Why didn't my PDF shrink much?

PDFs that are mostly text or vector graphics have very little to compress. The biggest savings come from PDFs containing scanned images or photos.

Which compression level should I pick?

Recommended works for most cases. Choose Strong for email attachments where small size matters more than crispness, and Light when image quality is important.

Will the text in my PDF still be selectable after compression?

Yes. Text is preserved as text. Only raster images are re-encoded; vector text and line art pass through untouched.

Is there a file size limit?

PDFs up to about 200 MB should work on most devices. Larger files may take a long time or hit browser memory limits.

Back to home

Compress PDF

Shrink PDF file size by re-encoding embedded images. Choose quality level, get a smaller PDF, 100% browser-based.

Files never leave your browser Processed in seconds No watermark, no signup

Drop your PDF here

Or click to browse — pick a quality level and compress

Compression level

How it works: each page is re-rendered and re-encoded as a JPEG at the selected quality. Text remains sharp; images may soften at Strong. For text-only PDFs, savings will be minimal.

Why use our Compress PDF tool?

Three quality presets

Light, Recommended, and Strong to fit every use case.

Live size comparison

See original vs compressed size and percentage saved instantly.

Private

Compression runs in your browser; no upload, no storage.

How to use Compress PDF

1
Upload the PDF you want to compress.
2
Pick a compression level: Light, Recommended, or Strong.
3
Click 'Compress PDF' and wait for processing to finish.
4
Compare original vs new size, then download the smaller PDF.

About Compress PDF

Compress PDF reduces the size of a PDF by re-encoding embedded raster images at lower resolution and higher JPEG compression. This is the most effective way to shrink PDFs that contain scanned documents or photographs, which often balloon to dozens of megabytes. You choose from three preset levels — Light, Recommended, and Strong — which balance file size against visual quality. The compressor runs entirely in your browser, so sensitive documents stay private. After compression, you see the original and new file sizes side by side, with a percentage savings indicator. Text-heavy PDFs without images may not shrink much because there is little raster data to compress.

Privacy

Compression happens entirely in your browser. Your PDF is never uploaded to a server.

Limitations

Text-only PDFs will see minimal reduction. Strong compression may visibly degrade photographic content. Maximum recommended input size is 200 MB.

Why trust our Compress PDF?

100% Private

Files never leave your browser. Zero server uploads, zero data collection.

Lightning Fast

Processed on your device — no upload wait, no server queue, instant results.

Always Free

No trials, no watermarks, no hidden fees. Funded by non-intrusive ads only.

Works Everywhere

iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, Linux. Every modern browser, every device.

Compress PDF — Available in USA, UK, Pakistan & India

Our free online compress pdf works in every country. No VPN needed, no geo-restrictions, no language barriers. Used by millions across four of our largest markets.

United States

Compress PDF is popular across the United States — from students in California compressing PDF assignments, to professionals in New York merging contract documents, to freelancers in Texas converting images for client deliverables. Our tool works on every US network and supports all major US carriers.

United Kingdom

Users in the United Kingdom rely on our compress pdf for everyday document tasks — from university students in London and Manchester, to accountants in Edinburgh preparing tax PDFs, to designers in Bristol resizing images for web projects. No signup required, works on all UK mobile networks.

Pakistan

Compress PDF is widely used across Pakistan — from students in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad converting assignments, to freelancers in Faisalabad and Rawalpindi working with international clients, to businesses in Multan and Peshawar managing documents. The tool works great on PTCL, Jazz, Zong, Telenor, and Ufone networks.

India

Millions of users in India use our compress pdf daily — from students in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, and Chennai preparing exam materials, to IT professionals in Hyderabad and Pune working with PDFs, to small business owners in Kolkata and Ahmedabad managing invoices. Works on Jio, Airtel, Vi, and BSNL networks.

Works worldwide. Whether you're in New York, London, Karachi, or Mumbai — our compress pdf loads fast and works the same everywhere. All processing happens in your browser, so there's no server latency regardless of your location.

Related Guides

Step-by-step tutorials to help you get the most out of this tool.

How to Compress a PDF Online→How to Reduce PDF File Size→How to Reduce PDF Size for Email→How to Make a PDF Smaller→

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Tools

Other free tools you might find useful.