Compress PDF – Reduce File Size
Make your PDF smaller for email and uploads. We re-save it with optimized object streams and show you the honest before/after sizes — no quality loss, ever.
What does PDF compression do?
Compressing a PDF reduces its file size so it's easier to email, upload and store. Our tool re-saves your document with optimized object streams, stripping out redundant internal data without touching a single pixel of your content. The process is completely lossless — your text stays sharp and your images look identical. We'll always show you the honest before-and-after sizes, so you know exactly what was saved.
When should you compress a PDF?
- Email attachments: most email providers cap attachments around 25 MB — compression often brings an oversized file back under the limit.
- Upload portals: job sites, university submissions and government forms frequently enforce strict file-size limits.
- Phone storage: shrink large documents before saving them to a phone with limited space.
- Faster sharing: smaller files upload and download quicker on slow connections.
How to compress a PDF in 3 steps
- Drop your PDF into the box above.
- Click "Compress PDF" — the optimized file is generated in seconds.
- Compare the sizes shown and download the result if you're happy with the savings.
Tips and honest expectations
- Text-heavy PDFs (reports, ebooks, contracts) usually shrink the most.
- PDFs full of photos may barely change — photos are already compressed, and we refuse to degrade your image quality to fake bigger savings.
- If the result isn't smaller, keep your original — we'll tell you plainly when that's the case.
- For maximum savings on scanned documents, scan at 150 DPI instead of 300+ before creating the PDF.
FAQs
How does PDF compression work here?
We re-save your PDF with optimized object streams, removing redundant data. Text-heavy PDFs shrink noticeably; PDFs full of photos may barely change, because images can't be recompressed without losing quality — and we never touch your quality.
Will compression reduce the quality of my PDF?
No. This is lossless optimization. Your pages, text and images look exactly the same as the original.
Is it free and private?
Yes. Compression is free, needs no signup, and runs entirely in your browser — your files never leave your device.
Why didn't my PDF get much smaller?
Most likely it contains photos or scans, which are already compressed. Our tool never degrades image quality just to report bigger savings — if there's nothing safe to remove, we'll tell you honestly.
Can I compress a scanned PDF?
Yes. Scanned PDFs do shrink somewhat from stream optimization, though the gains are modest since the page images themselves can't be recompressed losslessly.