Pressed vs ImageOptim vs TinyPNG: Which Compression App Is Actually Worth It?
There are a lot of ways to compress images on a Mac. Too many, honestly. You can drag files into a free app, upload them to a website, pipe them through ffmpeg, or install six different CLI tools and write a shell script you’ll forget about in a week.
Most people just need something that makes files smaller without making them look bad. The three tools I see recommended most often are ImageOptim, TinyPNG, and Pressed. They overlap in some areas and diverge sharply in others, so here’s a straightforward comparison.
The quick comparison
| Feature | ImageOptim | TinyPNG | Pressed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platform | Mac only | Web (any browser) | Mac, iPhone, iPad |
| Price | Free / open source | Free tier (500 images/mo), paid API | One-time purchase |
| PNG compression | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| JPEG compression | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| WebP support | Limited (output only via plugin) | Yes | Yes (input + output) |
| AVIF support | No | No | Yes |
| Video compression | No | No | Yes (MP4, MOV, etc.) |
| Format conversion | No | PNG ↔ JPEG/WebP | Full (PNG, JPEG, WebP, AVIF) |
| Batch processing | Yes (drag folder) | Yes (up to 20 at a time) | Yes |
| Watch folder automation | No | No | Yes (Mac) |
| Custom presets | No | No | Yes |
| Files stay on device | Yes | No (uploaded to server) | Yes |
| API / CLI integration | No official API | Yes (REST API) | No |
| Quality preview slider | No | No | Yes |
ImageOptim
ImageOptim is the default recommendation in most “how to compress images on Mac” threads, and for good reason. It’s free, open source, and dead simple. Drag images in, they get smaller, done.
It works by running files through multiple optimization tools (pngcrush, pngquant, zopfli, jpegoptim, and others) and keeping the smallest result. The compression is lossless by default, with an optional lossy mode.
Where it’s great: If you occasionally need to shrink a handful of PNGs or JPEGs and you don’t want to pay for anything, ImageOptim is the right tool. Zero setup, zero cost, does exactly one thing well.
Where it falls short: No video support, no format conversion, no watch folders, no AVIF output, and no real control over output quality. You drag files in and trust it. That’s fine for most casual use, but if you need to convert 200 PNGs to WebP or set up an automated workflow, you’ll need something else.
TinyPNG
TinyPNG (which also handles JPEG and WebP despite the name) is a web-based compression tool. Upload images in your browser, download compressed versions. There’s also a well-documented REST API that developers integrate into build pipelines and CMS workflows.
Where it’s great: The API is the real selling point. If you’re building a web app and need server-side image optimization, TinyPNG’s API is solid and well-supported. The free tier gives you 500 compressions per month, which is plenty for a personal site or small project.
Where it falls short: Every file you compress gets uploaded to TinyPNG’s servers. For blog images and marketing assets, that’s probably fine. For client photos, medical images, or anything sensitive, it’s a non-starter. There’s also no video support, no desktop app, and the free tier’s 20-image-at-a-time limit gets old fast with large batches. The paid API runs $0.009 per image after 500, which adds up if you’re processing at scale.
Pressed
I built Pressed to cover the gaps I kept running into with the other two. It’s a native app for Mac, iPhone, and iPad that handles both images and video.
Where it’s great: It’s the only option here that does video compression, format conversion (PNG to WebP, JPEG to AVIF, etc.), watch folder automation, and quality preview — all offline. Processing uses AVFoundation and CoreImage for hardware acceleration, so it’s fast even on large batches. Files never leave your device.
Where it falls short: It costs money. There’s no API for build pipeline integration. And if all you need is quick lossless PNG optimization once a month, it’s more tool than you need.
So which one should you use?
Use ImageOptim if you want a free, no-nonsense tool for occasional image compression on your Mac. It does one thing, it does it well, and it costs nothing.
Use TinyPNG if you need an API for automated image optimization in a web workflow. The developer experience is good and the free tier is generous enough for small projects.
Use Pressed if you want a single native tool that handles images and video, supports modern formats like AVIF and WebP, and keeps everything on your device. The watch folder automation and custom presets make it worth the price if compression is a regular part of your workflow rather than a once-in-a-while task.
There’s no single right answer — it depends on what you’re compressing, how often, and whether privacy matters for your files. All three are good at what they do.