Question 1

Does Smol work with AI agents and MCP?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Smol includes an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server, so AI coding tools can use Smol's local media-processing capabilities directly. Connect Claude Code or Codex from the in-app "Smol for AI" area and your agent can compress, convert, upscale, resize, and strip metadata from images, video, PDFs, and audio — all running locally on your Mac. Files are never sent to a cloud processing service.

Question 2

How do I connect Claude Code or Codex to Smol?

Accepted Answer

Open Smol, go to the "Smol for AI" area in the sidebar, and follow the guided setup for your client. Smol supports Claude Code and Codex out of the box and shows a live Connected status for each once the MCP connection is active. You can also copy the full AI guide from that panel and paste it into your agent so it knows every tool and setting available.

Question 3

What can an AI agent actually do with Smol?

Accepted Answer

Far more than a generic "compress" action. Through MCP an agent can run Classic compression (fast, exact, for images, PDFs, video, and audio), Neural compression (detail-first image compression guided by visual analysis), Convert (images, documents, video, audio, tables, and fonts), and Enhance (AI upscale 2× or 4×, strip metadata, automate batches). It can also choose the output format, quality target, compression mode, output location, resize and upscale settings, and batch behaviour — then read back structured results including input size, output size, and savings.

Question 4

Is it private to let an AI agent process my files with Smol?

Accepted Answer

Yes — that is the point of the design. MCP connects your AI client to the Smol app running locally on your Mac, rather than uploading assets to a cloud processing service. Your images, videos, PDFs, and audio stay on-device for the entire job. This makes it usable for client work, unreleased product assets, and material under NDA that you would not put through an online tool.

Question 5

Why use Smol instead of letting an AI agent compress files itself?

Accepted Answer

General-purpose agents either shell out to whatever encoder happens to be installed or make a best guess at settings, and results drift between runs. Smol gives AI tools a dedicated local finishing layer: production-grade encoders, Neural detail retention, explicit and repeatable settings, and structured results the agent can verify. The same instruction produces the same output every time, so an agent can apply one standard across an entire project.

Question 6

How do I compress images on Mac without losing quality?

Accepted Answer

Drop any image into Smol — JPEG, PNG, WebP, AVIF, HEIC, or RAW. Smol compresses using professional-grade encoders that reduce file size by 50–90% while preserving visual quality. You can adjust the quality slider for full control. Everything runs locally on your Mac — no uploads, no accounts.

Question 7

What is the best image compression app for Mac?

Accepted Answer

Smol is the Mac app that compresses images, PDFs, video, and audio, then handles everyday conversion for Office files, tables, fonts, and media in one place. Everything runs locally, without uploading your files. For developers and designers who need batch processing, format conversion, and privacy, Smol is the strongest all-in-one option available.

Question 8

What is Neural compression in Smol?

Accepted Answer

Neural compression studies the image before encoding. Smol maps faces, text, edges, depth, and fine detail, then protects important regions while compressing less important regions harder. The result is dramatically smaller AVIF images that keep the visual detail people notice.

Question 9

How does Smol decide which image details to preserve?

Accepted Answer

Smol builds an importance map before compression. Warm areas mark faces, text, key subjects, object edges, and unique detail that should stay crisp. Cool areas mark low-detail backgrounds, smooth surfaces, sky, and shadows that can be compressed more aggressively.

Question 10

Does Smol upload my files to the cloud?

Accepted Answer

No. Every file is processed 100% locally on your Mac, whether it uses Apple Silicon or Intel. Your images, PDFs, videos, audio, Office files, tables, and fonts never leave your device. There are no accounts, no servers, no upload queue. Smol uses bundled native encoders that run entirely on your machine — the same tools that run on cloud services, just on your Mac.

Question 11

How do I reduce PDF file size on Mac?

Accepted Answer

Drop your PDF into Smol and choose a quality preset: Tiny (72 DPI, email-ready), Small (150 DPI, sharing), Medium (300 DPI, everyday), Large (300 DPI, print quality), or Original. A 50 MB InDesign export can become 3–5 MB without visible quality loss. All compression runs locally — your PDF never leaves your Mac.

Question 12

Can I compress videos on Mac without HandBrake?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Smol compresses MP4, MOV, AVI, MKV, and WebM files using H.265 (HEVC) encoding — the same standard HandBrake uses, but with a simple drag-and-drop interface. No presets to configure, no command-line flags. Drop a video, choose High or Web quality, done. H.265 is roughly 50% more efficient than H.264 at equal visual quality.

Question 13

Can Smol convert files locally on Mac?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Smol converts images, PDFs, Office files, video, audio, tables, and fonts locally on your Mac. Use it for everyday conversions like HEIC to JPEG, PNG to AVIF, DOCX to PDF, XLSX to CSV, MOV to MP4, and FLAC to MP3 without uploading files.

Question 14

Can Smol compress and convert audio files?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Smol supports local audio compression and conversion across common formats including MP3, AAC, WAV, FLAC, OGG, and ALAC. Choose the output format and quality, then process files locally without a browser-based converter.

Question 15

What is AVIF and should I use it instead of JPEG?

Accepted Answer

AVIF is the best image format available today — typically 30–50% smaller than JPEG at equivalent quality, with wide browser support. Smol converts any image to AVIF with a single drop. If you're building for the web or optimising assets for performance, AVIF is the right choice. For compatibility with older software, JPEG or WebP are safer.

Question 16

How do I convert HEIC to JPEG on Mac?

Accepted Answer

Drop your HEIC file (or folder of files) into Smol, set the output format to JPEG in settings, and compress. Smol batch-converts HEIC to JPEG, WebP, AVIF, or PNG. HEIC is the default format for iPhone photos — Smol converts them locally without uploading to any web service.

