Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

LightUtils VS Squoosh

Compare LightUtils VS Squoosh and see what are their differences

LightUtils logo LightUtils

50 tools that run inside your browser and upload nothing. Not a promise: the page is blocked from making network requests at all. Compress and merge PDFs, reorder pages, trim video, convert images, fix CSV files Excel opens as garbled Thai.

Squoosh logo Squoosh

Compress and compare images with different codecs, right in your browser
  • LightUtils Landing page
    Landing page //
    2026-08-02

LightUtils is 50 file and text tools that run entirely inside your browser. Nothing is uploaded, and that is enforced rather than promised: every page is served with a Content-Security-Policy of connect-src 'none', which means the browser itself refuses to let the page make a network request.

That one decision changes what the tools are for. A scanned contract, a payslip, a customer list โ€” the documents most worth working on are the ones nobody should be dropping on a stranger's server. Here they never leave the machine, so there is also no queue, no upload wait and no file size limit imposed by one.

What is in it

  • PDF (9) โ€” merge, split, reorder pages by dragging, compress, watermark, password-protect, extract images, combine any files into one PDF. Encrypted PDFs that open without a prompt are handled, which most free tools refuse.
  • Video and audio (7) โ€” compress, trim without re-encoding, video to GIF, remove or extract audio, reduce background noise, convert subtitles.
  • Images (3) โ€” convert and compress, crop, remove a plain background.
  • Data (5) โ€” fix CSV files that Excel opens as garbled Thai, CSV to real Excel, mask personal data in a CSV, JSON and XML both ways, JSON formatter.
  • Accessibility (5) โ€” WCAG contrast checker, colour blindness checker, readability checker that handles Thai, PDF accessibility checker, and a WCAG 2.3.1 flashing content checker that never plays the video back at you.
  • Random and prize draws (3) โ€” a spinning wheel, a name picker, a number generator. Every draw is seeded, so a prize draw can be verified by the people it affects instead of taken on trust.
  • Text and developer tools (18) โ€” diff, word count, case, sort, encrypt, ciphers, Enigma, morse, QR, passwords, UUID, hashes, Base64, timestamps, number bases.

Free forever. No account, no email, no watermark, no daily limit. Fully bilingual in English and Thai, with Thai written as Thai rather than translated.

  • Squoosh Landing page
    Landing page //
    2024-08-13

LightUtils

$ Details
free
Platforms
Web
Release Date
2026 July
Startup details
Country
Thailand
State
Samut Prakan
Founder(s)
Limpornchai Limkittikul
Employees
1 - 9

LightUtils features and specs

  • File upload
    Never. Enforced by connect-src 'none' in the Content-Security-Policy, not by policy text
  • Number of Tools
    50
  • Price
    Free forever. No paid tier exists
  • Account Required
    No. There is no login, because there is no server
  • Daily limits
    None
  • Watermark
    Never
  • File Size Limit
    100 MB for PDF, 500 MB for video. Set by your own memory, not by an upload
  • Batch Processing
    Yes, up to 20 PDFs at once, output as a ZIP
  • Languages
    English and Thai, fully separate content rather than machine translation
  • Encrypted PDF support
    Yes. Files that open without a password prompt are read and written normally
  • Accessibility Tools
    5 - WCAG contrast, colour blindness, PDF accessibility, readability, WCAG 2.3.1 flashing content
  • Cookies
    None on any tool. A consent banner appears only because ads may be added later
  • Analytics
    No third-party analytics, no tracking scripts
  • Open Source
    No. Source is private
  • Runtime dependencies
    Zero. No framework, no library, no WebAssembly
  • Works Offline
    No. A service worker would require loosening the security policy

Squoosh features and specs

  • Free to Use
    Squoosh is a free web application, which makes it accessible to anyone without the need for a subscription or payment.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    The application features an intuitive and easy-to-navigate interface that simplifies the image compression process.
  • Multiple Formats Support
    Squoosh supports a wide range of image formats including JPEG, PNG, WebP, and AVIF, allowing for versatile usage.
  • Real-Time Comparison
    Users can compare the original and compressed images side-by-side in real time, providing immediate visual feedback on the compression quality.
  • Customization Options
    The app allows users to adjust various parameters such as quality, resizing, and other advanced settings for greater control over the compression.
  • Open Source
    Squoosh is an open-source project, meaning that its code is transparent and can be reviewed, modified, and improved by the community.
  • Offline Capability
    The application can also be used offline, adding a layer of convenience for users who may not always have consistent internet access.

