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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 | PicWish | Switch / compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Background removal | Not tested in topic | 83/100 2048 × 2048 · PNG | Compare in task topic → |
| Image compression | 83/100 PNG · Output attached | 73/100 JPEG · Output attached | Active task |
| Image upscaling | Not tested in topic | 82/100 1280×1280 (2.5x free unwatermarked) / 2048×2048 (4.0x preview carries bottom notice watermark) · Historical description; output not attached | Compare in task topic → |
| Object removal | Not tested in topic | 84/100 2048 × 2048 · PNG | Compare in task topic → |
| Image generation | Not tested in topic | 85/100 JPEG · Output attached | Compare in task topic → |
| Photo restoration | Not tested in topic | 56/100 JPEG · Output 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 | PicWish Image Compressor Image compression 73/100 Seven-aspect task score Signed-in free accounts can download full-resolution compressed images with fast processing and substantial size reduction, but guest downloads hit a login modal and PNG inputs are converted to JPEG. Tested export JPEG · Output attached Historical test · 2026-10-19 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 free, weekly/monthly/annual subscriptions and expanded packs; excludes API · 2026-10-20 Plan · source date Monthly / one-time Annual bill / period Quota & limits Pro2026-10-20 ↗ USD 5.99/week Other period Other period 50 credits/week; 50 core-feature HD downloads/day Rules [1] Pro2026-10-20 ↗ USD 9.99/month USD 59.99/year Monthly 350 credits/month; 50 core-feature HD downloads/day Rules [1] Annual 350 credits/month; 50 core-feature HD downloads/day Rules [1] Max2026-10-20 ↗ USD 26.99/month USD 263.99/year Monthly 2,000 credits/month; 15,000 HD downloads/month Rules [1] Annual 2,000 credits/month; 15,000 HD downloads/month Rules [1] 300 credits2026-10-20 ↗ USD 12.99 · one-time payment Usage / one-time Usage / one-time 300 credits; 1 per removal; not for API Rules [2] 1,000 credits2026-10-20 ↗ USD 33.99 · one-time payment Usage / one-time Usage / one-time 1,000 credits; 1 per removal; not for API Rules [2] 5,000 credits2026-10-20 ↗ USD 65.99 · one-time payment Usage / one-time Usage / one-time 5,000 credits; 1 per removal; not for API Rules [2] 11,500 credits2026-10-20 ↗ USD 99.95 · one-time payment Usage / one-time Usage / one-time 11,500 credits; 1 per removal; not for API Rules [2] 30,000 credits2026-10-20 ↗ USD 269.99 · one-time payment Usage / one-time Usage / one-time 30,000 credits; 1 per removal; not for API Rules [2] 80,000 credits2026-10-20 ↗ USD 639.99 · one-time payment Usage / one-time Usage / one-time 80,000 credits; 1 per removal; not for API Rules [2] 13 plan / billing-period records, all listed; — means that period is not recorded. Actual annual charges $59.99/$263.99. A 3-day trial is offered; cancel before expiry to avoid charges. Exact daily free count is unspecified. The 11,500-credit pack includes a current 1,500-credit bonus. Cancellation, sources & verification recordCancel under My Orders; request refunds through official support, eligibility not separately verified. Official plans and usage terms ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗ · Capture 2 ↗ · Capture 3 ↗ · Capture 4 ↗ |
| Free & trial allowance on the test date | 100% free, up to 30 MB per image and up to 30 images per batch | Compressed canonical 4,237,170-byte PNG to 1,447,201 bytes; downloaded 2048×2048 JPEG (-65.85%) after free Google sign-in. |
| Cancellation & refunds | Completely free web tool with no accounts or subscription charges. | Cancel under My Orders; request refunds through official support, eligibility not separately verified. |
| Disclosure of costs & limits | Discloses upfront at the top of the page that output format is JPG or WebP ('Transparent areas turn white') | Not verified |
| Task quality | ||
| Measured fixture results | File reduction: 85.99% · Output size: 579.8 KB | File reduction: 65.85% · Output size: 1413.3 KB |
| Fixture findings | Local compression reduced this fixture by about 86%; export changes to JPG or WebP, not PNG. | Retained 2000x2000 dimensions with ~91% file size reduction; the PNG input was converted to lossy JPEG. |
