Compress PDF
Shrink a PDF for email or upload limits — privately, in your browser. Your file is never uploaded.
Drop your PDF here
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Make a PDF Small Enough to Send — Without Sending It to Us
Email attachments are often capped at 20–25 MB, and government and job portals can be stricter still. Most online compressors make you upload the file to their server first. This one works inside your browser, so the PDF you shrink never leaves your device.
How to Compress a PDF
- Add your PDF. Drag a PDF onto the page or click to choose one. It's opened in your browser, not uploaded.
- Pick a compression mode. Choose Strong for scans and image-heavy files, or Basic to keep text selectable.
- Choose a level. For Strong compression, pick Light, Recommended or Smallest file.
- Compress and download. Click Compress PDF, check how much smaller it got, and download the result.
Which PDFs Shrink the Most
Scanned documents and PDFs full of photos usually shrink the most with Strong compression, often by more than half, because each page is mostly image data. Text-only PDFs exported from a word processor are usually small already and may not shrink much with either mode.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is my PDF uploaded to a server?
No. The PDF is read, compressed and saved entirely inside your browser. That makes it safe for contracts, bank statements, medical records and anything else you wouldn't email to a stranger.
What's the difference between Strong and Basic compression?
Strong compression redraws every page as a compressed image, which can shrink scanned and photo-heavy PDFs dramatically, but the text can no longer be selected or searched, and links and form fields are removed. Basic compression keeps the document exactly as it is and only repacks its internal structure, so savings are smaller and sometimes zero.
Why didn't my PDF get smaller?
Some PDFs are already efficiently compressed, especially ones exported from Word or a design tool with mostly text. If the result isn't smaller, the tool tells you instead of giving you a bigger file. Strong compression on the Smallest file setting is the most aggressive option.
Which setting should I choose?
Recommended (120 DPI) suits most documents and stays readable on screen and when printed at home. Light (150 DPI) keeps more detail for fine print or diagrams. Smallest file (96 DPI) is for meeting a strict upload limit.
Will compression lower the print quality?
Strong compression lowers the resolution of each page, so fine print and photos can look softer, particularly on the Smallest file setting. Keep your original if you need full quality later.
Is there a page limit?
Strong compression handles up to 300 pages at a time, since every page is rendered in your browser's memory. Basic compression has no fixed limit. To compress a longer document strongly, split it first.