Compresso vs Squoosh
Which should you use?
TL;DR: Pick Compresso if you want a simple Mac or Windows app that shrinks lots of photos and videos at once — including everything inside a folder while keeping the internal folder structure. Pick Squoosh if you want Google's free browser tool to fine-tune one image with codecs like AVIF, WebP, or MozJPEG. Squoosh does not compress video and its web UI handles one image at a time.
Key takeaways
| Tool | Best for | Key strength |
|---|---|---|
| Compresso | Non-technical Mac/Windows users compressing lots of photos and videos | Bulk + folder compression that keeps your folder layout |
| Squoosh | Developers tuning one web image and comparing codecs | Free in-browser codecs (AVIF, WebP, MozJPEG) with a live preview |
Squoosh (squoosh.app) is the famous free Google Chrome Labs image tool. Compresso is a desktop bulk compressor for people who do not want to babysit one file at a time. Here is a straight comparison so you can pick the right one — or keep both.
Side-by-side comparison
| Compresso compresso.xyz | Squoosh squoosh.app | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free trial + $19-$39 lifetime | 100% free (Apache-2.0) |
| Platforms | macOS, Windows desktop app | Any modern browser (PWA optional) |
| Works without uploading files | Yes | Yes |
| Ease of use | 3 presets: quality, size, speed | Codec picker + quality/size sliders |
| Compress images | JPG, PNG, WebP (+ HEIC on Mac) → JPG | Many codecs: MozJPEG, WebP, AVIF, OxiPNG, more |
| Compress videos | MP4, AVI, MOV, MPG, MPEG, MKV, WebM → MP4 | No |
| Batch in the UI | Up to 200 files (10 on free) | One image at a time in the web app |
| Compress a whole folder | Yes, up to 50GB; keeps internal folder structure | CLI only for multi-file; no mirrored folder app |
| Auto-skips already-small files | Yes | No |
| Live before/after quality slider | No | Yes |
| Open source | No | Yes |
| Dedicated support | Email support (priority for Pro) | Community / GitHub issues |
Which is easier for everyday shrinking?
Compresso shows three choices: quality, size, and speed. You drag files in (or pick a folder), choose those options, and let it run. You do not need to pick MozJPEG vs AVIF or learn codec knobs.
Squoosh is simple for one file, but it is built for people who care about codecs. You pick an encoder, move quality and resize controls, and compare the preview. That is powerful for web work and more than most people need for a camera dump.
Which is better for many images (or a whole folder)?
Compresso Pro can take up to 200 files in one batch, or compress everything inside a folder up to 50GB. Nested subfolders stay nested in the output. Files that are already small enough get skipped automatically.
Squoosh's web UI still handles one image at a time — their FAQ calls batch the most-popular request that is not built into the browser app yet. Multi-file work goes through the Squoosh CLI (terminal / Node), which is fine for developers and not what most photographers want.
Which supports more formats?
Squoosh wins on modern web image codecs and the ability to compare them live. Compresso outputs images as JPG and also compresses video to H.264 MP4 — Squoosh has no video path at all.
For a single JPG in the browser without installing anything, you can also use our free JPG compressor. For mixed photo+video folders, Compresso is the desktop option.
Do they keep your files private?
Both keep the actual image data on your device during compression. Squoosh runs WebAssembly codecs in the browser; Compresso runs on your desktop. Squoosh does collect Google Analytics visitor data and before/after size values. Neither tool uploads your pictures to finish the encode the way online compressors do. For that contrast, see Compresso vs FreeConvert and why uploading media is a bad default.
Price: free forever vs pay once
Squoosh is $0. As of July 2026 there is no paid plan. Compresso lets you try 5 compressions free (up to 10 files or a 1GB folder each time). After that, pricing is a one-time lifetime license: $19 for 1 device or $39 for 5 devices, with a 7-day money-back guarantee. Paid plans also include email support.
Choose Squoosh if…
- You want a completely free tool with no purchase ever.
- You need to compare AVIF, WebP, MozJPEG, or similar codecs on one image with a live quality slider.
- You only compress images (not video) and usually one file at a time.
- You are fine working in the browser, or you already use the Squoosh CLI for batch.
- Open-source code and Google Chrome Labs tooling matter to you.
Choose Compresso if…
- You want three clear choices (quality, size, speed) and nothing else to learn.
- You compress lots of files at once: drag in up to 200 photos or videos per batch.
- You need to compress all the images and videos inside a folder while keeping the internal folder structure in the output (up to 50GB on Pro).
- You need video compression in the same app — Squoosh is images only.
- You want paid support and a lifetime license instead of a terminal CLI for bulk work.
Switching from Squoosh to Compresso
Squoosh settings and codec experiments do not transfer. You will not get Squoosh's AVIF/MozJPEG picker or live split preview in Compresso. What you do get is a shorter path for everyday bulk jobs: install, drop files or a folder, pick quality/size/speed, done.
Many people keep both: Squoosh for one-off web assets, Compresso for camera dumps and project folders. If you need a classic free video encoder instead, see Compresso vs HandBrake.
Frequently asked questions
Basics
Is Compresso a Squoosh alternative?
Yes, if you want a desktop app that compresses many photos (and videos) at once without using a browser. Squoosh is still the better pick if you want to fine-tune one web image with codecs like AVIF or MozJPEG side by side, for free, in the browser.
Is Squoosh free?
Yes. Squoosh is free and open source (Apache-2.0). There is no paid tier. Compresso has a free trial (5 compressions), then a one-time lifetime license starting at $19.
Does Squoosh compress videos?
No. Squoosh is an image compressor. Compresso compresses both images (JPG, PNG, WebP, plus HEIC on Mac) and videos in the same app.
Features & batch
Can Squoosh compress multiple images at once?
Not in the web UI. Squoosh's FAQ lists batch processing as the most-requested feature that is not available in the browser app yet. Developers can batch with the Squoosh CLI (terminal). Compresso Pro can drag in up to 200 files or compress a whole folder (up to 50GB) while keeping the internal folder structure.
Does Squoosh upload my images?
No — compression runs locally in your browser. Squoosh does use Google Analytics for basic visitor data and before/after size values. Compresso is a desktop app that never uploads files for compression either.
Which is better for web developers?
Squoosh, if you need to compare MozJPEG, WebP, AVIF, and similar codecs on a single asset with a quality slider. Compresso, if you need to shrink a whole export folder of photos (and videos) offline with simple presets.
Does Compresso support AVIF like Squoosh?
No. Compresso outputs images as JPG and videos as H.264 MP4. Squoosh wins if you need AVIF, WebP, MozJPEG, or OxiPNG output for the web.
Pricing
How much does Compresso cost compared to Squoosh?
Squoosh costs $0 forever. Compresso is $19 one-time for 1 device or $39 for 5 devices (lifetime), with a 7-day money-back guarantee and email support on paid plans.
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Last updated July 2026. Squoosh details based on squoosh.app, the Chrome Labs GitHub repo (~25,081 stars), and the Squoosh FAQ. If something is out of date, let us know.