Possible disadvantages of Squoosh

  • Limited Advanced Features
    While great for basic compression tasks, Squoosh might lack some advanced features found in professional image editing software.
  • File Size Limits
    There might be limitations on the size of the files that can be uploaded and processed, which could be a constraint for users dealing with very large images.
  • Web-Based Dependency
    As a web application, its performance can be influenced by the browser and device capability, which could vary significantly among users.
  • No Batch Processing
    Squoosh is designed for single-image processing. Users looking to compress multiple images at once will find this feature lacking.
  • Privacy Concerns
    Although it can be used offline, the nature of a web app raises concerns for users who prioritize privacy and data security.
  • Limited Support Resources
    Being a free tool, it doesn't come with professional support, so users might have to rely on community forums or documentation for help.

Analysis of Squoosh

Overall verdict

  • Squoosh is an excellent tool for anyone needing quick and efficient image compression. Its flexibility and privacy-focused approach make it particularly appealing. Overall, it provides a seamless experience with effective results.

Why this product is good

  • Squoosh is a versatile image compression tool that supports various formats including WebP, PNG, and JPEG. It's known for its ease of use, allowing users to compress images directly in the browser without needing to upload files to a server, thus ensuring privacy. The user interface is intuitive, providing real-time previews of compression results, and it offers advanced options for adjusting quality settings to achieve the desired balance between image quality and file size.

Recommended for

    Web developers, designers, bloggers, and anyone needing to optimize images for the web, particularly those concerned about maintaining image quality while reducing file size.

LightUtils videos

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Squoosh videos

Jumbo Squoosh-oโ€™s Review! #SLIMESTAGRAM #JumboSquooshos

More videos:

  • Review - DIY Stress Balls | *NEW* Galaxy Squoosh-O's Unboxing & Review!! | Sneak Peek
  • Review - Jumbo Squoosh-O's DIY Stress Toy Kit: Unboxing, Setup & Review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to LightUtils and Squoosh)
Image Editing
1 1%
99% 99
PDF Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Image Optimisation
0 0%
100% 100
Developer Tools
100 100%
0% 0

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing LightUtils and Squoosh.

What makes your product unique?

LightUtils's answer

The no-upload promise is enforced by the browser, not by our word for it.

Every page is served with a Content-Security-Policy containing connect-src 'none'. That directive means the browser refuses to let the page make any network request. Our own code could not send your file anywhere if it tried, and anyone can check it in about ten seconds:

  1. Open the network tab
  2. Use any tool on the site
  3. Watch nothing leave

Almost every "private, client-side" tool on the web is a claim in a marketing paragraph. This one is a header you can read.

Two things follow from it. There is nothing to upload, so no queue, no round trip, and no file size limit that exists only because someone is paying for bandwidth. And there is no account, because there is no server to hold one.

Why should a person choose your product over its competitors?

LightUtils's answer

Because the documents most worth working on are the ones you should not hand to a stranger's server: a signed contract, a payslip, a bank statement, a customer list. On Smallpdf or iLovePDF those files are uploaded, processed remotely, and deleted on a schedule you have to trust. Here they never leave the machine.

LightUtils Typical online tool
Your file Never leaves the browser Uploaded to a server
Daily limit None Usually 2 free tasks
Watermark Never Common on free tiers
Account None, ever Required past the free tier
Upload wait None Scales with your file

Beyond that:

  • Encrypted PDFs work. Files that open without a password prompt are handled. Most free tools refuse them, which quietly excludes bank statements, invoices and government forms.
  • Five accessibility checkers almost nothing free offers: WCAG contrast, colour blindness, PDF accessibility, readability, and WCAG 2.3.1 flashing content.
  • Genuinely bilingual. The Thai is written as Thai, not machine-translated, and Thai-specific problems are solved: CSV files that Excel opens as garbled Thai, and a readability checker that segments Thai words, which have no spaces between them.

How would you describe the primary audience of your product?

LightUtils's answer

Two groups, and the second is the reason the site exists.

Anyone with a file and a task. Compress a PDF to fit an email limit, merge scans, trim a video, crop an image. They arrive from a search for that exact task and want it done in one screen.

People who are not allowed to upload the file. Lawyers, accountants, HR staff, clinics, and anyone working under Thailand's PDPA or the GDPR, where sending a document containing personal data to a third-party processor needs a legal basis rather than a convenience. For them "runs in your browser" is not a feature, it is the only way the task is permitted at all.

Geographically it is built for Thailand and the English-speaking world equally, which is unusual: most tool sites are English with a machine-translated Thai page bolted on.

What's the story behind your product?

LightUtils's answer

It started with a CSV file that Excel kept opening as garbled Thai. The fix is well known to developers and invisible to everybody else, and every free tool offering it wanted the file uploaded first. Sending a customer export to an unknown server to correct a text encoding is an absurd trade, and it is the trade almost every online tool asks for.

