Looking for a TinyPNG alternative that doesn't require uploading your photo first? Here's the honest comparison.
TL;DR: TinyPNG is a well-established compressor with a much bigger product line: an API, a CDN, WordPress and Figma plugins, and support for newer formats like JXL. Kroma Lab is narrower, but does more per photo. It compresses, converts formats, and cleans metadata, all without ever uploading your file to a server. Compressing a single photo? Kroma Lab is the simpler, more private choice. Automating image optimization across a website or app? That's exactly what TinyPNG's broader toolset is built for.
At a glance
| Kroma Lab | TinyPNG | |
|---|---|---|
| Where processing happens | Entirely in your browser — never uploaded | Uploaded to TinyPNG's servers |
| Compress | ✅ | ✅ |
| Convert formats | ✅ (HEIC, JPEG, PNG, WebP, AVIF) | ✅ (PNG, JPEG, WebP, AVIF, JXL) |
| View/strip EXIF & GPS metadata | ✅ dedicated tool | Not offered as a distinct, user-facing tool |
| Free tier limit | 25MB per file, no count limit (wait time increases with usage) | Up to 20 images per batch, 5MB max each |
| Account required (free tier) | No | Yes, to use the web tool beyond the initial batch |
| API / automation | No — manual, single-session tool | Yes — Developer API, CDN, WordPress plugin, Figma plugin |
| Paid tier | Unlimited subscription (removes wait time, size cap, adds batch ZIP) | Web Pro / Web Ultra (check current pricing on tinypng.com) |
Privacy and architecture
This is the biggest structural difference between the two tools. TinyPNG's compression happens on their servers. That's the mechanism behind their API, CDN, and plugins — a reasonable, common approach for a company optimizing images at scale for websites.
Kroma Lab works differently. Every operation — compression, conversion, metadata read/strip — runs in your browser using WebAssembly codecs. Your file never leaves your device.
Neither approach is "wrong." They're built for different jobs. Compressing a personal photo and want zero uncertainty about where it goes? On-device processing removes the question entirely. Running a website that needs images optimized automatically at upload time? Server-side processing via an API is the only way that actually works.
Format support
TinyPNG covers more formats overall. It recently added JXL support, which Kroma Lab doesn't currently handle.
Kroma Lab covers HEIC conversion directly, which matters if you're regularly dealing with iPhone photos that need to become JPEGs. TinyPNG also accepts HEIC uploads and converts them automatically during compression. Both tools handle that specific case — TinyPNG folds it into compression, while Kroma Lab has a dedicated HEIC-to-JPG tool plus a general format converter.
Free tier limits
TinyPNG's free web tool caps you at 20 images per batch and 5MB per file. That's generous for occasional use, but you'll hit the wall faster processing a lot of photos in one sitting. Going beyond a small free monthly allowance on the API requires a paid plan.
Kroma Lab's free tier has no count limit and a higher 25MB per-file cap. The tradeoff is a processing wait that grows the more you download in a single session. The Unlimited plan removes that wait — it doesn't unlock a feature that was otherwise hidden.
Metadata and GPS removal
This is the clearest functional gap between the two. TinyPNG doesn't offer a dedicated metadata viewer or GPS-stripping tool — its focus is compression and format conversion for web performance.
Need to check a photo for embedded location data, or strip EXIF metadata before posting or sharing something? That's a distinct workflow Kroma Lab covers and TinyPNG doesn't.
Who TinyPNG is better for
Developers and website owners who need image optimization wired into a build pipeline, CMS, or design tool should use TinyPNG. Its API, CDN, and official WordPress/Figma plugins are a mature, purpose-built solution — one Kroma Lab isn't trying to compete with. Kroma Lab is a manual, one-photo-at-a-time browser tool. It has no API and isn't meant to replace an automated pipeline.
Who Kroma Lab is better for
Dealing with a specific photo problem, one photo at a time? Kroma Lab handles it. Need it under a size limit, converted from HEIC, or want to know exactly what metadata is embedded before you share it — all three are covered without an account, without uploading the file, and without switching between three different tools.
Try it
Drop a photo into the compressor, the HEIC converter, or the metadata viewer and see the result before you decide anything.