Free · private · runs in your browser
Compress PDF up to 80% smaller, quality stays sharp.
Drop your PDF and it shrinks automatically. Text stays real, selectable text — we only shrink images and remove font data your document never uses.
Compress PDF online — smaller files, same clear look
Large PDFs are hard to email, slow to upload and often rejected by forms with a size limit. Our PDF compressor makes them dramatically smaller — typically 80% to 95% smaller for scanned and photo-heavy PDFs — while keeping text crisp and selectable. It works by optimizing the images inside the PDF and trimming embedded fonts down to the characters the document actually uses. Your text is never converted into pictures, so it stays real, selectable and searchable — just like the original.
How to compress a PDF
- Select your PDF files — click the button or drag them into the box.
- Wait a few seconds — compression starts automatically in your browser.
- Check the result — you see the size before and after, and the percentage saved.
- Download — save each file, or all of them together as a ZIP.
Which compression level should I choose?
Auto (recommended)The best choice for most people. It picks the gentlest level that gets the file small.
LightFor documents you will print or archive, where image sharpness matters most.
Balanced / StrongFor emailing, WhatsApp and portals. Pages stay clear and the file becomes very small.
ExtremeWhen the size limit is strict and some softness in photos is acceptable.
Compress a PDF to a specific size (KB or MB)
Many job applications, exam forms and bank portals accept PDFs only up to a fixed size, such as 100 KB, 200 KB, 500 KB or 1 MB. Choose Target size, type the limit, and the tool tries stronger levels until the file fits. If your PDF cannot reach that size without removing content, it tells you the smallest size it managed.
Tips for the best result
- Scanned documents and photo PDFs shrink the most. Text PDFs shrink a lot when they carry large embedded fonts; otherwise they are already small.
- The "Inside" line under each result shows what makes the file big — images, fonts or page content.
- Start with Auto. If the file is still too big, press the arrow button next to the result to compress one level further.
- Keep your original file until you have checked the compressed one.
- Password-protected PDFs must be unlocked first.
Frequently asked questions
How much can this tool reduce my PDF size?For scanned documents and PDFs full of photos, savings of 80% to 95% are common, because most of their size is images. Text PDFs also shrink a lot when they carry large embedded fonts, which many apps add. PDFs that are already compact will change little. The tool shows the exact size before and after, so you always see the real result.
Will the quality of my PDF drop?Text is never converted into pictures — it stays real, selectable and searchable, and links, bookmarks and form fields are kept. We optimize images only as far as the page needs, and remove font data the document does not use, which does not change how a page looks. Auto mode starts with the gentlest level and goes stronger only if it has to.
My PDF has no images but it is still large. Can it be compressed?Yes, if the size comes from embedded fonts. Many apps embed a whole font file even when only a few letters are used, and this tool trims it to the characters that appear, with identical-looking text. If a text PDF is already compact, little can be removed. Some tools convert every page into a picture to get a tiny file, but that makes the text impossible to select or search, so we do not do that.
Is my PDF uploaded to a server?No. The PDF is compressed entirely inside your browser, on your own device. Your file is never uploaded, so confidential documents stay private.
How do I compress a PDF to a specific size like 200 KB or 1 MB?Choose the Target size option, type the size you need (for example 200 KB), and the tool tries stronger levels one by one until the file fits. If a file cannot get that small without changing how it looks, it shows the smallest size it could reach.
Why did my PDF hardly shrink?If the PDF has no large images and its fonts and text are already compact, there is little left to remove. Check the "Inside" line under the result to see what the file contains. For PDFs with images, you can try the Extreme level or the arrow button next to a result.
Can I compress a password-protected PDF?Remove the password first with the Unlock PDF tool, then compress the file. Encrypted PDFs cannot be changed while they are locked.
Is there a file size limit? Does it work on mobile?There is no daily limit and no signup. Files up to about 300 MB can be processed, though very large files take longer and depend on your device's memory. It works in any modern desktop or mobile browser.