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Test scope & comparison notes
These are recorded facts, not a unified ranking. Tested tiers and scope are not consistently recorded. Read pricing with its date and timing with its conditions. Privacy observations reflect visible flows and statements, not a security audit.
Cross-task capability coverage across selected products
Each product is scored independently per task edge; switch tasks below while keeping shared products selected| Task edge | CompressNow | Fotor | Switch / compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Background removal | Not tested in topic | 74/100 2048 × 2048 · PNG | Compare in task topic → |
| Image compression | 83/100 PNG · Output attached | 49/100 2048 × 2048 · PNG | Active task |
| Image upscaling | Not tested in topic | 81/100 JPEG · Output attached | Compare in task topic → |
| Image generation | Not tested in topic | 83/100 880×1168 (~1.03MP unwatermarked PNG, 1.13MB) · Historical description; output not attached | Compare in task topic → |
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Browse this task →| Criterion | CompressNow Image compression 83/100 Seven-aspect task score Free login-free on-device processing discloses format conversion upfront; size reduction is substantial, but PNG export is unavailable and transparency needs care. Tested export PNG · Output attached Historical test · 2026-10-18 | Fotor Free Image Compressor Image compression 49/100 Seven-aspect task score Default PNG output grew in this run, and login was demanded only at download; marketing prompts and late gating add friction. Tested export 2048 × 2048 · PNG Historical test · 2026-10-18 |
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| Pricing & rules | ||
| Pricing plans | Compressnow online in-browser image compressor · 2026-10-21 Plan · source date Monthly / one-time Annual bill / period Quota & limits Compressnow Free Web2026-10-21 ↗ Free Free Free Free without login; up to 30 MB per image and up to 30 images at a time; individual or ZIP download. 1 plan / billing-period records, all listed; — means that period is not recorded. The official page and FAQ state that compression runs in the browser (images are not stored), supporting up to 30 MB per image and up to 30 images at a time for JPG/JPEG/PNG/GIF/WebP (output as JPG or WebP), with no paid tiers. Cancellation, sources & verification recordCompletely free web tool with no accounts or subscription charges. Compressnow official tool page and FAQ ↗ · 2026-10-21 Capture 1 ↗ | Web personal free, all Pro/Pro+/Max monthly/annual tiers, credit subscriptions and 10 retail packs; excludes headshots/API · 2026-10-20 Plan · source date Monthly / one-time Annual bill / period Quota & limits Basic2026-10-20 ↗ Free Free Free Official comparison lists Free forever; removal limits need separate verification Pro2026-10-20 ↗ USD 10.99/month USD 47.99/year Annual 100 general credits/month; batch background-removal tool included Monthly 100 general credits/month Pro+2026-10-20 ↗ USD 23.99/month USD 69.99/year Annual 300 general credits/month; batch background-removal tool included Monthly 300 general credits/month Max 1k2026-10-20 ↗ USD 49.99/month USD 167.92/year Annual 1,000 general credits/month; batch background-removal tool included Monthly 1,000 general credits/month Credit subscription 2002026-10-20 ↗ USD 13.99/month USD 69.99/year Annual 200 credits/month, billed annually Rules [1] Monthly 200 general credits/month Rules [3] Credit subscription 5002026-10-20 ↗ USD 25.99/month USD 143.99/year Annual 500 credits/month, billed annually Rules [1] Monthly 500 general credits/month Rules [3] Credit subscription 10002026-10-20 ↗ USD 49.99/month USD 259.99/year Annual 1000 credits/month, billed annually Rules [1] Monthly 1,000 general credits/month Rules [3] Credit subscription 20002026-10-20 ↗ USD 99.99/month USD 459.99/year Annual 2000 credits/month, billed annually Rules [1] Monthly 2,000 general credits/month Rules [3] Credit subscription 50002026-10-20 ↗ USD 239.99/month USD 1,099.99/year Annual 5000 credits/month, billed annually Rules [1] Monthly 5,000 general credits/month Rules [3] Credit subscription 100002026-10-20 ↗ USD 459.99/month USD 1,999.99/year Annual 10000 credits/month, billed annually Rules [1] Monthly 10,000 general credits/month Rules [3] Max 2k2026-10-20 ↗ USD 99.99/month USD 335.92/year Monthly 2,000 general credits/month Annual 2,000 general credits/month Rules [2] Max 5k2026-10-20 ↗ USD 129.99/month USD 755.92/year Monthly 5,000 general credits/month Annual 5,000 general credits/month Rules [2] Max 10k2026-10-20 ↗ USD 229.99/month USD 1,427.92/year Monthly 10,000 general credits/month Annual 10,000 general credits/month Rules [2] Max 20k2026-10-20 ↗ USD 479.99/month USD 2,687.92/year Monthly 20,000 general credits/month Annual 20,000 general credits/month Rules [2] Max 50k2026-10-20 ↗ USD 1,149.99/month USD 6,719.92/year Monthly 50,000 general credits/month Annual 50,000 general credits/month Rules [2] Retail 1002026-10-20 ↗ USD 19.99 · one-time payment Usage / one-time Usage / one-time 100 general credits Rules [4] Retail 2002026-10-20 ↗ USD 23.99 · one-time payment Usage / one-time Usage / one-time 200 general credits Rules [4] Retail 5002026-10-20 ↗ USD 49.99 · one-time payment Usage / one-time Usage / one-time 500 general credits Rules [4] Retail 10002026-10-20 ↗ USD 79.99 · one-time payment Usage / one-time Usage / one-time 1,000 general credits Rules [4] Retail 20002026-10-20 ↗ USD 119.99 · one-time payment Usage / one-time Usage / one-time 2,000 general credits Rules [4] Retail 50002026-10-20 ↗ USD 259.99 · one-time payment Usage / one-time Usage / one-time 5,000 general credits Rules [4] Retail 100002026-10-20 ↗ USD 499.99 · one-time payment Usage / one-time Usage / one-time 10,000 general credits Rules [4] Retail 200002026-10-20 ↗ USD 899.99 · one-time payment Usage / one-time Usage / one-time 20,000 general credits Rules [4] Retail 300002026-10-20 ↗ USD 1,299.99 · one-time payment Usage / one-time Usage / one-time 30,000 general credits Rules [4] Retail 500002026-10-20 ↗ USD 1,999.99 · one-time payment Usage / one-time Usage / one-time 50,000 general credits Rules [4] 39 plan / billing-period records, all listed; — means that period is not recorded. All six Max tiers, monthly credit subscriptions and ten retail packs verified; retail packs require paid membership. Annual amounts preserve the observed promotion. Price cards do not specify renewal quotes, free removal counts, removal conversion or retail expiry; these remain unconfirmed. Verification has gaps; unknown prices and quotas are not inferred. Cancellation, sources & verification recordCancel auto-renewal anytime in account settings Official plans and usage terms ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗ · Capture 2 ↗ All subscription tiers and retail credits ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗ · Capture 2 ↗ · Capture 3 ↗ · Capture 4 ↗ · Capture 5 ↗ · Capture 6 ↗ · Capture 7 ↗ · Capture 8 ↗ · Capture 9 ↗ · Capture 10 ↗ · Capture 11 ↗ · Capture 12 ↗ · Capture 13 ↗ · Capture 14 ↗ |
| Free & trial allowance on the test date | 100% free, up to 30 MB per image and up to 30 images per batch | Allows dragging up to 50 images into the batch editor, but clicking Download enforces a mandatory login wall |
| Cancellation & refunds | Completely free web tool with no accounts or subscription charges. | Cancel auto-renewal anytime in account settings |
| Disclosure of costs & limits | Discloses upfront at the top of the page that output format is JPG or WebP ('Transparent areas turn white') | Login requirement is only revealed after clicking Apply and then clicking Download |
| Task quality | ||
| Measured fixture results | File reduction: 85.99% · Output size: 579.8 KB | File reduction: -42.27% · Output size: 5886.7 KB |
| Fixture findings | Local compression reduced this fixture by about 86%; export changes to JPG or WebP, not PNG. | Default settings increased this PNG's size; downloading also required login. |
| Original historical observation | CompressNow is a fast, 100% client-side compressor: your image never leaves your browser, and in 0.9s it shrinks our 4.24 MB benchmark PNG to 579.8 KB (-85.99%, 7.14×) at 42.34 dB PSNR (02_workspace.png). Note that it only outputs JPG or WebP (disclosed upfront), so users with transparent PNGs should select the WebP toggle. | Fotor's Image Compressor exposed two major flaws in real-machine testing: first, its default 'Format: Original / Image Quality: Medium' mode has no PNG palette quantizer, causing our 4.0 MB PNG to balloon to 5.7 MB (`↑ 42.3%` in red on Fotor's own card, 02_workspace.png); second, clicking Download immediately hits a mandatory login wall (03_download.png). |
| Suitable uses · historical assessment | Users who want to rapidly shrink bulky PNG screenshots or photos locally in-browser into high-quality JPG or WebP (-86% size) without uploading files to any server | Only usable for signed-in Fotor users compressing JPEGs (or converting PNGs to JPG/WebP); completely unsuitable for native PNG compression |
| Result & output evidence | ||
| Delivery capabilities | ||
| Recorded export specifications | PNG · Output attached · No watermark in test | 2048 × 2048 · PNG · No watermark in test |
| Historical specification note · not an official maximum | 2048×2048 full-resolution free export (outputs as JPG or WebP; does not export native PNG) | 2048×2048 (download blocked without login, and default PNG mode inflates file size by +42.3%) |
| Watermark observation | Watermark-free | Watermark-free (requires login) |
| Batch & API | Supports up to 30 images (≤30 MB each) with one-click DOWNLOAD ZIP | Batch workspace supports up to 50 images per session |
| Recorded free-tier dimensions | 2048 × 2048 | 2048 × 2048 |
| Attached file dimensions | Not verified | 2048 × 2048 · PNG |
| Speed & reliability | ||
| Timing observation | Recorded local processing time: 0.9s · End-to-end reference: 0.9s | Network-observed server wait: 2.4s · End-to-end reference: 2.4s |
