FileDial vs Squoosh
By Himanshu Ranjan · Updated 8 November 2026
Squoosh is a free, open source image compressor from Google Chrome Labs that runs in the browser and processes images on your device, with a side-by-side preview of codec settings. FileDial is a $20 Mac app that compresses, converts and resizes photos in batches from Finder, plus tools for PDFs, video and audio. Choose Squoosh for free, hands-on tuning of single images.
At a glance
| FileDial | Squoosh | |
|---|---|---|
| Where files are processed | On your Mac, files are never uploaded | In your browser, on your device |
| Platforms | Mac only: macOS 14+, Apple silicon (M1 or newer) | Any modern browser on any OS |
| Price | $20 once, lifetime license for 2 Macs, 14-day refund | Free |
| Open source | No | Yes, Apache-2.0 |
| Analytics | Optional anonymous counts, never file names or contents | Google Analytics incl. before and after sizes |
| Visual comparison | Result card shows size before and after | Side-by-side preview while tuning |
| Batch processing | Yes, select many files and run one tool on all | One image at a time in the web app |
| Size targets | Under 2 MB to 200 KB, to size, by percentage | Manual quality settings |
| Resize | Social and web presets | Resize option in the editor |
| Other file types | PDFs, video, audio, documents | Images only |
Details about Squoosh come from its own website and documentation, checked 2026-11-09. Prices and features change; check the source links below.
About Squoosh
An open source image compression web app from Google Chrome Labs that compares codecs and settings in the browser.
Platforms: Any modern browser. Price: Free, Apache-2.0 licensed. Where files are processed: Processed locally in your browser; its site says images never leave your device. Its repository notes Google Analytics collects visit data and image size values.
Choose Squoosh if
- You want to see the quality trade-off for one image before saving.
- You want a free tool on any computer, including Windows and Linux.
- You value open source.
Choose FileDial if
- You compress dozens or hundreds of images at once.
- You need files under a fixed size for an upload form.
- You want results saved beside the originals from Finder.
- You also compress PDFs and videos.
Both keep images on your device
Squoosh is a good example of a web tool that does not upload. Its site says images never leave your device since it does all the work locally, and its repository describes it as making images smaller with modern codecs right in the browser. The repository also notes that Google Analytics collects visit data and the before and after image sizes.
FileDial is also local: every tool runs on the Mac and works with Wi-Fi off. Its optional anonymous usage counts record which tool ran and whether it worked, never file names, paths or contents, and can be switched off in Settings › Privacy.
One image carefully, or many quickly
Squoosh shines when you want to tune one image and watch the result change side by side. FileDial is built for volume: select a folder of photos, hold the right Option key and choose Compress › Compress, Compress › Compress under 500 KB or Convert › Convert to WebP, and every file gets a new copy beside the original. A batch of 300 photos converted in 5 seconds on a MacBook.
Squoosh is free on any platform. FileDial is $20 once for 2 Macs after a 1-day trial, and adds 155 PDF tools, 134 video tools and 84 audio tools.
Questions
Does Squoosh upload images?
No. Squoosh says images never leave your device because it does all the work locally in the browser. FileDial also processes everything on your Mac.
Can Squoosh compress many images at once?
The Squoosh web app is designed around opening an image and tuning it. FileDial runs one tool on every file you select.
Is Squoosh free?
Yes. It is free and open source under the Apache-2.0 license. FileDial is $20 once after a 1-day trial.