# When a total photo size limit is the problem

> SizeCap shrinks several photos to one combined JPEG size cap in your browser. Here is when that is the right tool, and when another compressor is a better fit.

Canonical page: https://sizecap.com/guides/when-sizecap-helps/

Most photo compressors ask for a quality slider, then shrink each file on its own. That helps when you only care how each photo looks. It does not help when a website, email, or form checks how much space *all* of the files take up together.

SizeCap is built for that second job. You choose one total size in MB or KB. The tool uses the same JPEG quality and scale for every photo so the saved files add up to your cap. The work stays in your browser. Photos are not uploaded, and you do not need an account.

## Use SizeCap when

- A portal, marketplace, or application form limits the combined size of several photos, not each file.
- You need a few photos to fit an email attachment allowance and want one shared limit instead of resizing each picture by hand.
- A form asks for one JPEG under a KB limit, and you want to set that limit directly.
- You want the photos to stay on your device while they are compressed.

## Choose something else when

- You need to keep PNG transparency, an animated GIF, SVG, or a PDF. SizeCap always saves JPEG, fills transparent areas with white, and uses only the first GIF frame.
- Your photos are HEIC, HEIF, TIFF, RAW, or JPEG XL. SizeCap cannot open those formats.
- Each photo needs its own different quality or a different size target. SizeCap shares one quality and scale across the batch. For separate per-file caps, compress the photos one at a time.
- You need exact pixel dimensions, a specific crop, or a required background. Check those after you download, or edit the original first.

## How SizeCap counts size

The cap is the total of the JPEG files. A ZIP of those JPEGs is a little larger, so leave room if you must send an archive. SizeCap treats 1 KB as 1,024 bytes and 1 MB as 1,048,576 bytes. Some sites treat 1 MB as 1,000,000 bytes. If a limit is strict, choose a slightly lower cap here and check the file you plan to send.

Input files can be JPEG, PNG, WebP, GIF, BMP, or AVIF. Compression and downloads are free.

Need a walkthrough? Start with [several photos under one limit](https://sizecap.com/guides/compress-photos-total-size/), [photos for email](https://sizecap.com/guides/photos-for-email/), or [one photo under a KB limit](https://sizecap.com/guides/compress-jpeg-to-kb/).

[Make my photos smaller](https://sizecap.com/#budget-heading)