Compress PDF
Shrink a PDF so it fits an email or an upload form, with a clear choice between keeping text selectable and getting the smallest file. Everything runs on your device.
- 100% free
- Runs in your browser
- No uploads
- Runs on your deviceEvery tool works directly in your browser. No files are uploaded.
- Your privacy mattersYour files never leave your device, so there's nothing for us to store.
- No limitsUse any tool as much as you need. No daily caps, no waiting.
- Completely freeNo signup and no trial to cancel. Ads keep the tools free.
How to compress a PDF
- Add one or more PDFs. Drop them on the box or choose them. Each file is handled separately.
- Pick a level or a size. Recommended suits most files. If a form has a limit, choose Fit under a size and pick or type the limit in KB.
- Compress and download. Each file shows its size before and after. Download them one by one, or all together as a zip.
What each level does
| Level | What changes | Text stays selectable |
|---|---|---|
| Light | Removes unused data, compresses uncompressed parts and packs objects tightly. Nothing visible changes. | Yes |
| Recommended | Light, plus photos and scans are saved again as JPEG at up to 150 DPI for the page size. Text and drawings are untouched. | Yes |
| Strong | Every page becomes a JPEG picture at 72 to 150 DPI, with a quality you choose. | No |
Compressing to an exact size
With Fit under a size, the tool works from the gentlest method upward and stops at the first result that fits: first the lossless clean-up, then photos at gradually lower resolution and quality. Only if that isn't enough are pages turned into images, starting sharp and getting smaller until the file fits. Tick Keep text selectable to rule out that last step.
Pages with photos need far more space than pages of plain text, and every step down in resolution makes small print softer. For a long scanned document, a very small limit may only be reachable with text that's hard to read; the result shows the resolution used, so you can judge before sending it.
Pages for the two smallest limits forms ask for, with real results from sample scans:
Tips for smaller PDFs
Remove what you don't need first. Blank pages, duplicate scans and appendices add up. Delete PDF pages takes them out completely before you compress.
Scanning? Scan documents at 150 to 200 DPI in greyscale rather than 600 DPI colour. The file starts much smaller and stays readable.
Just photos? If you only need to send images, compress them with Compress image and turn them into a PDF with JPG to PDF.
Frequently asked questions
Is my PDF uploaded to compress it?
No. Compression runs in your browser, using your device's processor. The PDF is never sent to a server, so it's safe for payslips, IDs and anything else private.
Why did my PDF barely get smaller?
Files made of text, such as Word exports, are already small and mostly text, which can't shrink much without being turned into pictures. Recommended only helps when a PDF contains photos or scans. Strong always makes pages into images, so it shrinks almost anything, at the cost of selectable text.
What does Strong do to my document?
It draws every page as a JPEG picture at the resolution you choose and builds a new PDF from those pictures. The pages look the same, but text can't be selected, searched or copied, links stop working, and small print can look soft at low resolutions. Keep the original.
The form says 1 MB. Will the result be accepted?
In Fit under a size, 1 MB is treated as 1,000,000 bytes, so the file is accepted whether the website counts a megabyte as 1,000 or 1,024 kilobytes. If even the smallest setting can't reach the size, the tool tells you and gives you the smallest version it made.
Why does it say my original was kept?
If a setting would make the file bigger, or not smaller at all, you get your original file back unchanged rather than a worse copy. Try a stronger level or a size target instead.
Can I compress a password-protected PDF?
Not directly. Open it in your PDF reader, save a copy without the password, and compress that copy.