Paste an INI file or open one. The compressed version shows up here as you type.
Runs entirely in your browser. Your config file is never uploaded.
This INI file compressor shrinks configuration files by removing comments, blank lines and extra spacing, without changing the settings themselves. Paste a file or open one, and the compressed version updates as you type. You can see every line that changed, download a smaller .ini, or grab a GZIP copy for storage and transfer. It works with .ini, .cfg, .conf, .cnf, .inf and .properties files.
How to compress an INI file
- Paste your file into the left box, use Open file, or drag the file onto the box.
- Choose what to strip. Comments, blank lines and extra spaces are removed by default, which is safe for every common INI parser.
- Check the Changes tab to see removed lines in red and edited lines in amber.
- Download the compressed
.ini, copy it, or download a.gzversion. The stats bar shows how much smaller each one is.
What each option does
| Option | What it removes | Safe? |
|---|---|---|
| Remove comments | Whole lines that start with ; or #. | Yes |
| Remove inline comments | A ; or # comment after a value, like port = 80 ; default. Quoted values are left alone. | Check first. Some parsers treat this text as part of the value, and values like passwords can contain ; or #. |
| Remove blank lines | Empty lines and lines with only spaces. | Yes |
| Trim spaces | Spaces around = and :, indentation and trailing spaces, so key = value becomes key=value. | Yes. Indented continuation lines for multi-line values keep their indentation. |
| Remove empty sections | Section headers like [unused] that have no keys under them. | Usually. Some apps check that a section exists even when it’s empty. |
| Line endings | Keeps the file’s original line endings, or converts to LF or CRLF. Windows apps that read INI files often expect CRLF. | Yes |
Section names, key names and values are never changed. A [Section] header stays exactly as written, and quoted values keep any spaces inside the quotes. Lines that aren’t key=value pairs, like MySQL-style flags (skip-networking), are kept as they are.
Before and after
; Server settings
[server]
host = 127.0.0.1 ; bind address
port = 8080
# Logging
[logging]
level = infoWith the default options, that becomes:
[server] host=127.0.0.1 ; bind address port=8080 [logging] level=info
Turn on Remove inline comments as well, and host=127.0.0.1 loses its comment too.
Should you use the GZIP download?
GZIP usually makes an INI file 60–80% smaller, which is great for backups, sending configs over slow links, storing many configs, or shipping them inside firmware and game mods. But programs can’t read a .gz file as a config directly. Unzip it first (gunzip config.ini.gz on Linux and macOS, or 7-Zip on Windows), or make sure the app you’re using expects a compressed file. If you just need a smaller config the app can load, use the regular .ini download.
Warnings the tool shows you
- Duplicate keys. If the same key appears twice in a section, the tool flags it. PHP and Windows quietly use one of them, but Python’s
configparserthrows an error. - Lines without
=. These are kept as-is and listed so you can check they’re meant to be there.
Is my config file private?
Yes. Everything runs in your browser, including the GZIP step. Config files often hold passwords, API keys and server addresses, and none of it is uploaded or stored. Only your option choices are remembered in your browser.
Frequently asked questions
Will compressing break my INI file?
Not with the default options. Removing full-line comments, blank lines and spaces around = is supported by PHP’s parse_ini_file, Python’s configparser, Windows’ INI functions and most game engines. Only inline comment removal needs a quick check, since parsers disagree on what counts as a comment.
How much smaller will my file get?
It depends on how commented the file is. Heavily documented files like php.ini or my.cnf often shrink by 70–90%, because most of the file is comments. A file that’s already just keys and values might only lose 5–15% from spacing.
Does it support .cfg, .conf and .properties files?
Yes, as long as they use the INI-style format of sections, key=value or key: value lines, and ; or # comments.
Are multi-line values supported?
Yes. Indented lines that continue a value from the line above, as Python’s configparser allows, keep their indentation so they still belong to the right key.
Can I get my comments back later?
No, removed comments are gone from the compressed file. Keep your original as the editable copy and use the compressed version for deployment or storage.