So the first tool was written to run in the browser. Then the harder question: how do you prove it? A promise in a privacy policy proves nothing. connect-src 'none' does, because the browser enforces it and anyone can read the header.

Once that constraint was fixed, the rest followed from it. No accounts, no server, no framework, no runtime dependencies. Fifty tools later the constraint has never been relaxed, and every claim on the site is checked by an automated test before it can ship, including the security header itself.

Built and maintained by CODENIVERSE, a software studio in Thailand.

Which are the primary technologies used for building your product?

LightUtils's answer

Deliberately almost none.

  • Hand-written HTML, CSS and ES modules. No React, no framework, no bundler, no build step for the JavaScript.
  • Zero runtime dependencies. The package manifest lists none at all. The only dev dependency is a property-testing library.
  • Browser platform APIs do the work โ€” WebCodecs for video and audio, WebCrypto for encryption and hashing, Canvas and OffscreenCanvas for images, Web Workers, and Intl.Segmenter for Thai word segmentation.
  • No WebAssembly, by decision. It would have meant megabytes of download and a looser security policy.
  • Written from the specifications, not pulled in as libraries โ€” the PDF reader, PDF writer, PDF decryptor, ZIP writer, XLSX writer and MP4 remuxer are all ours. That is what keeps a tool page under 100 KB.
  • Static assets on Cloudflare Workers. There is no application server.

Who are some of the biggest customers of your product?

LightUtils's answer

None, and it would be easy to invent some.

LightUtils has no accounts, collects no personal data and sets no analytics cookies, so we genuinely do not know who uses it โ€” there is nothing on the site capable of telling us. That is the same decision as everything else here, and naming customers we cannot verify would undercut the one thing the product is for.

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare LightUtils and Squoosh

LightUtils Reviews

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Squoosh Reviews

  1. Best tool to make images smaller or to figure out the right setting for batch work

    The only negative thing about this web app, is that it's not clear which formats are supported in which browsers.

    ๐Ÿ‘ Pros:    Intuitive|Easy user interface|User-friendly|Great user experience|Web app|Offline mode|Fast ui|Fast

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Squoosh seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 200 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

LightUtils mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of LightUtils yet. Tracking of LightUtils recommendations started around Jul 2026.

Squoosh mentions (200)

  • Can you build a recognizable World Map in under 500 bytes?
    Its a fun challenge. I used https://squoosh.app to make a pretty good one. Mostly just a resize and then OxiPNG for compression. Managed a 124x62 black/white image. OP has a resolution of 195x53, so I had very similar, but slightly worse I think? Mostly a different aspect ratio + map projection I think. Playing with Squoosh.app is very fun, and you can very easily see how the jump from 500b to ~1.5kb turns a map... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 month ago
  • Speed Up Your WordPress Site in 30 Minutes: A No-Plugin Performance Guide
    Use a free tool like Squoosh (by Google) to batch convert your existing images to WebP. - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
  • Free Browser Tools for Developers Who Make Content
    Every image goes through Squoosh before it lands in any repo I own. Drag the file in, pick WebP or AVIF, drag the quality slider until the preview still looks clean, download. The size reduction is usually 60โ€“80% with no visible quality loss. It runs entirely locally in your browser โ€” nothing is uploaded anywhere. For a performance-conscious developer this matters. Best for: Pre-commit image optimisation, blog... - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • Rust WASM vs TypeScript Performance: Why the 'Faster' Language Lost by 25% [2026]
    The Squoosh image compression app from Google is a great example. It runs codecs like MozJPEG and WebP entirely in WASM, processing large image buffers with minimal boundary crossings. Near-native compression performance, right in the browser. - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • Flutter App Taking Too Long to Start? Here's What You're Doing Wrong
    For images, tools like TinyPNG or Squoosh can reduce file sizes dramatically, often by 60-80%, with little to no visible quality difference. For your splash screen specifically, consider using a simple vector image (SVG) or even a plain color with your logo instead of a heavy raster image. Flutter's native splash screen supports this out of the box and it's blazing fast. - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing LightUtils and Squoosh, you can also consider the following products

Smallpdf - PDF document management and conversion suite

TinyPNG - Make your website faster and save bandwidth. TinyPNG optimizes your PNG images by 50-80% while preserving full transparency!

iLovePDF - Premium online PDF tool set

iLoveIMG - iLoveIMG is one of most powerful solution that comes with all the major tool you cloud want to edit images in bulk.

PDF24 - Online PDF Tools - The Swiss Army Knife for PDFs - Merge PDF - Compress PDF - Edit PDF - Convert to PDF

Caesium Image Compressor - Compress your pictures up to 90% without visible quality loss.