Make your PDF smaller
Large PDFs are a pain to email or upload. This tool rebuilds your PDF at a smaller size by re-saving each page as a compressed image, and lets you choose how hard to squeeze. It's most effective on scanned documents and PDFs full of photos or graphics. Everything happens on your own device with your browser's own engine, so your file is never uploaded.
How to compress a PDF
- Add your PDF. Drag and drop it onto the box above, or click Select a PDF.
- Choose a compression level. Light keeps the most quality, Strong makes the smallest file, and Balanced sits in between.
- Compress and download. You'll see the new size and how much was saved, then you can download the result.
Which level should I choose?
- Light compresses gently and keeps pages looking crisp — best when quality matters most.
- Balanced is the recommended middle ground: a clear size drop with pages that still look good on screen.
- Strong squeezes the hardest for the smallest file, which suits drafts, previews and email attachments where small size matters more than sharpness.
Frequently asked questions
Is my PDF uploaded to a server?
No. The whole PDF is rebuilt in your browser on your own device. It never leaves your computer, which keeps it completely private.
Why did my file get smaller by a lot, or hardly at all?
The savings depend on what's inside. Scanned pages and photo-heavy PDFs shrink a lot. A PDF that is mostly plain text is already small, so there may be little to save — in that case the tool keeps your original file.
Will the text still be selectable?
Compression works by turning each page into an image, so selectable text and clickable links are not kept. If you need to keep selectable text, this kind of compression isn't the right fit.
Can it compress a password-protected PDF?
Encrypted or password-protected PDFs may not open. If a file can't be read, remove its protection first and try again.
Is it really free?
Yes, it is free with no sign-up, no watermark, and no limits.