Name: Smol
Price: 29 USD
Availability: InStock
Author: Smol

Question 1

How do I compress images on Mac without losing quality?

Accepted Answer

Drop any image into Smol — JPEG, PNG, WebP, AVIF, HEIC, or RAW. Smol compresses using professional-grade encoders that reduce file size by 50–90% while preserving visual quality. You can adjust the quality slider for full control. Everything runs locally on your Mac — no uploads, no accounts.

Question 2

What is the best image compression app for Mac?

Accepted Answer

Smol is the only Mac app that compresses images, PDFs, and videos in one place — locally, without uploading your files. It supports 18 image formats including RAW, HEIC, and AVIF. For developers and designers who need batch processing, format conversion, and privacy, Smol is the strongest all-in-one option available.

Question 3

Does Smol upload my files to the cloud?

Accepted Answer

No. Every file is processed 100% locally on your Mac using Apple Silicon. Your images, PDFs, and videos never leave your device. There are no accounts, no servers, no upload queue. Smol uses bundled encoders that run entirely on your machine — the same tools that run on cloud services, just on your Mac.

Question 4

How do I reduce PDF file size on Mac?

Accepted Answer

Drop your PDF into Smol and choose a quality preset: Tiny (72 DPI, email-ready), Small (150 DPI, sharing), Medium (300 DPI, everyday), Large (300 DPI, print quality), or Original. A 50 MB InDesign export can become 3–5 MB without visible quality loss. All compression runs locally — your PDF never leaves your Mac.

Question 5

Can I compress videos on Mac without HandBrake?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Smol compresses MP4, MOV, AVI, MKV, and WebM files using H.265 (HEVC) encoding — the same standard HandBrake uses, but with a simple drag-and-drop interface. No presets to configure, no command-line flags. Drop a video, choose High or Web quality, done. H.265 is roughly 50% more efficient than H.264 at equal visual quality.

Question 6

What is AVIF and should I use it instead of JPEG?

Accepted Answer

AVIF is the best image format available today — typically 30–50% smaller than JPEG at equivalent quality, with wide browser support. Smol converts any image to AVIF with a single drop. If you're building for the web or optimising assets for performance, AVIF is the right choice. For compatibility with older software, JPEG or WebP are safer.

Question 7

How do I convert HEIC to JPEG on Mac?

Accepted Answer

Drop your HEIC file (or folder of files) into Smol, set the output format to JPEG in settings, and compress. Smol batch-converts HEIC to JPEG, WebP, AVIF, or PNG. HEIC is the default format for iPhone photos — Smol converts them locally without uploading to any web service.

Question 8

Is Smol a one-time purchase or subscription?

Accepted Answer

One-time purchase of $29. No subscription, no renewal, no recurring fees. Pay once and own Smol forever, including all future updates. Compare that to Smallpdf at $108/year or Acrobat Pro at $240/year — tools that charge you annually for features you use every day.

Question 9

Does Smol work on Intel Macs?

Accepted Answer

No. Smol is built exclusively for Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3, M4 and later). All compression encoders are compiled as native ARM binaries, and AI upscaling uses the Apple Neural Engine. Running on Apple Silicon means faster compression, lower power consumption, and better performance than any Intel-compatible build could offer.

Question 10

How do I remove EXIF data from photos on Mac?

Accepted Answer

Drop any image or PDF into Smol and enable "Strip metadata" in settings. Smol removes all EXIF, GPS, IPTC, and XMP data — camera model, GPS coordinates, author info, timestamps. You can strip metadata without recompressing, so the image content remains pixel-perfect while the identifying information is removed.

Question 11

What is AI image upscaling?

Accepted Answer

AI upscaling uses a machine learning model to enlarge images while reconstructing realistic detail — far sharper than traditional resizing. Smol bundles Real-ESRGAN, a professional upscaling model, and runs it entirely on your Apple Silicon GPU. Enlarge images 2× or 4× with no internet connection, no API key, and no cloud upload required.

Question 12

Can I batch compress hundreds of files at once?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Drag a folder of 500+ files into Smol — images, PDFs, and videos mixed together — and Smol processes them all. Virtual scrolling means the interface stays fast even with 1,000+ files. You can watch per-file progress, see individual savings, cancel mid-batch, or re-optimise specific files after the run completes.

Question 13

How much can Smol reduce file sizes?

Accepted Answer

Typical results: JPEG images compress 60–85% smaller. PNG files reduce 30–60% losslessly. PDFs from InDesign or Acrobat often shrink 70–90% for email use. Videos encoded with H.265 are typically 40–60% smaller than the original. Smol always keeps the smaller result — if compression would increase file size, it keeps the original.

Question 14

Is local compression faster than online tools?

Accepted Answer

Yes — significantly. Online tools require uploading your file, waiting for server processing, and downloading the result. With large files or slow connections, that's minutes per file. Smol processes files in seconds using your Mac's CPU and GPU directly. No upload, no download, no queue. A 100 MB video that takes minutes online takes under 30 seconds in Smol.

Question 15

What encoders does Smol use?

Accepted Answer

Smol uses best-in-class open-source encoders: mozjpeg for JPEG (20–35% smaller than standard), oxipng for lossless PNG optimisation, libavif for AVIF (best compression ratio available), libwebp for WebP, Ghostscript for professional PDF compression, and libx265 via ffmpeg for H.265 video. These are the same encoders used by Cloudflare, Google, and major video platforms — running locally on your Mac.

Feature	Smol $29 one-time	Clop $15 one-time	ImageOptim Free	Optimage $15 one-time	Squash $29–39/yr
Images
PDFs
Video
AI Upscaling
RAW file support
AVIF output
PDF quality presets
100% local
Menu bar / tray
Smart Clipboard

Feature	TinyPNG $39/yr	Squoosh Free	JPEGmini $59 one-time
Images (18 formats)	PNG/JPG only	PNG/WebP/AVIF	JPEG/HEIC only
PDFs
Video
AI Upscaling
AVIF output
100% local
Batch processing

Feature	Smol $29 one-time	PDF Squeezer $19.99 one-time	Smallpdf $108/yr	Acrobat Pro $240/yr
PDFs
Images
Video
AI Upscaling
100% local
Batch processing
Menu bar / tray

Feature	Smol $29 one-time	HandBrake Free	Topaz AI $199 one-time	Permute $14.99 one-time
Video
AI Upscaling
Images
PDFs
100% local
Menu bar / tray
Smart Clipboard

Make every file smol.

Compress images, PDFs & videos
without losing quality

Three tools. One app.

Compress images, PDFs & videos on Mac

AI image upscaling on Mac — 2× and 4×

Remove EXIF metadata and location data

18 image formats. 5 PDF presets.
All major video containers.

How Smol compresses files on your Mac

Drop files onto Smol

Instant local compression on Apple Silicon

Files saved. Nothing uploaded.

Everything stays on your Mac — offline, always

100% Local

Copy big. Paste small.

Best-in-class encoders. No cloud required.

What makes Smol different from online tools

Frequently asked questions

People love Smol.

One price, forever — $29

Make it smol.