Compress PDF — Reduce PDF File Size Online for Free
Shrink oversized PDFs by up to 80% without losing text sharpness — ready for email, web uploads, or storage. Three compression levels, processed in browser.
Features
- Three compression levels: low, medium, high
- Shows resulting file size and reduction percentage
- Text, links, and document structure are preserved
- Processed entirely in the browser — files never leave your device
How to compress PDF
- 1Upload your PDF file to the upload area
- 2Choose a compression level: low (best quality), medium, or high (maximum reduction)
- 3Click 'Compress' and wait for processing
- 4Download the optimized PDF — the resulting file size will be shown
Use cases
- Shrink a 25 MB brochure under the 10 MB Gmail attachment limit before sending
- Compress a portfolio PDF for a web upload form with a 5 MB file size cap
- Reduce a year's worth of scanned invoices from 800 MB to under 100 MB for archiving
Why compress PDFs here instead of other tools?
Three compression levels — you choose the trade-off
Low compression preserves near-original image quality while trimming file size. Medium balances quality and size for most business documents. High delivers the smallest file when size matters more than image sharpness.
Text and vectors always stay crisp
Only embedded images are compressed. Text, fonts, and vector graphics are left untouched at every compression level — your document remains fully readable no matter how aggressively you compress.
Compress PDF free online — no upload, no email required
Unlike tools that upload your files to a cloud server, compression here runs entirely in your browser. No sign-up, no email, no waiting in a queue — just upload and download.
Common problems
File size didn't decrease
The PDF likely contains only text and vector graphics — image compression has no effect on these elements.
Image quality is unacceptable after compression
Switch from High to Low or Medium compression. Low compression preserves near-original image quality.
Result is larger than the original
Some PDFs are already internally optimized. Re-encoding an optimized file can slightly increase its size.
FAQ
How much can I compress a PDF?
It depends on the content. Image-heavy PDFs can be reduced 2–10×. Text-only documents compress less — they are already compact.
Will compression reduce quality?
Low compression preserves quality almost completely. High compression reduces image resolution — text always stays sharp.
Which compression level should I choose?
For business documents — low or medium: quality is preserved while size drops noticeably. High is for when minimum file size matters more than image quality.
Are links and text preserved after compression?
Yes. Hyperlinks, text content, and document structure are fully preserved at any compression level.
Can I compress a password-protected PDF?
No. First remove the protection using the 'Decrypt PDF' tool, then compress.
The file didn't get smaller — why?
The PDF may already be optimized, or it may contain only text and vector graphics. In that case, image compression has no effect.
How do I compress a PDF to under 1 MB?
Choose the Strong compression level. For image-heavy PDFs, this typically reduces file size by 60–80%. If the result is still over 1 MB, try splitting the PDF into smaller parts first using our Split PDF tool.
What is the smallest readable size for a document?
For text-heavy documents, medium compression usually cuts size by 40–60% while keeping text fully readable. High compression may blur photos but text stays sharp.
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