| 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. | Compressed canonical PNG to 1,447,201-byte 2048×2048 JPEG (-65.85%, PSNR=47.03 dB, SSIM=0.9997) after free Google sign-in. |
| 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 | Not verified |
| Result & output evidence | ||
| Delivery capabilities | ||
| Recorded export specifications | PNG · Output attached · No watermark in test | JPEG · Output attached · Check watermark record |
| Historical specification note · not an official maximum | 2048×2048 full-resolution free export (outputs as JPG or WebP; does not export native PNG) | Not verified |
| Watermark observation | Watermark-free | Not verified |
| Batch & API | Supports up to 30 images (≤30 MB each) with one-click DOWNLOAD ZIP | Not verified |
| Recorded free-tier dimensions | 2048 × 2048 | 2048 × 2048 |
| Attached file dimensions | Not verified | Not verified |
| Speed & reliability | ||
| Timing observation | Recorded local processing time: 0.9s · End-to-end reference: 0.9s | Network-observed server wait: 1.43s · End-to-end reference: 3.54s |
| Date & fixture | 2026-10-18 · anchor_compress_v1 · US-West (California, AS2914) | 2026-10-19 · 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 | Not verified |
| Sign-in methods | No registration or login required (100% local tool) | Google or email login required when clicking Download Image |
| 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). | Uses a post-processing login wall at the download step and devotes half the result panel to promoting the desktop app. |
| Background & reputation | ||
| Service lifecycle notice | Not verified | Not verified |
| Operator | CompressNow | AI Image Tool Matrix (Wangxu Tech / Apowersoft) |
| Recorded origin | France / European Independent Developer | Not verified |
| Domain history record | 2012–Present (14-year online image compression tool) | Not verified |
| Background & reputation assessment | Classic multi-language online image weight reducer operating for over 10 years (currently V6.0). | Operated by Wangxu Technology (HK) Co., Limited (Apowersoft). |
| External reputation record | Not verified | Not verified |
| Engineering & privacy | ||
| Processing location | On-device processing | Uploaded for cloud processing |
| 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.' | HTTPS upload to Alibaba Cloud OSS plus gw.aoscdn.com async task queue; requires account login to retrieve the compressed file. |
| 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). | 15 / 35 Landing page headlines "Free Online Image Compressor — Compress images with one click" and lets guests upload and preview the compression ratio (4.04MB to 1.38MB), but clicking Download Image opens a login gate; after free Google sign-in, the 2048×2048 image downloads without payment, while batch mode and custom settings require the desktop app. |
| 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). | 12 / 30 Uses a post-processing login wall at the download step and devotes half the result panel to promoting the desktop app. |
| Background & reputation | 17 / 20 Classic multi-language online image weight reducer operating for over 10 years (currently V6.0). | |
| 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 HTTPS upload to Alibaba Cloud OSS plus gw.aoscdn.com async task queue; requires account login to retrieve the compressed file. |
| 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) | 53 / 65 Compressed the 4,237,170-byte (4,137.9 KB) canonical PNG to a 1,447,201-byte (1,413.3 KB) 2048×2048 JPEG (-65.85%, 2.93x ratio) with PSNR=47.03 dB and SSIM=0.9997 on opaque RGB content, though converting the container format from PNG to JPEG. |
| 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) | 14 / 20 Signed-in free account downloads a full 2048×2048 watermark-free file, but guest download is blocked by a login modal and PNG is transcoded to JPEG. |
| Processing speed | 14 / 15 100% local browser Canvas compression with 0 bytes uploaded in ~0.9s (14.0/15) | 14.5 / 15 2026-10-21 single-sample network timing: OSS PUT upload 1.80s, async compression task (r40 to r43) server wait 1.43s, end-to-end 3.54s. |
