500 KB: spend the larger budget where it helps
At a larger ceiling, first check whether the tool reports that its highest tested encoder setting already fits. If so, it will not manufacture extra bytes merely to reach 500 KB. The useful result is a valid image inside the limit, not a number as close to the limit as possible.
Large photos can still be resized by the tool’s processing safeguards or a selected dimension cap. A 500 KB target is therefore not a promise to preserve a camera’s full resolution. Compare the original and output width and height. If a print workflow or archive needs every original pixel and its metadata, retain the original; the downloadable result is a newly encoded copy.
Measured 500 KB examples
Measured with the actual ExactKB compressor in Chrome 155.0.8059.84 on macOS, using decimal units, automatic dimensions and no size preset. Encoder percentages are settings, not measured detail retention. Results vary with the image and browser. Files are synthetic, contain no customer images, and are available below so you can reproduce the comparison.
The textured PNG input is 3,031,966 bytes at 1200×900. Download the textured original.
On a narrow screen, scroll the results table sideways to see all columns.
| Input / target | Output bytes | Output pixels | Encoder setting | Inspect file |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texture / 500 decimal KB / JPG | 457,842 | 1200×900 | 94% | Download output |
| Texture / 200 decimal KB / JPG | 185,764 | 1200×900 | 82% | Download output |
To reproduce: upload the matching original above, choose the target shown in the row (this page starts at 500 KB), turn off the 1024-byte option, leave Longest side on Automatic and select the table’s output format. Press Compress and compare exact bytes and dimensions. The decimal ceiling is 500,000 bytes; leaving binary units enabled instead permits 512,000 bytes.
500 KB is not always half of a displayed MB
With decimal units, 500 KB is 500,000 bytes and 0.5 MB. With the binary checkbox on, this target is 512,000 bytes, or about 0.488 MiB. Neither setting guarantees a format accepted by your destination. If your 500 KB image looks no better than the 200 KB version at its intended display size, the smaller valid file may be sufficient; use the downloadable pair below to compare instead of relying on the percentage alone.
Before using the download
If the result says “Could not fit”, its download is an above-limit best effort, not a successful compression. Do not upload it as a file that meets your cap. Try a larger permitted budget or prepare a simpler crop from the original.
Open the downloaded result and inspect the detail your task requires. Confirm format, actual bytes and both dimensions against the destination’s current instructions. A successful size badge does not validate composition or a separate minimum file size.
Compare 200 KB · How quality and dimensions are chosen · Troubleshoot a rejected upload