iLoveIMG and MakeMyImgs both let you compress, resize, crop, and convert images in a browser. The important difference is how clearly each tool tells you where the work happens. iLoveIMG uses a server for its core image tools. MakeMyImgs has a mix: some tools run locally in the browser, and heavier conversion, PDF, batch, and AI tasks use the MakeMyImgs API.
This post is written by the team behind MakeMyImgs, so read it with that bias in mind. The goal isn't to pretend iLoveIMG is bad — it isn't — but to explain concretely where each one wins.
Architecture: server tools vs. local tools
iLoveIMG uses the classic SaaS pattern: your browser is a thin uploader, their backend runs ImageMagick/FFmpeg-class software, and you download a result. Every operation is a round trip.
MakeMyImgs uses both models. Tools such as watermarking, adding text, meme generation, color picking, comparison, placeholder images, and some visual effects can run locally. Tools such as compression, resizing, cropping, rotation, format conversion, PDF creation, HEIC, SVG rasterizing, bulk compression, and AI features call the server-side API.
The server-backed pages are labeled in the tool header, and the privacy page explains that those files are sent over HTTPS, processed for the requested job, and not stored as a permanent asset.
Feature matrix
Checked against both product surfaces on 2026-04-16. Column one is iLoveIMG's public tool list; column two links directly to the MakeMyImgs equivalent.
| Task | iLoveIMG | MakeMyImgs |
|---|---|---|
| Compress | Server | Server |
| Resize | Server | Server |
| Crop | Server | Server |
| Convert (JPG/PNG/WebP) | Server | Server |
| Rotate / flip | Server | Server |
| Watermark | Server | Browser |
| Image → PDF | Server | Server |
| Meme generator | Server | Browser |
| Bulk compress → ZIP | Server | Server (up to 50 files) |
| Background remover | Server, paid tier | Server |
| AI upscale | Server, paid tier | Server |
| HEIC → JPG | Server | Server |
| Color picker from image | — | Browser |
| Photo filters (brightness / saturation / presets) | — | Server |
| Blur / pixelate | — | Blur, Pixelate |
| Round corners (transparent PNG) | — | Browser |
| Add text overlay | — | Browser |
| Face blur (auto-detect) | — | Server |
| HTML → image | — | Server |
| Multi-layer photo editor | Basic | Browser |
Privacy
This is the place the difference actually matters in practice.
iLoveIMG states in their privacy policy that uploaded files are deleted after a retention window. For a vacation photo you're resizing for Instagram, that's fine. For things like ID scans, medical imaging, unreleased product shots, client photography under NDA, or screenshots of internal dashboards, the upload is itself the problem — not the retention policy. Once a file is on someone else's infrastructure, you are trusting their logs, their backups, their DLP, their employees, and their incident response.
MakeMyImgs does not treat every tool as local. The tool header tells you whether a job runs in the browser or on the server. For server-backed tools, you can read the privacy pagefor the processing and deletion policy before uploading anything.
Pricing
iLoveIMG has a free tier with per-task limits and a paid subscription that raises limits, adds batch workflows, and unlocks some AI tools. There's also a developer API tier billed by usage.
MakeMyImgs does not require an account for the public tools. Server tools can still enforce file-size and traffic limits so the API stays available.
Speed: where each actually wins
“Which is faster” depends on what dominates wall-clock time for your operation:
- One small image (< 2 MB) in a local MakeMyImgs tool. The local tool usually wins because there is no upload.
- One large server-backed job. Both products depend on upload speed and server queue time. MakeMyImgs is most useful when the specific tool workflow is simpler or the result format fits your task better.
- One large local edit on an older phone. A server tool can pull ahead because the browser has to decode and render on weaker hardware.
- 50 images bulk. Depends on link speed and queue time. MakeMyImgs shows per-file progress; iLoveIMG has a mature batch workflow.
- AI operations (background remove, upscale). Identical model — both are server-side, and neither can run Real-ESRGAN-class models in the browser yet.
The honest framing: compare the specific tool you plan to use. Local MakeMyImgs tools avoid uploads; server-backed tools trade the local-only advantage for heavier processing.
When iLoveIMG is the right choice
- You're on a weak device (old phone, school Chromebook) and offloading the compute to a server is the whole point.
- You're already paying for their paid tier, comfortable with the upload model, and want their workflow chaining.
- You need a developer API with an SLA and billing.
When MakeMyImgs is the right choice
- The file is sensitive and the MakeMyImgs tool you need is labeled as running in the browser.
- You're doing one-off edits on a modern laptop and don't want to wait for uploads.
- You need something iLoveIMG doesn't ship: photo filters, blur, pixelate, color picker, round corners, animated-GIF creation, face-blur, HTML-to-image.
- You want a direct AI tool flow without creating an account.
- You want local-only utility tools for quick edits that do not need the API.
Bottom line
Pick iLoveIMG if you're on weak hardware and want a mature hosted batch workflow. Pick MakeMyImgs when you prefer direct tools, clear browser/server labeling, or features iLoveIMG doesn't have. Start with the compressor— it's the tool most people reach for first.