Freedom251 › Image Compression Software
jpegoptim
What jpegoptim is
jpegoptim is a free, GPL-3.0 utility for optimizing JPEG and JFIF files on Linux, macOS, and Windows. It provides both lossless and lossy compression: lossless mode optimizes Huffman tables, while lossy mode applies a maximum image-quality setting. You can process batches and ask it to target a size in kilobytes or as a percentage of the original. EXIF, IPTC, ICC, XMP, and JPEG comment markers stay in files by default, with options to remove them. Optimized files normally overwrite their inputs, although output can be directed to another directory. Only normal files are processed; symbolic links and special files are skipped. jpegoptim requires libjpeg 6b or newer and may also work with libjpeg-turbo or mozjpeg. Source archives, a Git repository, and a man page are provided. Version 1.5.7 notes a symlink-related security fix.
Who it suits
jpegoptim suits people who need command-line JPEG compression across Linux, macOS, or Windows, including batch workflows and configurable metadata handling.
What it does well
- Free GPL-3.0 utility
- Lossless and lossy modes
- Batch processing supported
- Target size controls
- Metadata stripping options
What to know first
- Only JPEG and JFIF formats
- Requires libjpeg 6b or later
- Overwrites inputs by default
- Skips symbolic links and special files
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Free | GPL-3.0 licensed JPEG optimization utility | Free |
As github.com lists them, read 11 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Verdict
jpegoptim combines size targeting, batch processing, and two compression modes in a free utility. Its file-type scope and libjpeg dependency matter when planning workflows.
Facts from jpegoptim's own pages
- Batch processing
- It can read filenames from a file or standard input and can process files in parallel using a configurable worker limit. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Compression modes
- both · github.com, 20 Sept 2026
- Dependencies
- It requires libjpeg version 6b or later and may also work with libjpeg-turbo or mozjpeg. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Distribution
- The maker provides source archives and identifies the Git repository as a source distribution. · kokkonen.net, 11 Oct 2026
- File handling
- By default it overwrites input files when they are optimized, and it can save output to an alternate destination directory. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Free plan
- Yes · github.com, 20 Sept 2026
- Input limitations
- Only normal files are optimized; symbolic links and special files are skipped. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- The maker lists jpegoptim among software projects for Linux and Unix. · kokkonen.net, 11 Oct 2026
- License
- The repository identifies the software license as GPL-3.0. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Metadata
- It keeps EXIF, IPTC, ICC, XMP and JPEG comment markers by default, while options allow stripping markers. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Metadata controls
- Yes · github.com, 20 Sept 2026
- Optimization modes
- It supports lossless optimization by optimizing Huffman tables and lossy optimization with a maximum image quality setting. · kokkonen.net, 11 Oct 2026
- Platforms
- The maker lists Linux, macOS and Windows as tested platforms. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- jpegoptim is a utility to optimize and compress JPEG files. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Security maintenance
- The v1.5.7 release notes report a fix for a potential security issue involving symlink following during file creation. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Support
- The maker's project page links to a man page and the Git repository for jpegoptim. · kokkonen.net, 11 Oct 2026
- Supported formats
- JPEG,JFIF · github.com, 20 Sept 2026
- Target size
- It can try to optimize an image to a target size specified in kilobytes or as a percentage of the original file size. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Where jpegoptim stands on Freedom251
- Image Compression Software#36 of 85