CompressX: MacOS Powerful Offline Media Compression (& Conversion) Tool

We mainly have two options when it comes to media compression and file format conversion:

One, we can use an online media compressor utility. While this is convenient, you always risk uploading your media to a third-party server. So, if you are dealing with something sensitive, this option does not work out for many.

Two, you can use a media compression utility on your Mac. This option checks all the boxes because the data never leaves your computer. The problem? Finding the right media compression utility is difficult, especially when you need maximum integration with macOS.

CompressX for Mac, however, solves this problem in the best possible way.

What Is CompressX

CompressX is an offline media compression utility that you can install on your Mac. When you install the application, you also install the algorithms for media compression and conversion, which means that you do not need an internet connection to convert or compress images or video files.

Compared to other image compression tools out there, CompressX combines a lot of features, such as a well-integrated design and maximum efficiency when it comes to processing various file types.

Key Features

• High compression rate, with lightning-fast speeds.
• 100% offline compression, ensuring full privacy and security.
• Compress and convert images, videos, GIFs, and more.
• Batch processing for compressing multiple files at once.
• Automatically compress new files as they’re added to monitored folders.
• Adjust quality, remove audio, trim, or change formats for videos.
• Unique support for exporting to WebM (video) and WebP (image) formats.

From the developer

“CompressX utilizes FFmpeg, a powerful library for media processing, as its foundation. By employing advanced codecs like H.265 (HEVC), it achieves higher compression efficiency than traditional H.264, significantly reducing file sizes while preserving quality. ” Learn Hieu Dinh’s journey with CompressX here.

Tech Specs

Platform Compatibility

• Supported Devices: Mac Intel & Apple Silicon
• Operating System: macOS 13 and later

Supported Input Formats

• Image Formats: JPEG, PNG, GIF, SVG, TIFF, WebP
• Video Formats: MP4, MOV, MKV, WebM, AVI, GIF

Supported Export Formats

• Image: PNG, JPG, WebP
• Video: MP4, WebM, GIF

Target Audience

• Designers
• Content Creators
• Digital Marketers
• Developers
• General Users (Everyone)

CompressX Review (TheSweetBits Take)

As a content developer for a tech blog, I have to deal with multiple images and videos on a daily basis. As much as I would like to, I still do not see a situation where a single video format or image type would serve the purpose across my life.

This means that I have to turn towards a media compression tool and a file converter option that is efficient and privacy-conscious. The last thing I want is for these files to get out of my hand, right?

Therefore, my testing for CompressX consists of the regular workflow I follow as a part of my content writing projects. This means I’ll be testing how effective the compression technology from CompressX is and how useful file conversion technology is.

I have been testing CompressX for the past week, and here’s what I feel about this 100% offline compression and conversion utility.

Installation and Setup

Getting started with CompressX is as straightforward as it gets. You can download the installation file from the official website before or after getting the license.

The installation does not take more than a few seconds. You will have the fully fledged interface in a second after registering the license. I noticed that CompressX does not consume a lot of storage space or processing power.

It seems to work fine even when I have some heavy-duty applications running in the foreground. So, if you are looking forward to setting it up alongside a heavy-duty app like Premiere or Photoshop, you won’t have any trouble with CompressX.

User Interface

The core user interface of CompressX is simple and elegant.

The main UI does not seem complex by any means, but it changes depending on the file that you want to convert. That is, when you drag and drop an image file, you will see respective options, such as the ones to change the image quality, format, and size.

On the other hand, if you are putting a video into the compression pane, you will find some extra options, such as trimming the video and removing audio from the file. Once you press the Compress button, the tool starts its work.

Once CompressX completes the compression/conversion, you can instantly open the output file via Finder. It also shows you an overview of the current size, the reduced size, and the overall time taken.

Image Compression & Conversion

Here are a few aspects of using CompressX for image compression and conversion.

• Compatibility

CompressX quickly deals with almost all the image formats I threw at it, including WebP. However, you cannot get the same set of filters for all formats. However, when dealing with JPEG and PNG, all compression and conversion features work.

