WHAT IS IT AND WHY IS IT GOOD?
Internet today is pretty fast, but that doesn’t mean we should ignore file sizes. Whether you’re sending an image through text or posting on the web, it’s in our best interest to keep file sizes to a minimum. ImageOptim is a free and easy solution to that.
As Simple As It Gets
Just drag and drop any image into the window and compression starts immediately. It only takes a few seconds, and once you see the green checkmark, it’s done.
One important thing to note: ImageOptim overwrites the original file, so if you want to keep a full-quality version, make a quick duplicate before running it.
Quality Slider
There are a few options if you want to dig in further, including a quality slider. If you turn it down too far you may start to notice artifacts, but overall it does a great job of keeping images looking intact.
Final Verdict
It’s rare to find tools that are this simple and helpful for free. Every image you see on this site has been run through this program. I honestly have nothing bad to say about it, except that it would be nice to have an option to save the optimized version as a new file instead of overwriting the original.
COMPATIBILITY?
ImageOptim is Mac-only.
If you’re on PC, alternatives like Shrink-O-Matic are available and have good reviews.
If you have suggestions for similar programs, leave them in the comments!