Compress PDF — Reduce PDF File Size for Free
Shrink a large PDF down to a smaller file size so it's easier to email, upload, or share. Choose a compression level and download the reduced file. Everything happens locally in your browser using JavaScript — your PDF is never uploaded to a server, so it's safe to use for private, sensitive, or confidential documents.
How to use compress pdf
- 1Upload the PDF you want to compress.
- 2Pick a compression level — lighter for higher quality, maximum for the smallest file size.
- 3Click "Compress PDF" and download the reduced-size file.
Frequently asked questions
How does client-side PDF compression work?
Each page is re-rendered as an optimized JPEG image at your chosen quality level and rebuilt into a new PDF — this is especially effective on scanned or image-heavy documents.
Will my PDF text still be selectable after compressing?
No — compression rasterizes each page into an image, so text will no longer be selectable or searchable in the compressed file. If you need to keep selectable text, skip compression or compress a copy.
How much smaller will my file be?
It depends on the original content — image-heavy or scanned PDFs often shrink significantly, while already-optimized text PDFs will see a smaller reduction.