exact number, pick the next limit up from where you are now and keep more quality.

10KB 30KB 50KB 100KB 150KB 200KB 300KB 500KB

Not sure which limit you need, or want to type an exact number of your own? The image compressor takes any target you give it.

Why 20 KB, and why it's the hardest target

20 KB is the tightest photo limit you'll normally meet, and it almost always comes from one place: signature and thumb-impression boxes on government and exam forms, plus the occasional tiny profile icon. These fields were sized for a scanned signature on white paper, not a colour photograph, which is why fitting an actual portrait into 20 KB is genuinely demanding.

What to expect at this size

At 20 KB there simply isn't enough data for a large, detailed photo, so the tool will usually reduce the pixel dimensions as well as the quality. That's the right call — a smaller, clean image reads far better than a full-size one shattered into compression blocks. For a signature or thumb impression, the result is crisp and perfectly acceptable. For a face photo forced to 20 KB, expect it to look soft; if the form allows a slightly higher limit, use it.

How to get a usable 20 KB image

Crop tightly first. For a signature, crop to just the ink; for a face, crop to head and shoulders. Every removed pixel is quality returned to what remains.
Prefer a plain background. A signature on white or a face against a flat wall compresses far smaller than a busy scene, because there's less detail to encode.
Scan signatures in grayscale where the form permits it — it shrinks dramatically and looks cleaner than a colour photo of the same mark.

Set the tool to 20 KB above and check the preview. If you need a little more headroom, the 50 KB and 100 KB presets are one click away.

Compress image to 20 KB