ApowerCompress: Shrink Videos, Images and PDFs in Batches on Windows
ApowerCompress is a $39 one-time Windows program that makes videos, pictures and PDF files smaller, so they fit an email limit or an upload cap. It's for people who regularly need to shrink a folder of media files and want one window for all three file types.
The free version stops at very small files, so this is a tool you pay for if you use it at all. Before you do, know that it isn't a ZIP or RAR archiver: it re-encodes media to reduce its size, which can lower the quality.
Quick facts
- Developer: Apowersoft (Wangxu Technology Co., Limited)
- Version: 1.1.18
- Platform: Windows 7, 8, 8.1 and 10 on Apowersoft's page. There's no Mac version
- Handles: pictures (BMP, JPG, JPEG, PNG, GIF, TIF, TIFF), videos (MP4, MKV, MOV, WMV, AVI, TS and others) and PDFs
- Price: $39 for a Personal lifetime license at checkout, the same as Apowersoft's own store
- Free version: pictures up to 2 MB, videos up to 20 MB and PDFs up to 2 MB
- Guarantee: 30-day money-back guarantee, for the reasons in Apowersoft's refund policy
- What we checked: the Windows download is a 1.83 MB web installer (Apowersoft Installer 1.1.1.2) that fetches the program during setup, and the Personal lifetime license was $39 on the order page, with no renewal attached, on November 6, 2026. We didn't install the program or run a compression test, so the sizes on this page come from Apowersoft's own manual.
Before you buy
The license lives in an Apowersoft account, not in a key you keep. Use the same email address at checkout that you sign in with, and the account becomes VIP on its own.
The vendor's reputation is poor. Apowersoft scored 1.9 out of 5 on Trustpilot from 241 reviews on November 6, 2026, mostly over support, activation and refunds. A change of mind isn't covered by the refund policy, so test a 2 MB picture and a short video in the free version first.
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Overview
ApowerCompress has three tabs down the left side: Compress Image, Compress Video and Compress PDF. You drag files or a whole folder in, pick a compression type, and click Compress. The list then shows each file's size before and after, and the percentage it ended up at.
The Compress Video tab after a batch. In this Apowersoft example, a 114.39 MB MP4 came down to 37.77 MB. The numbered markers are from Apowersoft's manual.
Features
ApowerCompress reduces video size with a resolution you choose
ApowerCompress detects each video's resolution and can keep it, or drop it to 1080p, 720p, 480p and so on. Pick Size for the smallest file or Quality to protect the picture, and keep the original format or save as MP4. Apowersoft's product page also lists changing frame rate and width and height, and setting a target size before you start.
ApowerCompress shrinks pictures and can convert them to JPG
ApowerCompress has three types for pictures: Size, Normal and Quality. You can keep the format or save as JPG, which is often where the biggest savings on a large PNG come from.
The Compress Image tab, with the three compression types and the output format below the file list.
ApowerCompress compresses PDF files
ApowerCompress handles PDFs in the same way, with the same three types and a progress percentage for each file. Results depend heavily on what's inside: PDFs full of images shrink far more than plain text.
The Compress PDF tab, showing before and after sizes for three sample documents.
ApowerCompress works through whole folders
ApowerCompress takes single files or a whole folder and processes the list in one run. Finished files can go back to the original folder or to one you pick, which keeps your originals out of the way.
Benefits
- Files that fit. Get a video under a messaging or email attachment limit without learning an encoder.
- One tool for three jobs. You don't need a separate video, image and PDF program.
- Less disk space. Run a folder of phone videos through it before archiving them.
Real-World Uses
- A too-big video for a chat app: drop a 1080p clip to 720p with the Size type and send it.
- A website image folder: add the folder, choose Normal, save as JPG, and upload lighter pictures.
- A scanned PDF for a form upload: compress it with the Size type to get under a portal's size cap, then check that it's still legible.
Who it's for, and who should skip it
It suits Windows users who shrink media files every week and want a simple window instead of a professional encoder. Skip it if you only need this once or twice, since an online compressor will do, including Apowersoft's own free online File Compressor. Skip it on a Mac too. If you want to bundle files into a ZIP, this is the wrong kind of tool, so use an archiver. And if you're comfortable with more settings, the free HandBrake gives you far more control over video.
Usage Guide
- Install and launch ApowerCompress. The download fetches the program during setup.
- Click the account icon and sign in with the email you used at checkout to activate VIP.
