Compress PDF reduces the file size of a PDF so it is easier to email, upload to a form with a size limit, or store. Upload your PDF, choose how much to compress, and download a smaller version — all in your browser, with nothing uploaded to a server.
It is especially effective for scanned documents and image-heavy PDFs, which are usually the biggest files. You choose a compression level, see exactly how much smaller the result is, and download it in one click.
How to compress a PDF
- Upload your PDF — the tool shows its current size and page count.
- Pick a compression level: Less (best quality), Recommended, or More (smallest).
- Click “Compress PDF” and wait a moment while it processes.
- Check the size reduction, then download the compressed file.
How the compression works
To shrink a PDF in the browser, this tool re-renders each page and re-encodes it as a compressed JPEG image at the resolution and quality your chosen level implies, then rebuilds the PDF from those images. Because most of a large PDF’s weight comes from high-resolution embedded images, this can reduce the size dramatically for scanned and photo-heavy documents.
The trade-off is that each page becomes an image, so any selectable text, links, or form fields become part of that image and are no longer selectable. If you need the text to stay selectable, keep the original — this tool is aimed at making big, image-based PDFs smaller.
Choosing a level
“Less” keeps a higher resolution and lighter compression for the best-looking result with a modest size saving. “Recommended” balances clarity and size and suits most documents. “More” lowers the resolution and quality for the smallest possible file, which is ideal when you just need to get under an upload limit. Try one, check the reported reduction, and switch levels if you want a different balance.
When you may see little reduction
If your PDF is mostly plain text (not scanned), it is probably already small and efficiently stored, so rasterizing it may not shrink it much — and could even make it larger. Compression pays off most on scanned pages and PDFs full of photos.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I reduce the size of a PDF?
Upload the PDF, choose a compression level, and click “Compress PDF”. The tool re-encodes the pages at a smaller size and shows you how much smaller the result is before you download it.
Why did my text PDF not get smaller?
Plain-text PDFs are already small and efficiently stored. This tool compresses by re-rendering pages as images, which mainly helps scanned or image-heavy PDFs; a text document may shrink little or even grow.
Will the text still be selectable after compressing?
No. Compression turns each page into an image, so selectable text, links, and form fields become part of the image. Keep the original if you need selectable text.
Which level should I choose?
Start with “Recommended”. Use “Less” if the result looks too soft, or “More” if you need the smallest possible file to fit an upload limit.
Is my PDF uploaded to a server?
No. All processing happens in your browser, so your PDF never leaves your device.