Compress PDF Online
A PDF compressor to reduce PDF file size in your browser, with no upload.
Drop your PDF here
or
Everything runs in your browser — your file is never uploaded.
How to compress a PDF
Compress PDF files to reduce PDF size, shrink a PDF, or make a PDF smaller — then check the real before and after. Lossless mode keeps text selectable but may only reduce size modestly; stronger compression is available via an opt-in mode that rasterises pages.
- Upload your PDF. Drop a file onto the page, or choose one from your device. It stays on your computer.
- Pick lossless or stronger mode. Recommended is lossless clean-up that keeps text selectable. Stronger opt-in modes rasterise pages for bigger savings.
- See the before and after size. Check the real original and new size. If a mode does not shrink the file, the tool says so.
- Download. Save the compressed PDF to your device.
Combining several PDFs first? Merge PDF files here, then compress the result.
Compress a PDF to 1MB, 2MB or 200KB
This tool does not have a target size setting, and the result depends on what is inside your file. Scans and image-heavy PDFs usually shrink the most, while text-only PDFs may already be small. Use these as starting points and check the before and after size shown after each run.
- Around 2MB. Try Recommended first. It is lossless, so it may be enough if the file is only a little over. If it is still too large, try Strong.
- Around 1MB. Start with Recommended, then try Strong. If the file is still too large, Maximum shrinks it further, with a noticeable loss of image quality.
- Around 200KB. Lossless compression rarely gets this small. Try Maximum, or use Custom with a lower image resolution, lower JPEG quality and greyscale turned on. Very long or image-heavy files may still stay above 200KB.
Strong, Maximum and Custom re-render pages as images, so selectable text is lost. If no mode makes the file smaller, the tool tells you and you can keep your original.
Compression questions
How do I reduce the file size of a PDF?
Upload your PDF, pick Recommended for lossless clean-up or a stronger opt-in mode, check the real before-and-after size, then download. Compression runs in your browser.
Why is my compressed PDF only a little smaller?
Lossless mode preserves text and quality, so it may only reduce size modestly. Use the stronger opt-in mode for bigger reductions, which rasterises pages and removes selectable text. We always show the real numbers.
Are my files uploaded when I compress a PDF?
No. All compression runs on your device inside your browser. There is no server-side processing and no temporary copy stored anywhere.
Does compression reduce quality?
Recommended mode does not — it never touches page content, so text, images and searchability are unchanged. Strong and Maximum re-render each page as a JPEG image, which can shrink scans but reduces image detail and removes selectable text.
What if nothing gets smaller?
Some PDFs are already optimised. If no mode produces a smaller file, keep your original — we will say so rather than hand you a larger file and call it compressed.