Compress Images for Social Media
Upload sharp, not soft. Prepare images for Instagram, X, Facebook & LinkedIn in your browser.
Drop your images here
or click to select files
Drop your images above to compress them before posting. Every social platform re-compresses what you upload, and the more work it has to do, the worse the result. Hand it a correctly sized, already-light image and the platform's own compression barely needs to touch it — so your upload stays sharp.
The goal isn't to upload the highest-resolution file you can. It's to match the dimensions the platform actually displays.
Match each platform's display size
Instagram displays feed images at 1080 px wide (1080×1350 portrait fills the most screen). X recommends 1600×900 landscape. Facebook shared images are 1200×630. LinkedIn shared posts are 1200×627. Resize to the platform's target, then compress at quality 85–88 for photos.
For per-platform dimensions, file-size limits, and a worked example, see how to prepare images for social media.
Format: photos vs graphics
Use JPEG for photographs — it is what platforms expect and re-compress most kindly. Use PNG for graphics with text: charts, quote cards, and carousel slides, where JPEG's lossy compression would make letters look fuzzy. LinkedIn and X both preserve PNG transparency well.
A worked example: one photo, four platforms
Start with a landscape photo straight off a phone: 4032×3024, about 3.5 MB. Uploading that same oversized file everywhere just gives each platform a different mess to crush. Prepared properly instead: crop to 1080×1350 for Instagram at quality 88 (about 320 KB); resize to 1600×900 for X at quality 85 (about 280 KB); resize to 1200×630 for Facebook at quality 85 in sRGB (about 180 KB); and 1200×627 for LinkedIn at quality 85 (about 180 KB).
Each file matches what the platform actually displays, so each platform's own compression barely engages — and the image in the feed looks like what you exported, not a softened copy of it.
Why your uploads look soft
When you hand a platform an oversized file, its encoder scales it down and compresses it hard, and you have no control over how. A pre-sized, pre-compressed image gives the platform almost nothing to mangle — so what shows up in the feed looks like what you exported.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do my images look blurry after uploading to social media?
Platforms re-compress every upload. The bigger the file, the harder they crush it. Resize to the platform's display width and compress first, so the platform's own compression barely engages.
What size should I use for Instagram?
1080 px wide — 1080×1080 square or 1080×1350 portrait. Export a JPEG at quality 85–90 and keep it under about 1 MB.
Should I use WebP for social media?
Usually not — some platforms don't accept it and others convert it to JPEG anyway. A well-compressed JPEG is the safest universal choice for uploads.
How do I stop text in my graphics from looking fuzzy?
Save graphics with text as PNG, not JPEG. JPEG's lossy compression creates ringing artifacts around the sharp edges of letters.
Further Reading
How to Prepare Images for Social Media (Sizes & Formats by Platform)
The right dimensions, file-size limits, and formats for Instagram, X, Facebook, and LinkedIn — so your images stay sharp instead of getting crushed by the platform.
6 min read
JPEG vs PNG vs WebP: Which Format Should You Use?
Understanding the strengths and trade-offs of the three most common image formats on the web.
5 min read
Best Image Sizes for Web Performance in 2026
Practical guidelines for image dimensions, file sizes, and responsive delivery that keep your site fast.
5 min read