Drag & drop images here
or
JPG · PNG · WebP · BMP — output is JPG under 20 KB
Compressed entirely in your browser — your photos never leave your device
Compressed Images
How it works
Drop your image
Any common format, any size, even a whole batch. Nothing is uploaded — your browser reads the file directly from disk.
Quality is searched, not guessed
A binary search over JPEG quality finds the highest quality that fits under 20 KB. Dimensions are only reduced if the target is otherwise impossible.
Download a file that qualifies
A clean .jpg, guaranteed under the limit, with metadata stripped as a bonus. The card shows the exact size, dimensions, and quality used.
Why exactly 20 KB?
A 20 KB limit is one of the strictest you'll meet — it's the standard requirement for signature and thumb-impression uploads on government application portals (SSC, UPSC, IBPS, state recruitment boards) and many bank KYC forms. At this size every kilobyte counts: this tool finds the highest JPEG quality that still fits, and reduces dimensions only when it must.
Tip for best results
For signatures, crop the image tightly around the ink before compressing — white margins waste kilobytes that could go to sharpness.
Why trust ClientSide
- Compression runs entirely in your browser tab
- Files are read into RAM — never written to a server
- No network requests are made for your photos
- No file size limits, no daily quota, no watermark
- Metadata (GPS, camera info) is removed automatically
Frequently asked questions
How does this compress an image to exactly 20 KB?
A binary search over JPEG quality runs in your browser: encode, check the size, narrow the range — eight times. The result is the highest quality that fits under 20 KB. If even the lowest quality is too big, dimensions are stepped down and the search repeats.
Why do application forms ask for a 20 KB signature?
Government and bank portals built years ago enforce tiny upload limits to keep storage and bandwidth cheap. The rules persist, so applicants must fit modern phone photos into 20 KB. This tool automates the squeeze instead of you guessing export settings.
Is my photo uploaded to a server?
No. The image is read and compressed by JavaScript in your browser tab. Nothing is sent anywhere — the compressed file is written straight from memory to your downloads.
What format is the output?
Always JPEG (.jpg) — the format forms expect, and the only common format that can be tuned to an exact size. PNG, WebP, BMP, and GIF inputs are converted automatically; transparency is flattened to white.
What if 20 KB is impossible for my image?
The tool reduces dimensions step by step until the target is reachable and labels the result. In practice any photo can be brought under 20 KB — very small targets simply produce smaller images.
Need more control over the image?
Our image editor can crop, resize to exact pixel dimensions, and adjust the photo before you compress it here. For removing hidden GPS/EXIF data without recompressing, use the metadata remover.