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Compress an image to under 2 MB

For portals with a “max. 2 MB” limit: the target size is set, just drop your image and convert.

Drop images here

or tap to choose. Several files at once.

Choose files

Step by step

  1. The 2000 KB target size and JPG as the output format are already set.
  2. Drop every document you need to upload: photos, scanned certificates, proof documents. The order doesn't matter at this point.
  3. Tap “Convert”. The list shows each file's size before and after, separated by an arrow.
  4. Download the results one by one or save them all with “Download all as ZIP”.
  5. If the portal wants a single PDF, combine the compressed images in the “Images to PDF” tool. For a single image you can go there directly via “Continue with …” and “Into a PDF”.

What you can use it for

  • University and scholarship applications: Certificates, language test results and reference letters are often requested as scans. At 2 MB per file, small print usually stays easy to read.
  • Online applications to public authorities: Proof documents such as payslips, rental contracts or birth certificates often have a per-file limit. 2 MB leaves plenty of room for clean legibility.
  • Large flatbed scans: High-resolution scanners quickly produce very large image files. The tool lowers the quality first and then reduces the dimensions until the page fits under the limit.
  • Photos for forums and club websites: Many forums limit image attachments. A phone photo at just under 2 MB still shows every detail on screen, for example when asking about plants, gadgets or vehicles.

The most common upload limit

2 MB is where most upload forms fail: big-company job portals, university applications, benefit claims, forum profile pictures. Phone photos are usually well above that.

Photos and scans

For photos, lowering the JPG quality a little is almost always enough. For scanned documents with very large dimensions, the tool also reduces the size, and text stays readable.

Need several pages in one file? Combine the compressed images afterwards with “Images to PDF”.

Go to tool: Compress and convert images

Frequently asked questions

My portal only accepts PDF – what now?

Compress the images here, then combine them into one file with the “Images to PDF” tool.

Will the file always be under 2 MB?

Yes. The tool keeps reducing until the file is below the limit you set.

Why is my photo barely smaller afterwards?

If the original was only just over 2 MB, a small change is enough. The tool picks the highest quality that fits under the limit, so the file deliberately stays close to 2 MB instead of losing more quality than necessary.

Does the tool count 1 KB as 1000 or 1024 bytes?

As 1000 bytes. So 2000 KB means at most 2,000,000 bytes. That keeps the file under the limit even if a portal counts strictly in bytes.

The 2 MB limit applies to all pages together – what do I do?

Divide the limit by the number of pages and enter that as the target size, around 450 for four pages. If you turn them into a PDF, allow a little headroom, because the PDF file itself takes up some space too.

Can I compress a finished PDF here?

No, this tool works with images. For existing PDF files there is a separate “Compress PDF” tool.

Should I crop photos first?

For ID cards, receipts or certificates it's worth it. A border of tabletop or carpet costs file size and legibility. The less area the image shows, the more quality is left for the document itself.