I Benchmarked 8 “AI Image Compression” Tools Using a 20MB File — Only Two Passed

AI image compression tools love to promise magic: smaller file size, zero quality loss. Reality? Not so clean.
I took a 6144×4096 PNG (20.3MB) generated via Sora, ran it through Upscayl, resized to 1600×1067, and tested 8 different tools claiming to use AI compression.
ai, image-optimization, devtools, blogging, webperf

Tested Tools (besides Squoosh):

• ✅ ShortPixel

• ❌ TinyPNG

• ❌ Nero AI

• ❌ Optidash

• ❌ Pixelcut

• ❌ ImageAI (img.ly)

• ❌ Krikey AI

• ❌ Imagify

TLDR Verdict:

• ✅ ShortPixel (after resize) came closest to Squoosh in preserving clarity and reducing file size.

• ❌ TinyPNG blurred faces and gradients.

• ❌ Nero AI, Optidash destroyed soft tones.

• ❌ Others weren’t even real compressors.

Real Compression Wins:

• 1. Squoosh – gold standard

• 2. ShortPixel – resized, reliable

I included real visual comparisons using a UI-heavy, facial-gradient test image — not stock thumbnails. This wasn't marketing. It was a teardown.

➡️ Full benchmark with side-by-side visuals:
🔗 https://engineeredai.net/ai-image-compression-tools-benchmark/

Written by the Chaos Optimizer behind Engineered AI — no fluff, no hype, just brutal benchmarks and tools that actually work.
About | More Posts