Squoosh and nosend share the same core idea: compress images in the browser and upload nothing. Squoosh, from Google Chrome Labs, does it with a set of WebAssembly codecs and deep per-image controls. nosend does it with the Canvas API and a much simpler interface built for volume.
If you already believe in client-side compression, choosing between them comes down to how many images you have and how much tuning you want to do.
nosend vs Squoosh
| nosend | Squoosh | |
|---|---|---|
| Where files are processed | Your browser | Your browser (same) |
| Multiple files at once | Yes, unlimited | One image at a time |
| HEIC / iPhone photos | Yes | No |
| Codec control | Quality slider | Deep per-codec settings (MozJPEG, OxiPNG…) |
| AVIF output | No | Yes |
| Before/after comparison | Size and savings per file | Side-by-side visual slider |
| Actively maintained | Yes | Largely dormant |
| Metadata (EXIF, GPS) | Stripped automatically | Stripped |
| Open source | Yes (MIT) | Yes (Apache-2.0) |
Where nosend wins
- Batch — Squoosh handles one image at a time. nosend takes a whole folder at once and gives you a ZIP on desktop, or the native share sheet on mobile.
- HEIC — nosend decodes iPhone HEIC and HEIF files directly. Squoosh can’t open them.
- Maintenance — as of this writing, Squoosh’s development has been largely dormant for years. Open issues have piled up and its codecs haven’t kept pace. nosend is actively maintained.
- Simplicity — drop files, download results. There’s no codec menu to learn.
Where Squoosh wins
Squoosh is the better tool when you’re optimizing a single important image. Its side-by-side comparison slider, per-codec settings, and AVIF output give you a level of control nosend deliberately doesn’t. If you want to hand-tune one hero image or export AVIF, use Squoosh.
Both keep your files local
Worth being clear: Squoosh is not a privacy problem. Like nosend, it processes everything in your browser with no upload — it’s Google’s own demonstration that client-side compression works. This isn’t a privacy pitch against Squoosh.
It’s about batch processing, HEIC support, and whether the tool is still being worked on. If those matter to you, nosend covers the same client-side ground with less friction. If you want to read more about which tools actually upload your files, see Are online image compressors safe?
The bottom line
Squoosh is a great tool that Google has mostly stopped developing. For fine-tuning one image or exporting AVIF, it’s still worth using. For a batch of photos, iPhone HEIC files, or a tool that’s actively maintained — nosend does the same job in the browser with a fraction of the clicks.
Try it at nosend.io.
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