Compress PDF Files
Shrink PDF file size without sacrificing readability. Perfect for email attachments and cloud uploads.100% Private — Files never leave your browser
Why compress PDFs?
Large PDFs cause real problems. Email bounces, slow uploads, storage limits. Compression solves all of that without making your documents look worse.
Email attachments
Most email providers cap attachments at 25MB. A compressed PDF slides through without issues.
Faster uploads
Uploading to Dropbox, Google Drive, or a client portal? Smaller files mean less waiting.
Save storage
Archiving years of documents? Compression can cut storage costs significantly.
How PDF compression works
Select your PDF
Drag and drop or click to browse. Your file loads instantly — nothing is uploaded.
Choose compression level
Pick Maximum for smallest size, Balanced for the sweet spot, or Minimum to preserve every detail.
Download the result
Your compressed PDF is ready in seconds. Compare file sizes and save.
What actually gets compressed?
PDF compression primarily targets embedded images. Most PDFs are bloated because they contain high-resolution photos or scanned pages saved at print quality. Our compressor resamples these images to web-friendly resolutions.
Text and vector graphics are already compact by nature — they're just instructions, not pixels. These stay untouched.
We also strip unnecessary metadata like editing history, thumbnail previews, and redundant font subsets that add bulk without adding value.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much smaller will my PDF get?
It depends on content. Scanned documents and image-heavy PDFs often shrink by 60-90%. A 15MB scan might become 2MB. Pure text documents with no images? Maybe 10-20% smaller, since there's less to optimize.
Will my PDF look worse after compression?
The "Balanced" setting is designed to be visually indistinguishable on screens. You might notice a difference if you zoom in to 400% on a photo, but for normal viewing and printing, it's imperceptible. For archival or print-critical work, use "Minimum" compression.
Can I compress password-protected PDFs?
Not directly. If the PDF is encrypted, you'll need to remove the password first (using Adobe Acrobat or similar). Once it's unprotected, compression works normally.
Are form fields and links preserved?
Basic structure is preserved, but complex interactive elements like fillable forms may not survive compression perfectly. For forms you need to distribute, test the compressed version before sending.