Kraken.io Web Interface · Image compression
The interface avoids ad interruptions, but free files are capped at 1MB and many features need Pro; this fixture was rejected, so compression quality was not tested.
US-West (California, AS2914)
No native export attached; page screenshot evidence only
Subsequent pricing and service checks are shown separately without altering historical scores.
One run does not establish all complex scenes, untested paid maxima or long-term uptime.
Plans & historical pricing
Kraken.io API and Web Interface PRO plans (Free / Micro / Basic / Advanced / Premium / Enterprise); USD · 2026-10-21
11 plan / billing-period records, all listed; — means that period is not recorded.
The official pricing page lists the Free Account (100 MB testing quota; Free Web Interface capped at 1 MB/file) and five monthly/yearly tiers (yearly includes 2 months free at USD 50 / 90 / 190 / 390 / 790 per year). All paid plans include Web Interface PRO (up to 32 MB/file), API access, WordPress plugin, and Magento extension.
Cancellation, sources & verification record
No long-term contract; upgrade, downgrade, or cancel anytime under Account Settings. VAT applies to non-business EU customers.
Kraken.io official monthly/yearly pricing and FAQ ↗ · 2026-10-21 Capture 1 ↗ · Capture 2 ↗
Pricing recorded on the test date · 2026-10-18
Micro plan $5 / month (500 MB quota, unlocks 32 MB max file size)
1 MB free web demo + monthly/annual API & Web PRO subscriptions
Historical context only; not current purchase guidance.
Delivery & access
- Free delivery record
- Blocked for files >1 MB ('File size too large. Upgrade to PRO and get 32MB max file size.')
- Watermark
- Watermark-free (only for tiny ≤1 MB files)
- Free allowance
- Free Web Interface strictly capped at ≤1 MB per file; paid PRO unlocks 32 MB per file
- Account requirements
- No login required for ≤1 MB; lifting the 1 MB cap requires a paid Kraken.io PRO subscription
- Maximum specification record
- Free tier capped strictly at 1 MB per file (rejects our 4.24 MB benchmark PNG; requires PRO for 32 MB)
May include advertised capabilities; this does not establish a tested paid tier.
- Batch & API
- Supports multi-file and ZIP upload (all subject to the 1 MB/file free cap); full REST API on PRO
- Manual refinement
- Not recorded or not verified
Tested result & sample
Kraken.io's free Web Interface remains stuck in a decade-old '1 MB max file size' quota (01_landing.png): when fed our 4,137.9 KB (2048×2048) benchmark PNG, the queue immediately rejects it with 'File size too large. Upgrade to PRO and get 32MB max file size.' (02_workspace.png, 03_download.png).
- Fixture
- anchor_compress_v1
- Recorded environment
- US-West (California, AS2914)
- Network-observed server wait
- 0.2 s
- End-to-end reference
- 0.2 s
Network wait includes round trips, queuing and polling error, not pure inference time. Local timings depend on the device; repetition counts are not standardized in legacy records.
No native export is attached. Screenshots show the visible page, but do not independently establish export properties or file validity.
Experience, rules & trust
- Disclosure
- Small gray footer note below dropzone ('Free Web Interface has a file size limit of 1MB') + inline error row on upload
- Interaction
- No fake download ads, but steps 1, 3, and 4 (URL Paster, Image Resizing, Image Conversion) are locked behind 'available in Kraken.io PRO' and any file over 1 MB fails with a PRO upgrade prompt (03_download.png).
- Entity record
- Nekkra UG (Kraken.io)
- Origin
- Germany
- Domain history record
- 2013–Present (13-year image optimization service)
- Third-party tracking record
- Not recorded or not verified
- External information
- Not recorded or not verified
- Processing
- Cloud optimization queue (with strict 1 MB client-side gate on the free tier)
- Retention statement
- Optimized files are deleted from servers after 12 hours
A recorded statement does not verify deletion or all data-processing behavior.
Verifiable audit trail & evidence
Four SHA-256-verified stages link the benchmark fixture, same-run interface screenshots, native exported artifact and archived pricing sources.
anchor_compress_v1 · Inspect fixture & file inspector →
Captures entry rules, result view and export disclosure.
Page screenshot evidence only
Kraken.io official monthly/yearly pricing and FAQ (snapshot ↗)
Screenshots, native output and official claims support different conclusions. Evidence grades are not product safety certifications.
Evaluation basis & full scores · Overall 46.8/100
Overall = honesty & reputation × 30% + capability × 70%. Component maxima follow this report’s rubric. List scores are rounded for display; original precision is retained here.
Scoring version 2.3.1 · Test fixture anchor_compress_v1
Honesty & reputation · 68/100 · 30%
| Criterion | Score | Rationale | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing transparency | 21 / 35 | Discloses 'Free Web Interface has a file size limit of 1MB' in small gray footer text below the dropzone (01_landing.png); however, capping a 'Free Online Image Optimizer and Compressor' at 1 MB blocks almost every real-world high-res PNG/JPG that actually needs compression, immediately prompting 'File size too large. Upgrade to PRO and get 32MB max file size.' (02_workspace.png, 03_download.png). | Evidence A → |
| Interaction restraint | 21 / 30 | No fake download ads, but steps 1, 3, and 4 (URL Paster, Image Resizing, Image Conversion) are locked behind 'available in Kraken.io PRO' and any file over 1 MB fails with a PRO upgrade prompt (03_download.png). | Evidence A → |
| Background & reputation | 16 / 20 | Operated by Germany-based Nekkra UG (founded in 2013), well-known in legacy WordPress/Magento optimization workflows. | Evidence A → |
| Engineering & privacy | 10 / 15 | Clearly states that optimized files remain available for 12 hours before automatic deletion. | Evidence A → |
Capability · 37.7/100 · 70%
| Criterion | Score | Rationale | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Task quality | 20 / 65 | Rejects our 4,137.9 KB (4.24 MB) standard 2048×2048 PNG benchmark anchor due to its strict 1 MB free file size cap (20.0/65) | Evidence B → |
| Deliverable specifications | 7.7 / 20 | Free tier is restricted to files ≤1 MB, preventing free export of standard high-resolution PNG/JPG images (7.7/20) | Evidence B → |
| Processing speed | 10 / 15 | Client-side size check rejects >1 MB files in 0.2s with a PRO upgrade notice (10.0/15) | Evidence B → |
Legacy scores may include advertised maximum capabilities. Read tested output separately from paid capabilities. Records without matching tiers and scope are not ranked together.
Revisions & corrections
- 2026-10-18
Initial real-machine benchmark on Mode A compression anchor (anchor_compress_v1), documenting the 1 MB free file size rejection.