Question 17

Is Smol a one-time purchase or subscription?

Accepted Answer

One-time purchase of $29. No subscription, no renewal, no recurring fees. Pay once and own Smol forever, including all future updates. Compare that to Smallpdf at $108/year or Acrobat Pro at $240/year — tools that charge you annually for features you use every day.

Question 18

Does Smol work on Intel Macs?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Smol has separate native downloads for Apple Silicon and 64-bit Intel Macs, with the same compression, conversion, AI upscaling, batch, Finder, clipboard, and update features. Apple Silicon requires macOS 13 or later; Intel requires macOS 14 or later. Choose the matching download after purchase.

Question 19

How do I remove EXIF data from photos on Mac?

Accepted Answer

Drop any image or PDF into Smol and enable "Strip metadata" in settings. Smol removes all EXIF, GPS, IPTC, and XMP data — camera model, GPS coordinates, author info, timestamps. You can strip metadata without recompressing, so the image content remains pixel-perfect while the identifying information is removed.

Question 20

What is AI image upscaling?

Accepted Answer

AI upscaling uses a machine learning model to enlarge images while reconstructing realistic detail — far sharper than traditional resizing. Smol runs its upscaler entirely on your Mac using the native engine for its processor. Enlarge images 2× or 4× with no internet connection, no API key, and no cloud upload required.

Question 21

Can I batch compress hundreds of files at once?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Drag a folder of 500+ files into Smol — images, PDFs, and videos mixed together — and Smol processes them all. Virtual scrolling means the interface stays fast even with 1,000+ files. You can watch per-file progress, see individual savings, cancel mid-batch, or re-optimise specific files after the run completes.

Question 22

How much can Smol reduce file sizes?

Accepted Answer

Typical results: JPEG images compress 60–85% smaller. PNG files reduce 30–60% losslessly. PDFs from InDesign or Acrobat often shrink 70–90% for email use. Videos encoded with H.265 are typically 40–60% smaller than the original. Smol always keeps the smaller result — if compression would increase file size, it keeps the original.

Question 23

Is local compression faster than online tools?

Accepted Answer

Yes — significantly. Online tools require uploading your file, waiting for server processing, and downloading the result. With large files or slow connections, that's minutes per file. Smol processes files in seconds using your Mac's CPU and GPU directly. No upload, no download, no queue. A 100 MB video that takes minutes online takes under 30 seconds in Smol.

Question 24

Is there a file size limit or daily limit?

Accepted Answer

No. Smol has no file size limits, no daily caps, and no monthly quotas. Drop a 4 GB video, a 50,000-image folder, or 200 PDFs at once — it all works. Online tools like TinyPNG cap free users at 5 MB per image, Smallpdf at 2 PDFs per day, and iLoveImg at 25 MB. Because Smol runs locally on your Mac, the only limit is your disk space. One $29 purchase covers unlimited compression forever.

Feature	Smol $29 one-time	Clop $15 one-time	ImageOptim Free	Optimage $15 one-time	Squash $29–39/yr
Images
Neural compression
PDFs
Video
AI Upscaling
RAW file support
AVIF output
PDF quality presets
100% local
Menu bar / tray
Smart Clipboard

Feature	TinyPNG $39/yr	Squoosh Free	JPEGmini $59 one-time
Unlimited files (no caps)	5 MB / image	1 at a time
Images (18 formats)	PNG/JPG only	PNG/WebP/AVIF	JPEG/HEIC only
Neural compression
ML-guided detail retention
PDFs
Video
AI Upscaling
AVIF output
100% local
Batch processing

Feature	Smol $29 one-time	PDF Squeezer $19.99 one-time	Smallpdf $108/yr	Acrobat Pro $240/yr
Unlimited files (no caps)			2/day free
PDFs
Images
Video
AI Upscaling
100% local
Batch processing
Menu bar / tray

Feature	Smol $29 one-time	HandBrake Free	Topaz AI $199 one-time	Permute $14.99 one-time
Video
AI Upscaling
Images
PDFs
100% local
Menu bar / tray
Smart Clipboard

Neural image compressor for Mac

Smol does not compress every pixel the same way.

Smol reads the image like a viewer would.

It builds an importance map.

Bits go where eyes go.

The result is checked visually.

Don't take our word for it.

The world's best image compressor, tested on real website photos.

96.7% smaller. Still sharp where it matters.

Workspace hero image

Modern interior

Editorial portrait

Food landing page

Team meeting

Minimal skincare

Creative flat lay

Vibrant fashion

Laptop desk

Skincare flat lay

Fashion product

Color portrait

Coffee close-up

Designer desk

Fitness lifestyle

Breakfast table

Interior detail

Watch detail

Floral portrait

Professional portrait

Watch a job run.

Finished jobs, not promises.

128 files. 2.4 GB in, 310 MB out.

A 4.8 GB ProRes master, handled locally.

Images, PDFs, video, audio, Office files, tables, and fonts.

Copy large. Paste small.

A 50 MB InDesign export becomes a 3 MB attachment.

A 1.24 GB launch film, down to 286 MB in 18 seconds.

One local converter for the formats you actually use.

Enlarge on your GPU. No cloud, no API key.

Strip metadata without recompressing.

Right-click. Compress. Watch the Size column drop.

Three files, 81.6% smaller, without leaving the desktop.

Localized in 50 languages.

Your AI coding agent can now use Smol.

What your agent can actually do

Granular control, not a generic button

A real Mac app — signed, notarized, and at home in both themes.

Notarized by Apple.

Your files never leave your Mac.

Check it yourself.

Zero bytes, measured by macOS.

Turn off Wi-Fi. It still works.

What makes Smol different from online tools

Pay once. Own it forever.

Frequently asked questions