Compress PDF
Make any PDF smaller — right down to the size limit your form asks for. Free, with no upload and no sign-up: the file is compressed inside your browser and never leaves your device.
Click to choose a PDF or drop it here
Scanned PDFs shrink the most. For an online form limit (200 KB, 300 KB, 1 MB…), start with Recommended — if the result is still too big, run Maximum compression on the original file.
How to use
- Click the box above (or drop your PDF onto it) and choose the PDF you want to shrink.
- Pick a compression level — Recommended suits most forms and sharing.
- Press “Compress PDF” and wait while the pages are processed on your device.
- Check the new size and download your compressed PDF.
Why is my PDF so big?
Almost every oversized PDF has the same cause: scanned pages. A scanner or phone camera saves every page as a full photo, often at a far higher resolution than anyone needs — so a simple 5-page document can quietly become 10–20 MB. This tool re-renders every page at a sensible resolution and stores it as an efficient JPEG inside a fresh PDF, which is where the big savings come from.
When to use this tool
Use it when a government or exam form portal rejects your PDF for being too large, when you need to email or WhatsApp a document without it failing, or when a website only accepts uploads up to a fixed size like 200 KB, 300 KB or 1 MB. It works best on scanned documents, certificates, ID proofs and photo-heavy PDFs.
When NOT to use it
Do not compress a PDF you still need to edit, or one whose text must stay selectable and searchable (for example, a resume or a contract you will copy text from). Compression re-renders pages as images inside the PDF — the pages look the same on screen and in print, but the text is no longer selectable. Always keep your original file as the master copy. A PDF that is already small and mostly text may also not shrink much.
FAQ
Is this PDF compressor really free?
Yes, completely free. There is no sign-up, no watermark and no page limit from our side.
Is my PDF uploaded to a server?
No. The compression runs 100% inside your browser using your own device, so your PDF never leaves your phone or computer. That makes it safe for personal documents like certificates, ID proofs and mark sheets.
How much smaller will my PDF get?
Scanned PDFs commonly shrink by 60–90%. A 10 MB scan often comes down below 1 MB at the Recommended level. Text-based PDFs that are already efficient will shrink less.
My form needs a PDF under 200 KB or 300 KB. What should I pick?
Start with Recommended (150 DPI). If the result is still above your limit, compress the original file again with Maximum compression (100 DPI). Short documents usually reach 200–300 KB at that level.
Will the quality drop?
At Recommended, pages stay sharp for reading and normal printing — that is why it is the default. High quality keeps more detail for documents you will print at large size, and Maximum compression trades a little sharpness for the smallest possible file.
Will the text stay selectable?
No. To achieve real compression, pages are stored as high-quality images inside the PDF, so text cannot be selected or searched afterwards. The document looks the same; keep the original if you need editable text.
Can the result ever be bigger than my original?
No. The tool first tries a lossless clean-up, then rendered compression — and if a result is not smaller than your original, it automatically tries a stronger level. If nothing can beat the original, it tells you honestly instead of giving you a bigger file.
Why does my PDF ask for a password?
That PDF is password-protected. First remove the password with our Unlock PDF tool, then compress it here.