| Date & fixture | 2026-10-18 · anchor_compress_v1 · US-West (California, AS2914) | 2026-10-18 · anchor_compress_v1 · US-West (California, AS2914) |
| Repeated tests & reliability | No standardized repetition count, success rate or variability range is recorded. | No standardized repetition count, success rate or variability range is recorded. |
| Interaction experience | ||
| Account requirements | No login in this test | Account required in this test |
| Sign-in methods | No registration or login required (100% local tool) | Mandatory Google / Facebook / Apple / Email login modal triggered when clicking Download |
| Manual adjustment | Not verified | Not verified |
| Interaction observations | Clean single-page workspace with a live compression level slider (default 20%) and a single display ad banner, with zero popups or registration walls (02_workspace.png, 03_download.png). | Enforces a classic post-action login gate after the user has already configured and applied settings, accompanied by persistent top promo banners (02_workspace.png, 03_download.png). |
| Background & reputation | ||
| Service lifecycle notice | Not verified | Not verified |
| Operator | CompressNow | Everimaging Ltd. (Fotor) |
| Recorded origin | France / European Independent Developer | Chengdu, China / Global Operations |
| Domain history record | 2012–Present (14-year online image compression tool) | 2012–Present (14-year photo editing suite) |
| Background & reputation assessment | Classic multi-language online image weight reducer operating for over 10 years (currently V6.0). | Batch compression module within the globally recognized Fotor photo editing suite operated by Everimaging Ltd. |
| External reputation record | Not verified | Not verified |
| Engineering & privacy | ||
| Processing location | On-device processing | Processing location unconfirmed |
| Third-party tracking record | Not verified | Not verified |
| Engineering & privacy assessment | 100% local in-browser processing (`blob:https://compressnow.com/...`); FAQ explicitly states 'Compression runs in your browser: your images never leave your device.' | Re-encodes images in the browser via Canvas Blob generation, but forces personal account sign-in before allowing file export. |
| Retention statement | This flow runs locally; post-close deletion not independently verified | Explicit retention period unconfirmed; inspect policy record |
| Evaluation basis | ||
| Pricing transparency | 31 / 35 100% free for up to 30 MB per image and 30 images at a time; transparently discloses next to the Format toggle: 'Format: JPG | WebP — Works everywhere. Transparent areas turn white.' (01_landing.png). | 14 / 35 The landing page advertises 'Compress JPG, JPEG, PNG, WEBP... with Fotor’s free image compressor' (01_landing.png) without mentioning mandatory registration; after uploading and clicking Apply, clicking the top-right Download button triggers a 'Continue to Download Your Work' login wall that blocks guest export (03_download.png). |
| Interaction restraint | 24 / 30 Clean single-page workspace with a live compression level slider (default 20%) and a single display ad banner, with zero popups or registration walls (02_workspace.png, 03_download.png). | 13 / 30 Enforces a classic post-action login gate after the user has already configured and applied settings, accompanied by persistent top promo banners (02_workspace.png, 03_download.png). |
| Background & reputation | 17 / 20 Classic multi-language online image weight reducer operating for over 10 years (currently V6.0). | 15 / 20 Batch compression module within the globally recognized Fotor photo editing suite operated by Everimaging Ltd. |
| Engineering & privacy | 15 / 15 100% local in-browser processing (`blob:https://compressnow.com/...`); FAQ explicitly states 'Compression runs in your browser: your images never leave your device.' | 10 / 15 Re-encodes images in the browser via Canvas Blob generation, but forces personal account sign-in before allowing file export. |
| Task quality | 52.2 / 65 Shrinks file size by 85.99% (7.14×) at 42.34 dB PSNR and 0.9992 SSIM, though output format is converted to JPG or WebP (52.2/65) | 25 / 65 Severe algorithmic flaw on PNGs: under the default 'Format: Original / Image Quality: Medium' setting, Fotor lacks a PNG palette quantizer and simply re-encodes via unquantized browser Canvas `toBlob('image/png')`, INFLATING our 4,137.9 KB anchor PNG up to 5,886.7 KB (displaying a red `4.0MB → 5.7MB ↑ 42.3%` badge on its own UI, see 02_workspace.png) (25.0/65) |
| Deliverable specifications | 15 / 20 Preserves full 2048×2048 dimensions and supports 30 MB files, but converts PNG inputs to JPG (or WebP) rather than native `.png` (15.0/20) | 11 / 20 While 2048×2048 dimensions are preserved, guest downloads are blocked by a mandatory login modal and native PNG file size increases instead of shrinking (11.0/20) |
| Processing speed | 14 / 15 100% local browser Canvas compression with 0 bytes uploaded in ~0.9s (14.0/15) | 12 / 15 Local Canvas re-encoding takes ~2.4s, but workflow is stalled by the batch editor redirect and download login wall (12.0/15) |
