Comparison
Smol vs TinyPNG: Local Mac App or Online Compressor? (2026)
TinyPNG has been the default answer to “how do I shrink this PNG” for over a decade — a genuinely good web tool with well-earned brand recognition. Smol is a newer, Mac-native take on the same job with a different philosophy: compression should happen on your machine, not on someone’s server.
We build Smol, so read this with that in mind — but we’ve kept the comparison factual and the “when TinyPNG wins” section honest. Here’s how the two actually differ in 2026.
Smol vs TinyPNG: feature by feature
| Feature | Smol | TinyPNG |
|---|---|---|
| Where files are processed | 100% on your Mac | Uploaded to cloud servers |
| File size limit | None | 5 MB per image (free tier) |
| Batch compression | Folders, 500+ mixed files | Limited per batch (free tier) |
| Image formats | JPEG, PNG, WebP, AVIF, HEIC, RAW | PNG, JPEG, WebP, AVIF |
| PDF compression | ✓ | — |
| Video compression (H.265) | ✓ | — |
| Audio compression | ✓ | — |
| AI upscaling (on-device) | ✓ | — |
| ML-guided (content-aware) encoding | ✓ | — |
| EXIF / GPS metadata stripping | ✓ | Partial (metadata handling varies) |
| Works offline | ✓ | — |
| Developer API | — | ✓ |
| Photoshop plugin | — | ✓ |
| Works on Windows / Linux | No — macOS only (Apple Silicon and Intel) | Yes (browser-based) |
| Price | $29 one-time | Free tier + paid subscription |
Pros and cons
Smol
Pros
- Files never leave your Mac — safe for client work and anything under NDA
- No file size caps, daily quotas, or accounts
- Compresses PDFs, video, and audio too — one tool instead of four tabs
- Neural compression protects faces, text, and edges while shrinking harder elsewhere
- Native Apple Silicon and Intel builds — a folder finishes before an upload would
- One-time $29 with all updates included
Cons
- macOS only (no Windows or Linux)
- No web API for CI/CD pipelines
- No Photoshop plugin
TinyPNG
Pros
- Works in any browser on any operating system
- Free for small, occasional images
- Developer API with wide tooling support
- Photoshop plugin for design workflows
- A decade of brand trust
Cons
- Every image uploads to third-party servers
- 5 MB per-image cap on the free tier
- Images only — no PDF, video, or audio
- Needs an internet connection; speed depends on your upload bandwidth
- Ongoing subscription for serious usage
When TinyPNG is the better choice
An honest list, because no tool wins every scenario. Pick TinyPNG when: you’re on Windows or Linux; you need to compress one small image on a computer that isn’t yours; your build pipeline needs their API on a server; or your design team lives inside the Photoshop plugin. For a public, non-sensitive 800 KB PNG once a month, a free browser tool is genuinely all you need.
The moment images are sensitive, bigger than 5 MB, arrive in folders, or come with PDFs and screen recordings attached — the cloud round-trip becomes the bottleneck, and a local app earns its price in the first week.
The core difference is architectural, not cosmetic
Everything else in the table flows from one design decision. TinyPNG is a service: your file travels to their infrastructure, gets processed, and travels back. That’s why there are upload caps, quotas, accounts, and a subscription — servers cost money per image processed.
Smol is software: the same class of encoders (and an ML analysis pass on top) compiled natively for Apple Silicon and Intel, running on hardware you already own. That’s why there are no limits — your Mac doesn’t charge per file. It’s also why the privacy story is simple enough to fit in one sentence: nothing ever uploads, so there is nothing to trust us about.
Output quality: where Neural compression changes the math
On simple graphics, any good encoder — TinyPNG’s included — produces excellent results, and you shouldn’t expect dramatic differences. Photos are where approaches diverge. Smol’s Neural mode builds an importance map before encoding: faces, text, and edges are protected while skies and smooth backgrounds absorb heavier compression. At equal file sizes, that budget-shifting keeps the details people actually look at visibly sharper; at equal quality, it buys smaller files.
Combined with AVIF output (typically 30–50% smaller than JPEG at the same quality), web-bound images routinely land at half the size of a traditionally optimized JPEG.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a TinyPNG alternative that works offline on Mac?
Yes — Smol compresses images entirely on-device on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs, with no uploads and no internet required. It handles JPEG, PNG, WebP, AVIF, HEIC, and RAW, plus PDFs, video, and audio, with no file size limits.
Does TinyPNG have a file size limit?
On the free tier, TinyPNG limits images to 5 MB each with batch caps per session; paid plans raise those limits. Smol has no file size or quantity limits because everything runs locally on your own hardware.
Is Smol a subscription like TinyPNG Pro?
No. Smol is a one-time $29 purchase that includes future updates. TinyPNG offers a free tier for light use and paid subscription plans for heavier or API usage.
Can TinyPNG compress PDFs or videos?
No — TinyPNG is an image tool (PNG, JPEG, WebP, AVIF). Smol compresses images, PDFs (with DPI presets from email-ready to print), video (H.265), and audio in the same app.
Is it safe to upload client images to online compressors?
That depends on your agreements — many NDAs and client contracts prohibit sharing files with third-party services, which is what any online compressor technically is. A local tool sidesteps the question entirely: with Smol, files never leave the machine, so there's no third party involved.
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