As far as exports are concerned, CompressX lets you convert the existing file to JPEG, PNG, and WebP.

• Compression Effectiveness

While compressing an image, you can choose the desired Image Quality, Image Format, and Image Size. For testing, I tried compressing a JPEG photograph with an original file size of 3.7 MB.

With the Highest Image Quality and 25% Image Size compression, the output file was 228KB. The process of compression/conversion took only 1 second. With Medium Image Quality, the size came down to 63KB.

In both cases, CompressX had reduced the image resolution by roughly 25%. However, when the quality was set to Medium, the loss of quality became evident.

So, unless you want to convert a photograph, CompressX does a great job regardless of the format that you have chosen.

Video Compression & Conversion

Here’s how the video compression and conversion options on CompressX work.

• Compatibility

Like its image compression/conversion module, video compression also works with a broader variety of media formats. I tried using MKV, MPEG-4, and AVI, and the tool worked fine. However, some formats, like MKV, do not offer additional control options.

When it comes to output formats, you can choose between MP4, WebM, and GIF.

• Compression Effectiveness

For testing, I tried an MPEG-4 video with a file size of 255MB. One thing to note here is that CompressX does not allow you to choose the compression ratio. Instead, you need to choose a video quality: Highest, High, Good, Medium, and Acceptable.

When the Highest video quality was selected, the conversion took close to 10 minutes, which isn’t the fastest by any means. There wasn’t much of a file size change, either. With the Good option for Video quality, the tool completed compression rather quickly, bringing the file size down to 76.1MB.

The quality was pretty decent, too. As we lowered the video quality, the compression took a shorter time.

I must, however, add that video compression takes a toll on system resources, especially the CPU. My M2 Air had a rather tough time with CPU consumption during compression.

Customization Features

CompressX offers quite a few customization options, especially considering its minimal software footprint.

For beginners, you can choose to remove the input files after the compression is done. And you can also set up notifications so that you know when the conversion is finished. There are also options to retain the creation date and copy the output file directly to the clipboard. You can also customize how output files from the app are renamed.

If you want to go further, there are advanced options such as hardware acceleration and the option to select a video encoding codec. You can also control the target video FPS and whether to retain EXIF metadata.

For the most part, there are also some customization options for the appearance, where you can choose to retain the Dock icon and the menu bar icon. You can also decide whether the app will turn up when you start up your Mac.

There is also a monitoring interface that allows you to create a folder, and this folder will act as a point for all conversions. That is, if you want to convert a media file, you can simply copy and paste that file to the folder, and CompressX will do the job according to the preset you have set before.

Integration with macOS & Apps

I also wanted to mention a few integration features.

One, CompressX can enable a drop-zone near the notch if your display has one. When you drag and drop a media file in the area, CompressX will automatically compress it to your preferences. It’s a great way to quickly compress/convert a file without opening the main window.

CompressX also integrates with Raycast through an extension. You can install this free Raycast extension to access high-quality compression/conversion from the Raycast interface. The next time you select a media file, you can easily convert it using Raycast.

Pricing and Value

CompressX is currently available only for macOS, and its pricing starts at $19. This personal license offers you access to one device. But if you want to use the app on multiple devices, you can get a standard license for $29. You can also go for some team options.

In addition to this, the developer of CompressX also offers a 30% educational discount to eligible students. There is also a 7-day money-back guarantee, which means if you are not satisfied with this tool, you can always get the real money back.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• CompressX works 100% offline, ensuring privacy
• Advanced integration and automation options
• Impressive compatibility for conversion formats
• One-time purchase that offers incredible value.

Cons

• Video compression takes a toll on the CPU resources

Final Words

Overall, if you need a no-nonsense way to compress and convert media, CompressX is a great deal. It does its job so well, and performance isn’t an issue if you have one of the newer Macs. Compared to other file compressors we’ve tested, CompressX stands out for its speed, privacy, and offline capabilities.

For more details, visit CompressX official site.