Compress PDF

Large PDFs are usually large because of their images. Compress PDF re-encodes those images at a size and quality you choose, so the file gets smaller while text and drawings stay exactly as they are.

Your file stays on your device and is processed in your browser.

or drop files here

One PDF up to 200 MB.

What this tool can and can't compress

Photos and scans stored as JPEG or uncompressed/Flate RGB or grayscale images are downscaled and re-encoded as JPEG.
Text, fonts and vector graphics are never rasterized — they stay sharp and selectable, but aren't made smaller.
Unused objects are removed and uncompressed data streams are compressed without loss.
CMYK, JPEG 2000, JBIG2, fax-encoded, indexed-color and masked images are kept as they are.
Transparent areas of re-encoded images keep their masks; color-keyed images are skipped.
If the result isn't smaller, we tell you and don't offer it.

How to compress a PDF

Select the PDF.
Choose a level: Low compression (highest image quality), Balanced, or Strong compression (smallest file).
Press Compress PDF and wait while images are processed in the background.
If the result is smaller, download it; the tool shows how much was saved.

What gets compressed

Photos and scans inside the PDF are scaled down to a maximum size (2,500, 1,800 or 1,200 pixels, depending on the level) and saved as JPEG at quality 85, 72 or 55. Uncompressed data is packed, and objects nothing uses are removed. Text, fonts and vector drawings are never turned into images.

Key features

Three levels with clear quality trade-offs.
Text stays selectable and searchable.
A result is only offered when it's actually smaller than the original.
Processing runs in a background worker, so the page stays responsive and can be cancelled.

Supported files and limits

PDFs made mostly of text or vector graphics may hardly shrink: there are few images to compress.
Some image types (for example with special colour spaces or masks) are left unchanged.
Strong compression makes images visibly softer.
Files up to 200 MB; protected PDFs need to be unlocked first.

How your files are handled

Compress PDF runs in your browser: your file is read and processed on your device and the result is created there, so documents aren't uploaded to a server. The site only counts anonymous page views, without cookies. How it works · Privacy

Frequently asked questions

Why didn't my PDF get smaller?

If it has few or already well-compressed images, there's little to gain. In that case the tool tells you instead of offering a file that isn't smaller.

Will my text become blurry?

No. Only images are re-compressed; text and vector graphics are untouched.