diff --git a/src/cli/args.rs b/src/cli/args.rs
index a200dc6..1de90be 100644
--- a/src/cli/args.rs
+++ b/src/cli/args.rs
@@ -59,6 +59,10 @@ pub enum Subcommand {
         /// The resulting file. Its extensions can be used to specify the compression formats
         #[arg(required = true, value_hint = ValueHint::FilePath)]
         output: PathBuf,
+
+        /// Compression level, applied to all formats
+        #[arg(short, long)]
+        level: Option<i16>,
     },
     /// Decompresses one or more files, optionally into another folder
     #[command(visible_alias = "d")]
diff --git a/src/commands/compress.rs b/src/commands/compress.rs
index fb69a75..a2a5018 100644
--- a/src/commands/compress.rs
+++ b/src/commands/compress.rs
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ use crate::{
 /// # Return value
 /// - Returns `Ok(true)` if compressed all files normally.
 /// - Returns `Ok(false)` if user opted to abort compression mid-way.
+#[allow(clippy::too_many_arguments)]
 pub fn compress_files(
     files: Vec<PathBuf>,
     extensions: Vec<Extension>,
@@ -31,6 +32,7 @@ pub fn compress_files(
     quiet: bool,
     question_policy: QuestionPolicy,
     file_visibility_policy: FileVisibilityPolicy,
+    level: Option<i16>,
 ) -> crate::Result<bool> {
     // If the input files contain a directory, then the total size will be underestimated
     let file_writer = BufWriter::with_capacity(BUFFER_CAPACITY, output_file);
@@ -44,18 +46,42 @@ pub fn compress_files(
                 // by default, ParCompress uses a default compression level of 3
                 // instead of the regular default that flate2 uses
                 gzp::par::compress::ParCompress::<gzp::deflate::Gzip>::builder()
-                    .compression_level(Default::default())
+                    .compression_level(
+                        level.map_or_else(Default::default, |l| gzp::Compression::new((l as u32).clamp(0, 9))),
+                    )
+                    .from_writer(encoder),
+            ),
+            Bzip => Box::new(bzip2::write::BzEncoder::new(
+                encoder,
+                level.map_or_else(Default::default, |l| bzip2::Compression::new((l as u32).clamp(1, 9))),
+            )),
+            Lz4 => Box::new(lzzzz::lz4f::WriteCompressor::new(
+                encoder,
+                lzzzz::lz4f::PreferencesBuilder::new()
+                    .compression_level(level.map_or(1, |l| (l as i32).clamp(1, lzzzz::lz4f::CLEVEL_MAX)))
+                    .build(),
+            )?),
+            Lzma => Box::new(xz2::write::XzEncoder::new(
+                encoder,
+                level.map_or(6, |l| (l as u32).clamp(0, 9)),
+            )),
+            Snappy => Box::new(
+                gzp::par::compress::ParCompress::<gzp::snap::Snap>::builder()
+                    .compression_level(gzp::par::compress::Compression::new(
+                        level.map_or_else(Default::default, |l| (l as u32).clamp(0, 9)),
+                    ))
                     .from_writer(encoder),
             ),
-            Bzip => Box::new(bzip2::write::BzEncoder::new(encoder, Default::default())),
-            Lz4 => Box::new(lzzzz::lz4f::WriteCompressor::new(encoder, Default::default())?),
-            Lzma => Box::new(xz2::write::XzEncoder::new(encoder, 6)),
-            Snappy => Box::new(gzp::par::compress::ParCompress::<gzp::snap::Snap>::builder().from_writer(encoder)),
             Zstd => {
-                let zstd_encoder = zstd::stream::write::Encoder::new(encoder, Default::default());
+                let zstd_encoder = zstd::stream::write::Encoder::new(
+                    encoder,
+                    level.map_or(zstd::DEFAULT_COMPRESSION_LEVEL, |l| {
+                        (l as i32).clamp(zstd::zstd_safe::min_c_level(), zstd::zstd_safe::max_c_level())
+                    }),
+                );
                 // Safety:
-                //     Encoder::new() can only fail if `level` is invalid, but Default::default()
-                //     is guaranteed to be valid
+                //     Encoder::new() can only fail if `level` is invalid, but the level
+                //     is `clamp`ed and therefore guaranteed to be valid
                 Box::new(zstd_encoder.unwrap().auto_finish())
             }
             Tar | Zip => unreachable!(),
diff --git a/src/commands/mod.rs b/src/commands/mod.rs
index a96983d..a4a3c82 100644
--- a/src/commands/mod.rs
+++ b/src/commands/mod.rs
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ pub fn run(
         Subcommand::Compress {
             files,
             output: output_path,
+            level,
         } => {
             // After cleaning, if there are no input files left, exit
             if files.is_empty() {
@@ -80,6 +81,7 @@ pub fn run(
                 args.quiet,
                 question_policy,
                 file_visibility_policy,
+                level,
             );
 
             if let Ok(true) = compress_result {
diff --git a/tests/integration.rs b/tests/integration.rs
index eec7a29..5242cff 100644
--- a/tests/integration.rs
+++ b/tests/integration.rs
@@ -100,7 +100,11 @@ fn single_empty_file(ext: Extension, #[any(size_range(0..8).lift())] exts: Vec<F
 
 // compress and decompress a single file
 #[proptest(cases = 512)]
-fn single_file(ext: Extension, #[any(size_range(0..8).lift())] exts: Vec<FileExtension>) {
+fn single_file(
+    ext: Extension,
+    #[any(size_range(0..8).lift())] exts: Vec<FileExtension>,
+    #[strategy(proptest::option::of(0i16..30))] level: Option<i16>,
+) {
     let dir = tempdir().unwrap();
     let dir = dir.path();
     let before = &dir.join("before");
@@ -109,7 +113,11 @@ fn single_file(ext: Extension, #[any(size_range(0..8).lift())] exts: Vec<FileExt
     let archive = &dir.join(format!("file.{}", merge_extensions(ext, exts)));
     let after = &dir.join("after");
     fs::write(before_file, []).unwrap();
-    ouch!("-A", "c", before_file, archive);
+    if let Some(level) = level {
+        ouch!("-A", "c", "-l", level.to_string(), before_file, archive);
+    } else {
+        ouch!("-A", "c", before_file, archive);
+    }
     ouch!("-A", "d", archive, "-d", after);
     assert_same_directory(before, after, false);
 }