TinyPNG and Squoosh are the two most-compared free image compression tools on the web. Both are browser-based, both are free, and both have strong support for modern image formats. But they are built for different users with different needs — and understanding that difference will save you a lot of time.
This comparison covers everything: supported formats, compression quality, batch support, codec control, privacy, extra tools, and which one to use for your specific workflow.
What Is TinyPNG Now?
TinyPNG Now is a browser-based image toolkit that started as a fast image compressor and expanded into a full suite of 25+ image tools — all running in your browser without any file upload. Compress, resize, crop, convert, remove backgrounds, add watermarks, generate QR codes, and more. No account required, no limits, no cost.
The compression engine focuses on the formats most web developers and content creators actually use: PNG, JPG, WebP, HEIC, and GIF. You set a quality level (or enable lossless mode for PNG) and compress entire batches in one go.
What Is Squoosh?
Squoosh (squoosh.app) is a Chrome Labs project — built by the Google Chrome team as a WebAssembly-powered image compression playground. It runs entirely in your browser and gives you access to professional-grade codecs: OxiPNG, MozJPEG, WebP, AVIF, JXL (JPEG XL), and OptiPNG. A before/after slider lets you compare the compressed result against the original at the pixel level.
The trade-off: Squoosh processes one image at a time in its browser interface, and it focuses exclusively on compression — no resize, no background removal, no watermark tools.
Head-to-Head Comparison
1. Batch Compression
This is the biggest practical difference. TinyPNG Now handles batch compression natively — drag in 50 images and compress them all simultaneously, then download as a single ZIP. No configuration needed per image.
Squoosh's browser interface processes one image at a time. For developers who need batch processing, there is a separate Squoosh CLI (squoosh-cli), but it requires Node.js, terminal knowledge, and additional setup. For non-technical users, this is a significant barrier.
Winner: TinyPNG Now — batch compression is built-in, no CLI needed, works for non-developers.
2. Codec and Format Support
Squoosh has a clear edge here. It supports AVIF and JPEG XL (JXL) — next-generation formats that deliver better compression than WebP, especially for photographs. It also offers access to specific codec implementations like MozJPEG (which produces smaller JPGs than standard libjpeg) and OxiPNG (which produces smaller PNGs than standard tools).
TinyPNG Now supports PNG, JPG, WebP, HEIC, and GIF — the formats 99% of web workflows actually need. If you specifically need AVIF or JXL output, Squoosh wins. For the vast majority of use cases, both tools' WebP output is indistinguishable in quality.
| Format | TinyPNG Now | Squoosh |
|---|---|---|
| PNG (lossless) | ✓ | ✓ (OxiPNG, OptiPNG) |
| JPG / JPEG | ✓ | ✓ (MozJPEG) |
| WebP | ✓ | ✓ |
| AVIF | ✗ | ✓ |
| JPEG XL (JXL) | ✗ | ✓ |
| HEIC / HEIF | ✓ | ✗ |
| GIF | ✓ | ✗ |
Winner: Squoosh for codec depth (AVIF, JXL, MozJPEG, OxiPNG). TinyPNG Now for HEIC and GIF support.
3. Compression Quality at Default Settings
Both tools produce excellent results. In independent testing comparing compressed WebP files at equivalent quality targets, the output is visually identical at 75–80% quality. Squoosh's MozJPEG mode can produce slightly smaller JPG files (~5–8%) compared to standard libjpeg, but the difference is imperceptible to the eye.
For practical web use — blogs, e-commerce product images, social media — either tool produces output well within Google's PageSpeed recommendations.
4. Extra Image Tools
This is where TinyPNG Now has a decisive advantage. Beyond compression, TinyPNG Now includes 25+ image tools in the same free, no-signup interface:
- Resize images without quality loss
- AI background removal
- Crop images freely or to exact dimensions
- Add watermarks
- Remove EXIF data for privacy
- Resize for social media (Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.)
- AI image upscaling
- Remove shadows from product photos
- QR code generator
- Favicon generator
Squoosh does one thing: compression. There are no extra tools in the interface.
Winner: TinyPNG Now — by a wide margin. Squoosh is a single-tool app; TinyPNG Now is a full image suite.
5. Codec-Level Control
Squoosh's signature feature is its advanced codec settings panel. For each codec you can tune: effort level, chroma quality, number of filter passes, palette reduction strength, and more. A real-time before/after slider lets you see exactly what the compressed image looks like before downloading.
TinyPNG Now offers a quality slider (1–100%) and lossless toggle — simple, fast, and sufficient for most use cases. It does not expose individual codec parameters.
