Compress PDF
Reduce PDF file size for email and uploads — best for scanned or image-heavy documents, processed in your browser.
- 100% free
- No upload — runs in your browser
- No sign-up needed
Large PDFs bounce off email limits and upload forms. This tool shrinks a PDF by re-rendering its pages at a compressed quality you choose — the same approach used for scanned documents — and rebuilds a smaller file, all on your device. It works best on scanned or image-heavy PDFs, where savings are largest.
How to Compress PDF
- Upload the PDF you want to shrink.
- Pick a compression level — smaller file, balanced, or better quality.
- Click "Compress PDF" and download the reduced file.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the text stop being selectable after compressing?
To shrink the file, each page is re-rendered as a compressed image, which is what produces the size savings on scanned and image-heavy PDFs — a common trade-off for this kind of compression.
What kind of PDF compresses the most?
Scanned documents and image-heavy PDFs shrink the most. A PDF that's mostly plain text may not shrink much, since text is already very compact.
Is my document uploaded to compress it?
No — the entire compression runs in your browser, so confidential PDFs are never sent to a server.