Compress PDF
Choose a PDF, pick a compression level, and download a smaller copy. Text and links stay as they are, and your file stays in your browser.
How to compress a PDF
- Select Choose a PDF, or drop a PDF file on the box. The tool compresses one PDF at a time, up to 100 MB.
- Pick a compression level. Recommended suits most files. Choose Light to keep images as sharp as possible, or Strong when file size matters more than fine detail.
- Select Compress PDF. The result shows the original size, the new size, and the percentage saved.
- Select Download compressed PDF. The copy keeps the original name with -compressed added, such as report-compressed.pdf. Your original file isn't changed.
- Page through the copy before you send it, especially pages with small text inside images.
What gets smaller
Most of a PDF's weight comes from the images inside it: screenshots, photos, and scanned pages. The tool re-saves those images as smaller JPEGs and scales down very large ones. It swaps an image only when the new version is clearly smaller, and it offers a download only when the whole file ends up smaller.
The tool doesn't touch text, fonts, vector graphics, links, or the page layout, so text stays sharp and selectable. It leaves images it can't re-encode safely, such as stencil masks, indexed colors, or CMYK, as they are. JPEG compression is lossy, so keep your original if you may need the full-quality images later.
A PDF made of a few large screenshots shrinks the most. A PDF that's almost all text has little to shrink, and the tool tells you so.
To shrink loose screenshots or photos before you put them in a PDF, use the Image compressor. To join several PDFs first, use Merge PDF; to drop pages, use the PDF page organizer. To lock the smaller file with a password, use Protect PDF.
Frequently asked questions
Is it free to compress a PDF here?
Yes. There's no signup and no watermark. You can compress as many PDFs as you like, one at a time, each up to 100 MB.
Is my PDF uploaded?
No. Your browser compresses the PDF on your device. The file isn't sent to a server, and closing the tab clears it.
How much smaller will my PDF get?
It depends on what's inside. PDFs built from screenshots, photos, or scans often shrink a lot, while a PDF that's mostly text and vector graphics has little to shrink. The tool shows the exact sizes before and after.
Does compressing hurt quality?
Images are saved again as JPEG, which is lossy, so they lose some detail, and at the Strong level fine text inside screenshots gets softer. Text, vector graphics, and links stay exactly as they were. Your original file isn't changed, so you can try another level.
Which level should I choose?
Start with Recommended. Use Light for photos or pages you plan to print, and Strong when you need the smallest file, for example to fit an email attachment limit.
Why does it say my PDF is already compact?
The tool only shrinks embedded images. If the PDF has none, or its images can't be made noticeably smaller, there's nothing it can safely remove, so it offers no download. A copy that's the same size or larger wouldn't help you. Try a stronger level, or keep the original.
Why does it say my PDF is encrypted?
The PDF already has an open password or editing restrictions. Remove them in the app that added them, save an unprotected copy, and compress that copy here.
Does compressing break a digital signature?
Yes. The tool rewrites the file, so existing digital signatures no longer validate on the compressed copy. Compress first, then sign.
Emailing a PDF of screenshots?
Shotomatic captures a whole screenshot series on your Mac and exports it as one PDF. Shrink that PDF here before you send it.