Compress PDF
Reduce PDF file size in your browser – images are resized and re-compressed while text stays sharp and selectable. Batch compress and download as ZIP. Nothing is uploaded.
- Never uploaded
- Text stays selectable
- 4 levels + custom DPI
- Batch and ZIP
Advanced settings
Your PDFs are compressed on this device and never uploaded.
How to compress a PDF
- Add your PDFsDrop one or more PDF files onto the page or click to choose them. They’re processed on your device and never uploaded.
- Choose a levelBalanced suits most files. Strong squeezes images harder, Lossless never touches image quality, and Maximum turns pages into images for the smallest scans.
- DownloadSee the new size and saving for each file, then download them one by one or all together as a ZIP.
Which compression level?
| Level | Images | Text | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lossless | Unchanged | Selectable | Contracts, forms and documents where nothing may change |
| Balanced | 150 DPI, JPEG quality 75 | Selectable | Most files – reports, brochures, presentations |
| Strong | 110 DPI, quality 60, incl. screenshots | Selectable | Email attachments and upload limits |
| Maximum | Whole page as a 100 DPI JPEG | Not selectable | Scanned documents and photos |
Tips for getting under a size limit
- Remove pages you don’t need with the PDF Splitter before compressing.
- For scans, Maximum with greyscale often gives the biggest saving – a black-and-white letter can drop by 80–90%.
- 100 DPI is sharp enough for reading on screen; keep 150 DPI or more if the file will be printed.
- Compressing the same file twice rarely helps – start again from the original if you need a different level.
Frequently asked questions
Are my PDFs uploaded to a server?
No. Compression runs entirely in your browser using open-source libraries (pdf-lib and Mozilla’s pdf.js). Your files never leave your device, which makes it safe for contracts, bank statements and ID documents.
How does PDF compression work?
Most of a large PDF’s size is usually images. The compressor finds images with more pixels than needed for the chosen resolution, downscales them and saves them as efficient JPEGs. It also removes unused objects and packs the rest into compressed object streams. Text, fonts and vector graphics are left untouched.
Will the text still be selectable?
Yes, with Lossless, Balanced and Strong. Only Maximum turns each page into an image – that gives the smallest file for scanned documents, but text can no longer be selected, searched or read by screen readers.
Why is my PDF barely smaller?
If it’s mostly text, or its images are already compressed, there may be little left to remove. Files made by “Print to PDF” or scanners often shrink a lot; files already optimised by other tools may not. If the result would be bigger, your original is kept.
Which level should I choose for email or a government portal?
Start with Balanced. If the file must be under a limit such as 1 MB or 2 MB, try Strong, then Maximum for scans. You can also lower the DPI (100 is fine for on-screen reading, 150 for printing) and the JPEG quality.
What does “Remove metadata” do?
It deletes the document’s title, author, software and XMP metadata, plus page thumbnails and editing data left by some apps. It saves a little space and removes personal details you might not want to share.
Can it open password-protected PDFs?
Not directly. If you know the password, unlock the file with our PDF Password Remover first, then compress it.
Is there a file size limit?
Up to 200 MB per file. Very large files depend on your device’s memory – on phones, keep files under about 50 MB.
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