Kompressor vs JPEGmini

Where Kompressor wins

$2.99 vs $59 — for most workflows, identical results

For typical 8–24 megapixel photos compressed at quality 75 to 90, JPEGmini and Kompressor produce JPEG files within a few percent of each other in size and visual quality. You will not see the difference at arm's length on a Retina display. JPEGmini's price gap of $56 makes sense only when you are at scale (thousands of files per month) or working with very large source files where the algorithmic edge compounds. For a casual or even semi-pro user, that money buys nothing extra.

Three formats out, not just JPEG

JPEGmini's specialisation is its strength and its limitation: JPEG in, JPEG out, period. If you need PNG (transparency), WebP (modern web), or want to convert HEIC iPhone photos to something else, JPEGmini does not do it. Kompressor outputs JPEG, PNG and WebP from any supported input. For modern web work, that flexibility is the difference between one app and three.

Built-in resize

JPEGmini compresses at the source resolution. A 24-megapixel shot stays 24 megapixels — just lighter. For web use you almost always want to also cap the longest side at 1600 or 2400 pixels. JPEGmini sends you to another tool for that. Kompressor caps and compresses in one step.

A modern Mac UI

JPEGmini's interface is functional and unchanged in years — drag files in, see the savings, find the output. It works, but it feels like 2014 professional software. Kompressor uses TWK Continental, a clean Apple-style window, and a single quality slider with a coloured badge that updates as you drag. For a tool you'll open multiple times a day, the UI difference matters.

Where JPEGmini wins

Best-in-class JPEG algorithm at scale

JPEGmini's proprietary algorithm has been refined for over a decade and produces genuinely smaller JPEGs than open encoders, especially on large files. On a 50-megapixel panorama at quality 90, JPEGmini might output a 3.2 MB file where Kompressor outputs 3.6 MB — both visually indistinguishable from the source, but JPEGmini's edge compounds across thousands of files. For a wedding photographer exporting 5,000 JPEGs from a Saturday shoot, that 12% saves real disk space.

Lightroom, Photoshop, Capture One plugins

Pro Suite ($89) plugs into Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop and Capture One — meaning JPEG compression happens inline during your normal photo export. No second drag, no duplicate folder. For a pro photographer with a rigorous export workflow, that is a real time-saver. Kompressor has no plugin — you export, then you drop. One extra step.

Handles huge files (128–512 MP)

JPEGmini supports JPEGs up to 128 megapixels (Pro) or 512 megapixels (Pro Suite) — large enough for stitched panoramas and ultra-high-resolution scans. Kompressor's underlying image library handles large images too, but JPEGmini is specifically optimised for them and will process them faster on extremely large source files.

Pricing breakdown

JPEGmini Pro is $59 one-time. Pro Suite (with Lightroom, Photoshop, Capture One plugins) is $89 one-time. There is a 7-day trial with a 50-image-per-day limit, then a permanent free tier. Kompressor Pro is $2.99 one-time for one Mac, Team is $9.99 for five Macs.

A casual user saves $56 with Kompressor. A pro photographer earning $5,000 per wedding will pay JPEGmini's $89 once and never think about it again — at that volume, the plugins and algorithm pay for themselves in time saved. The math is honest: Kompressor for 95% of users, JPEGmini for the 5% who actually need it.

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