Winner: Squoosh — for developers and photographers who need to fine-tune compression at the codec level.
6. Privacy and Security
Both tools are equally private. All compression processing happens in your browser using WebAssembly — your images are never uploaded to any server. This makes both tools safe for:
- Confidential client images or legal documents
- Medical or personal photographs
- Business images you do not want stored on third-party servers
- Working offline (after the page loads, both tools can compress without an internet connection)
Tie — both are 100% browser-based with no file uploads.
7. Speed and Performance
For single-image compression, both tools are fast. Squoosh shows a real-time quality preview as you drag the codec settings, which adds UI responsiveness overhead. TinyPNG Now compresses immediately on upload with no manual tuning step, making it faster for batch workflows.
For bulk work (10+ images), TinyPNG Now is dramatically faster in practice since there is no per-image codec tuning step required.
8. Ease of Use
TinyPNG Now is designed for simplicity — drag, compress, download. No codec knowledge required. Squoosh requires understanding what MozJPEG vs libjpeg means, what "effort" slider does for WebP encoding, and what the OxiPNG filter count affects. This is a feature for experienced users, but it is a barrier for beginners.
Which One Should You Use?
| Use Case | Best Tool |
|---|---|
| Compress multiple images at once | TinyPNG Now |
| Need AVIF or JXL output | Squoosh |
| Fine-tune codec settings | Squoosh |
| Non-technical user who needs fast results | TinyPNG Now |
| HEIC to JPG/WebP conversion | TinyPNG Now |
| GIF compression | TinyPNG Now |
| Need resize + crop + compress in one place | TinyPNG Now |
| Pixel-level preview before downloading | Squoosh |
| Background removal after compression | TinyPNG Now |
| Offline compression (after page load) | Both |
The Squoosh CLI: When to Use It
If you are a developer who needs batch processing with Squoosh's codec quality, the squoosh-cli Node.js package is worth knowing about. It gives you command-line access to all of Squoosh's codecs:
squoosh-cli example: npx @squoosh/cli --webp '{"quality":75}' *.jpg — converts all JPGs to WebP at 75% quality. Requires Node.js 14+.
For most web workflows, this level of setup is overkill. TinyPNG Now handles the same conversion in a browser tab with no installation.
Squoosh vs TinyPNG (Original) vs TinyPNG Now: What Is the Difference?
A common source of confusion: there are three different tools here.
- TinyPNG (tinypng.com) — the original tool, server-based, limits free users to 20 images per month, no resize or other tools
- TinyPNG Now (tinypngnow.com) — a separate, fully browser-based tool with no upload, no account, no monthly limits, and 25+ extra image tools
- Squoosh (squoosh.app) — Google Chrome Labs project, browser-based, single-image, advanced codec control
TinyPNG Now and Squoosh are the two best free browser-based compressors in 2026. The original TinyPNG is a different product that uploads your files to a server and caps free usage.
Key difference: TinyPNG Now never uploads your images. The original TinyPNG.com does. If privacy matters, use TinyPNG Now or Squoosh.
Conclusion
Both tools are excellent for their intended use case. For most users — bloggers, marketers, designers, and developers who need to compress images fast and in bulk — TinyPNG Now is the stronger choice: no limits, batch support, 25+ extra tools, and a simple interface that does not require codec knowledge.
For developers who want to squeeze every last byte out of a single image with fine-grained codec settings, and especially for AVIF or JXL output, Squoosh is the right pick.
There is no rule saying you cannot use both. Use TinyPNG Now for your daily workflow, and switch to Squoosh when you need to optimize a hero image at the codec level.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is TinyPNG better than Squoosh?
For batch compression and ease of use, TinyPNG Now is better. For codec control and AVIF/JXL output, Squoosh is better. Both are excellent and free — the right answer depends on your use case.
Does Squoosh support batch compression?
Not in the browser interface — Squoosh processes one image at a time. Batch processing requires the squoosh-cli Node.js package and terminal knowledge. TinyPNG Now compresses batches natively in the browser with a single ZIP download.
Is Squoosh still maintained in 2026?
Squoosh remains available at squoosh.app, but active development has slowed since 2023. Core codec support is still excellent, but the project has not seen significant new features. TinyPNG Now is actively maintained and adding new tools.
Are both tools private — do they upload my images?
Yes, both are fully private. All compression happens in your browser using WebAssembly. Neither tool uploads images to any server. You can even compress images offline (after the initial page load) with both tools.
Which is better for AVIF compression?
Squoosh. It provides native AVIF encoding with full quality control. TinyPNG Now focuses on WebP, JPG, PNG, HEIC, and GIF — which covers the vast majority of web compression needs.