- Choose Language if needed, and set where finished files should go in the Save to bar at the bottom.
- Pick the Compress Image, Compress Video or Compress PDF tab.
- Click Add image, video or PDF, click Add folder, or drag files into the window.
- Choose the compression type, then the output format, and the resolution for video.
- Click Compress and compare the before and after sizes in the list.
Where it falls short
- Thin free version. The 2 MB limit on pictures and PDFs and the 20 MB limit on videos means you can't test it on your real files before paying.
- Quality loss is your job to check. Compressing means re-encoding. Keep your originals until you've looked at the results.
- Slow to change. Apowersoft's page still stops at Windows 10, and its manual dates from 2019, so Windows 11 isn't on the official list.
- Few independent reviews. We couldn't find a magazine test of its compression, so its claims about rate and quality haven't been checked by anyone independent.
What Users Say
ApowerCompress has very few reviews outside Apowersoft's own pages. Slashdot and SourceForge list it with no ratings at all, so treat the vendor's testimonials for what they are.
Apowersoft's page (vendor testimonials)
Lily: "It is no exaggeration to say, I have used more than twenty kinds of compression tools. They have different advantages and disadvantages. ApowerCompress is the best one for me. I like its simple interface, design, and functions. Thumbs up!"
Peter: "I intended to share my video but the size exceeded the limitation. Luckily, I can now use this free file optimizer to reduce the size of my video. It is really very convenient to use."
Apowersoft's user guide shows 4.3 out of 5 from 29 ratings, collected on its own site.
Trustpilot (Apowersoft as a company)
On November 6, 2026 Apowersoft scored 1.9 out of 5 from 241 reviews, with 57% five-star and 35% one-star. We found none about ApowerCompress itself. The repeated complaints are about support emails going unanswered, activation problems and refunds.
The themes: the few comments that exist praise the simple interface. There's no independent evidence on compression quality, which is one more reason to test it yourself.
Comparisons
ApowerCompress vs an archiver such as 7-Zip
ApowerCompress makes the media file itself smaller by re-encoding it, and the result still plays or opens normally. An archiver packs files into a ZIP or 7Z without changing them, but already compressed videos and photos barely shrink that way.
Editions and Pricing
| Plan | Price | Term |
|---|
| Personal lifetime (this listing) | $39 at checkout | One payment |
| Personal yearly | $29 | Renews every year |
| Personal monthly | $19 | Renews every month |
| Business lifetime | $79 | One payment |
| Business yearly | $39 | Renews every year |
At these prices, the lifetime plan beats the yearly one by the second year. ApowerCompress is also included in Apowersoft Unlimited, which costs $33.62 a year at checkout and adds the rest of the company's programs.
FAQs
Is ApowerCompress free?
ApowerCompress is free to install, but without a VIP account it only handles pictures up to 2 MB, videos up to 20 MB and PDFs up to 2 MB. Anything larger needs a paid license.
Does ApowerCompress work on Windows 11?
ApowerCompress lists Windows 10, 8.1, 8 and 7 on Apowersoft's page, with no mention of Windows 11. Try the free version on your PC before you buy.
Does the ApowerCompress lifetime license ever renew?
The ApowerCompress Personal lifetime license is a single payment. The order page showed no renewal on November 6, 2026, and Apowersoft's store describes it as including free lifetime updates and technical support.
Can ApowerCompress compress audio files?
ApowerCompress lists pictures, videos and PDFs only. MP3 and other audio files aren't on its list.
Can ApowerCompress open ZIP or RAR files?
ApowerCompress isn't an archiver, and Apowersoft's page doesn't list ZIP or RAR at all. Some download directories describe it that way, but the program's own manual covers only pictures, videos and PDFs.
Can I get a refund on ApowerCompress?
Apowersoft offers a 30-day money-back guarantee on ApowerCompress, but only for reasons such as a technical problem support can't fix, activation failure or buying the wrong product. A simple change of mind can be declined.
System Requirements
- Windows 7, 8, 8.1 or 10
- Internet connection to install the program and activate the VIP account
- An Apowersoft account for the paid license
Conclusion
Worth $39 only if you compress media files often. The one reason to buy ApowerCompress is a single simple window for batches of videos, pictures and PDFs, paid for once. The main reason not to is that nobody independent has tested it, the free version is too small to test it properly on real work, and the vendor's support record is poor. Occasional users should stick with a free online compressor.
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