Free online tool

Compress PDF

Make PDFs small enough for email, WhatsApp and online forms. Choose a compression level, compare the size and download — the file is processed in your browser.

Drop a PDF here or browse Best for scanned documents and image-heavy PDFs

Compressed in your browser — your PDF is never uploaded.

How it works

How to use the Compress PDF

Add a PDF

Drop the PDF you want to make smaller.

Pick a level

Choose strong, recommended or light compression.

Download

See the new size and download the compressed PDF.

Features

Why use our Compress PDF?

Up to 90% smaller

Big savings on scanned documents and image-heavy PDFs.

3 quality levels

Balance file size and quality for your needs.

Before & after

See the exact size saving before you download.

Target size helper

Tells you if the file is under common limits like 1 MB or 200 KB.

No upload

Your documents stay on your device.

Free & unlimited

No signup, no watermark, no limits.

Works well with: add page numbers to pdf, sign pdf, pdf to jpg, jpg to pdf — or browse all pdf tools.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Everything you need to know about the Compress PDF.

Back to the tool

How does PDF compression work?

Each page is re-created as an optimized image at the resolution you choose. This works best for scanned documents, photos and image-heavy PDFs, which can shrink by 50–90%.

Will I still be able to select text?

Compressed pages are saved as images, so text is no longer selectable or searchable. Keep the original if you need to copy text; use the compressed copy for sharing and uploads.

Which level should I choose?

“Recommended” (150 DPI) keeps documents easy to read on screen and when printed. Use “Strong” for the smallest file, e.g. to get under a 200 KB upload limit.