Features
A friendly window for everyday crunching and a proper command line for scripts. Both use the same engine, and neither ever uploads a thing.
01 / In the app
Drop hundreds of files or whole folders. Crunchy works through them on every core and rebuilds the same folder structure.
Need it under 25 MB for email? Set a target and Crunchy squeezes each file until it fits, with the least quality lost.
Email, Web, Archive or Smallest, or pick a level yourself: Light stays pristine, Balanced is the sweet spot, Maximum goes all in.
Drag the compare slider across the original and the crunched copy to check the result before you send it anywhere.
Copy files in Explorer and press Ctrl+V in Crunchy. Progress shows on the taskbar and a notification pops up when it's done.
Point Crunchy at a folder like Downloads or Screenshots and new files are compressed automatically as they arrive while Crunchy is open.
Every run is kept on the History page, with a running total of how much space Crunchy has saved you.
Get lighter copies side by side, or everything packed into a single ZIP ready to email.
Remove EXIF, GPS location, authors and editing history. Photos are rotated upright first.
Crunchy writes new copies by default. Choose Replace originals and the old files go to the Recycle Bin, never straight to oblivion.
Script it or run it from any terminal once Crunchy is on your PATH (an optional checkbox in the installer).
crunchy --level maximum --target 25MB file.pdf Command-line guide A full Arabic interface with right-to-left layout. Switch languages any time from the app.
Choose Compress with Crunchy on any file or folder, or send a big selection through the Send to menu.
Optionally cap images at a maximum width or height, perfect for 50-megapixel camera shots headed for the web.
Every byte is processed on your PC. No uploads, no account, no size limits and no watermarks.
Crunchy tells you when a new version is out, checks the download's SHA-256 and installs it in a click.
02 / Command line
Start crunchy with an option and it runs right in PowerShell or Command Prompt, with no window. Great for scripts, scheduled tasks and big batch jobs.
PS C:\Users\you\Documents> crunchy --version
Crunchy 1.1.0
PS C:\Users\you\Documents> crunchy --level maximum --target 25MB report.pdf
Crunchy 1.1.0: 1 file, maximum, target 25.0 MB per file, to C:\Users\you\Documents\Crunchy
[1/1] report.pdf: 182 MB -> 21.4 MB (-88%)
Done in 6.8 s: 1 compressed, 0 kept. 182 MB -> 21.4 MB (saved 161 MB, 88%)
PS C:\Users\you\Pictures> crunchy --zip holiday.zip --max-px 2560 *.jpg
Crunchy 1.1.0: 3 files, balanced, into C:\Users\you\Pictures\Crunchy\holiday.zip
[1/3] beach.jpg: 8.4 MB -> 1.2 MB (-86%)
[2/3] sunset.jpg: 7.9 MB -> 1.1 MB (-86%)
[3/3] market.jpg: 9.1 MB -> 1.4 MB (-85%)
Done in 2.1 s: 3 compressed, 0 kept. 25.4 MB -> 3.7 MB (saved 21.7 MB, 85%)
ZIP: C:\Users\you\Pictures\Crunchy\holiday.zip
PS C:\Users\you\Pictures> crunchy --replace Screenshots
Crunchy 1.1.0: 2 files, balanced, replacing originals
[1/2] Screenshots/bug-report.png: 2.3 MB -> 612 KB (-74%)
[2/2] Screenshots/dashboard.png: 1.8 MB -> 540 KB (-71%)
Done in 1.4 s: 2 compressed, 0 kept. 4.1 MB -> 1.1 MB (saved 3.0 MB, 73%)
PS C:\Users\you\Pictures>
--replace, the old files go to the Recycle Bin.03 / Set it up
crunchy on your PATH.Windows only finds crunchy in a terminal once its folder is on your PATH. Pick one of the two ways below. Both take under a minute, and neither needs admin rights.
Recommended
crunchy --version.Already installed? Just run the setup again. It upgrades in place, keeps your settings and history, and lets you tick the box. Updates remember your choice, and uninstalling removes the PATH entry.
By hand
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\CrunchyKeep the %LOCALAPPDATA% part as it is. Crunchy's updates then leave your entry alone. If you installed Crunchy in a different folder, use option 1 instead.
Or paste this into PowerShell:
$dir = '%LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Crunchy'
$key = [Microsoft.Win32.Registry]::CurrentUser.OpenSubKey('Environment', $true)
$path = $key.GetValue('Path', '', 'DoNotExpandEnvironmentNames')
if (($path -split ';') -notcontains $dir) { $key.SetValue('Path', (@($path.TrimEnd(';'), $dir) -ne '') -join ';', 'ExpandString') }
$key.Close()
# Tell Windows the PATH changed, so new terminals pick it up:
[Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable('CRUNCHY_REFRESH', '1', 'User'); [Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable('CRUNCHY_REFRESH', $null, 'User')It adds the folder to your own PATH only once and leaves every other entry untouched. Then open a new terminal.
Skip PATH entirely: call the app by its full path, for example & "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Programs\Crunchy\Crunchy.exe" --help in PowerShell.
04 / Reference
crunchy [options] <files or folders…>. Options can go in any order and combine freely, for example crunchy -l maximum -t 10MB -o D:\Out Reports.
| Option | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|
-l, --level LEVEL | How hard to squeeze: light, balanced (default) or maximum. | crunchy -l maximum report.pdf |
-t, --target SIZE | Size goal for each file, like 500KB, 25MB or 1.5GB. Files still bigger get stronger compression until they fit. | crunchy -t 25MB scan.pdf |
-o, --out FOLDER | Where to save the results. Default: a Crunchy folder next to the first file or folder you pass. | crunchy -o D:\Small *.pdf |
-z, --zip [NAME.zip] | Pack every result into one ZIP (default name Crunchy.zip). | crunchy -z holiday.zip Photos |
-r, --replace | Replace the originals with the smaller files. The old files go to the Recycle Bin. Can't be combined with --zip. | crunchy -r Screenshots |
-m, --max-px N | Downscale images so the long edge is at most N pixels. | crunchy -m 2560 *.jpg |
-k, --keep-metadata | Keep EXIF, XMP and document metadata (removed by default). | crunchy -k photo.jpg |
--skip-unsupported | Leave out files Crunchy can't compress instead of copying them along. | crunchy --skip-unsupported Project |
-q, --quiet | Print errors only. | crunchy -q -t 10MB Inbox |
-h, --help | Show the built-in help. | crunchy --help |
-V, --version | Show the installed version. | crunchy --version |
Pass as many files and folders as you like. Folders are processed with everything inside, keeping the same structure. Wildcards such as *.pdf work in PowerShell and Command Prompt. Without any option, crunchy file.pdf opens the app window instead.
KB, MB and GB count in 1024s, like Explorer. A bare number means bytes. If a file can't reach --target without losing too much quality, Crunchy keeps its smallest version and reports it as over target.
0Every file is done (compressed or already optimized).1Some files failed, or the run was cancelled with Ctrl+C.2Usage error: an unknown option, a bad value, or no files found.Crunchy is a windowed app, so in a script, make the next line wait for it to finish. Either pipe its output (for example to Out-Host) and read $LASTEXITCODE, or use Start-Process -Wait. In Command Prompt, use start /wait. Ctrl+C stops cleanly and never leaves a half-written file behind.
crunchy --quiet --target 10MB C:\Reports | Out-Host
if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) { Write-Warning "Some files failed" }start /wait crunchy -l maximum -o D:\Small C:\ScansEvery option also has the built-in help: run crunchy --help.