How to compress a PDF
Drop your PDF into the box above, or click Choose files. You can add several at once.
Pick how strongly to compress: Light keeps images close to the original, Recommended suits most documents, Strong gives the smallest file. Or pick a size limit, such as 2 MB, and each PDF comes out under it.
Click Compress PDF. Each file is sent over an encrypted connection, compressed and sent straight back.
Download the smaller PDF. The result shows how much smaller it got.
Why compress a PDF?
Application forms, government portals and schools often refuse files over 2, 5 or 10 MB, and many email providers stop at 20 or 25 MB. A scanned passport, diploma or a phone photo saved as PDF easily goes past those limits.
Most of a large PDF's size is usually its images: a page scanned at 300 DPI or a photo from a phone camera. Resampling those images to a resolution that still reads well on screen and in print removes most of that weight.
What changes, and what doesn't
Only images are changed. Pictures sharper than the chosen level are resampled (to about 170, 120 or 90 DPI) and saved as JPEG; smaller ones are left alone. Text, fonts, vector drawings and links stay exactly as they are, so text remains sharp and selectable.
PDFs that are mostly text are usually small already and won't shrink much. If compressing doesn't make a file smaller, you get your original back unchanged.
| Level | Images | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Light | About 170 DPI, high quality | Documents that will be printed |
| Recommended | About 120 DPI, good quality | Uploads, email and most forms |
| Strong | About 90 DPI, lower quality | Strict size limits |
Is it safe?
Compress PDF is one of the few tools on this site that needs a server, because the conversion software can't run in a browser. Your file is sent over an encrypted HTTPS connection to our server in the EU.
The file is converted in memory and deleted as soon as the result is sent back to you. Nothing is stored, and the server keeps no access logs of who converted what.
Compression needs a server. Your PDF is sent over HTTPS to our server in the EU, compressed in memory and deleted as soon as the result is sent back. Nothing is stored or logged.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much smaller will my PDF get?
It depends on what's inside. Scans and PDFs full of photos often shrink by 70 to 90%. PDFs that are mostly text are small already and may barely change.
Which level should I choose?
Start with Recommended. If the file is still too big, try Strong. Use Light when the document will be printed and images need to stay as sharp as possible.
Will the text still be selectable?
Yes. Only images are recompressed; text, fonts and links are copied as they are. A scanned document has no text layer to begin with, so its pages stay images.
Can I compress a password-protected PDF?
No. Remove the password in your PDF app first, then compress the copy.
Is there a size limit?
Each PDF can be up to 1 GB, and you can compress up to 25 files at once.