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Compress PDF

Compress PDF files to a smaller size, free, in your browser.

Compress PDF files so they fit an email or an upload limit. The tool finds the pictures inside your PDF, such as scans, phone photos and photos in a report, and stores each one again at a sensible size and quality. Text, fonts, links and form fields are left exactly as they were, and your file never leaves your device. Choose a level, or tell it the size you need, such as under 1 MB, and it keeps the best-looking result that fits. Before you download, you see the real result: how big the file was, and how big it is now.

  • Free, no sign-up
  • Files never leave your device
  • Up to 100 MB per file

Drop a PDF file here

or

Up to ⁨100⁩ MB per file. Your files stay on your device.

Your file stays on your device. Nothing is uploaded.

How to compress a PDF

  1. 1

    Click “Choose a PDF file” or drag your PDF into the box.

  2. 2

    Choose a level (“Recommended” suits most files), or choose “Fit under a size” and pick the size you need.

  3. 3

    Press “Compress PDF” and wait while the pictures are made smaller.

  4. 4

    Check the new size, then download your file.

When you would use it

  • Getting a scanned or photographed application under a portal’s upload limit.

  • Sending a PDF by email when it is too big to attach.

  • Shrinking a report full of photos before sharing it.

  • Making a PDF of phone photos small enough to upload.

What to expect

  • What shrinks: pictures. Scans and phone photos often come down to a small fraction of their size, because they hold far more detail than a page needs.

  • What barely shrinks: files that are mostly text, such as Word or Google Docs exports. Their text is already stored compactly and fonts are not changed, so the gain is usually a few percent.

  • Drawings such as maps, charts and plans are stored as instructions rather than pictures and are left as they are, so a file full of them stays about the same size.

  • Pictures lose some detail by design. “Smallest file” can make small print look rough, so keep your original.

  • You never get a bigger file. If nothing we can do makes it smaller, the tool says so and keeps your original.

  • Password-protected PDFs can’t be opened, so they can’t be compressed. To break a large file into parts instead, use Split PDF.

Frequently asked questions

Is it free?

Yes. No sign-up, no daily limit and no watermark on your file.

Is my file uploaded?

No. The file is compressed inside your browser, on your device. It is never sent to us or anyone else.

How much smaller will my file get?

It depends on what is inside. A PDF made of scans or phone photos often shrinks a lot; a PDF of typed text barely changes. The tool always shows the real result, for example “from 8.9 MB to 430 KB”, and never promises a percentage beforehand.

How do I compress a PDF to under 1 MB?

Choose “Fit under a size” and pick “Under 1 MB”. The tool tries “High quality”, then “Recommended”, then “Smallest file”, and keeps the first result that fits. If even the smallest can’t get there, it tells you so and suggests what to try: fewer pages, splitting the file, or grey instead of colour for scans.

Which level should I choose?

“Recommended” for most files: text in scans and photos stays clear. “Smallest file” when size matters most, at the cost of some sharpness. “High quality” when the file will be printed or zoomed into.

Why did my file barely get smaller?

Most of it is probably text, fonts or drawings rather than pictures. Those are already compact, and changing them would change how your document looks, so they are left alone.

Does the text stay text?

Yes. Text, fonts, links, bookmarks and form fields are not touched. Only pictures are made smaller.

Does it work on my phone?

Yes, in any up-to-date browser. Large files take longer on a phone, and a progress bar shows how far it has got.

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