Compress a PDF, free
Reduce a PDF's file size for email or upload limits, with a choice of 3 compression levels — free, no signup.
Drop a PDF here, or click to browse
PDF only, up to 20 MB
How PDF compression works
Compression mainly re-encodes the images embedded in your PDF at a lower resolution and quality setting, since images are usually what makes a PDF large. Text and vector content are left alone, which is why compressed PDFs stay sharp to read even at smaller file sizes.
3 compression levels
Balance file size against image quality, from smallest to near-original.
See the real savings
Before-and-after file size shown immediately after compressing.
No compression limit
Compress as many files as you need — no daily cap, no account required.
Not stored afterward
Your file is processed to build the result and isn't kept once your download completes.
Common reasons to compress a PDF
- Email attachment limits — most inboxes cap attachments around 20-25 MB.
- Website or portal upload limits — job applications, government forms, and university portals often cap upload size.
- Faster sharing on slow connections — a smaller file uploads and downloads faster for everyone.
- Saving storage space — useful when archiving many scanned documents.
Free forever
Compressing PDFs is free with no signup and no daily limit. Need to combine files afterward? Try the merge PDF tool.
Frequently asked questions
How much smaller will my PDF get?+
It depends entirely on what's inside the file. PDFs with large, high-resolution images (scans, photos, screenshots) often shrink significantly. A PDF that's mostly text is already small and may see little change, since there isn't much to compress.
Which compression level should I pick?+
"Balanced" works well for most everyday PDFs — a real size reduction while staying easy to read. Use "Smallest size" for email attachment limits where image quality matters less, or "Highest quality" when you want to preserve print-level detail.
Will compressing make text blurry or unreadable?+
No — compression targets embedded images, not text. Selectable text in your PDF stays sharp at every compression level; only image quality is affected.
Is my file uploaded and stored somewhere?+
Your PDF is processed to build the compressed version and streamed back to you as a download — it isn't saved to a database or kept after your request completes.
Can I compress a PDF that's already small?+
Yes, but don't expect a dramatic size drop — a PDF that's already lightweight (mostly text, no large images) has little left to compress.
Reviews
Write a review
Log in to write a review — it takes a minute and helps other people trust the tool.
More free tools
URL Shortener
Turn long links into short, trackable ones with real-time click analytics.
QR Code Generator
Create custom QR codes for URLs, text, or contact info — with scan tracking.
Password Generator
Generate cryptographically secure passwords, saved with PIN-based encryption.