Compress PDF
Shrink a PDF so it fits an email or an upload form. Scanned pages and photos get downscaled and re-encoded; text stays sharp.
Processed on our server, then deleted
Drop a PDF here
Or drag it anywhere on this page. Up to 10 MB.
Sent to our server for this one job, then deleted. Never stored or logged.
One PDF up to 10 MB. Processed on our server, then deleted. 10 free server jobs a day per person, shared by all server tools. Password-protected PDFs must be unlocked first. Bigger files: the Compress PDF API (paid per call).
How to compress a PDF
- Choose a PDF up to 10 MB, or drag it onto the page.
- Pick Recommended for most files, Strong for the smallest file, or Lossless to leave images untouched.
- Press Compress PDF, check the new size, then download the smaller file.
How PDF compression works
Most of a large PDF's weight is pictures: scanned pages, photos, screenshots. Our server opens the file, finds every photo-like image and checks how sharp it is at the size it is printed on the page. Anything sharper than the level's limit is scaled down, then saved again as JPEG. An image is only replaced when that saves at least 10 percent, and the file's structure is rewritten with every stream compressed as tightly as possible.
The result is never bigger than your original. When nothing can be saved, you're told, and you keep the file you have.
Tips
- For email, try Recommended first; switch to Strong only if the file is still too big.
- Need only some pages? Take them out first with Extract pages; fewer pages means a smaller file. That tool runs in your browser.
- Shrinking photos rather than a PDF? Compress image works on your device, without uploading.
Questions
Is my PDF uploaded?
Yes. Unlike most tools on this site, this one runs on our server: your PDF is sent over HTTPS, compressed, and the result is sent straight back to your browser. The file exists on the server only while the job runs, in memory and in a private temporary folder that is deleted the moment the job ends. We don't store the PDF or the result, and we never log file contents.
Why does this tool need a server?
Real PDF compression means decoding every image in the file, downscaling it to the page size and re-encoding it, then rewriting the whole file. That needs PDF and image libraries that are slow or missing in a browser, so this tool runs on our server instead of on your device.
How much smaller will my PDF get?
It depends on what is inside. Scans and PDFs full of photos often shrink by half or more. PDFs that are mostly text are usually small already, and may only lose a few percent. If we can't make the file smaller, you're told so and nothing changes.
What do the three levels do?
Recommended re-encodes photos as JPEG at quality 75 and downscales any image sharper than 150 dpi at its printed size. Strong uses quality 50 and 96 dpi, for the smallest file, with visibly softer photos. Lossless leaves images alone and only rewrites the file's structure. Text and vector graphics are never rasterised.
Does it remove anything from my PDF?
Embedded JavaScript, attached files and other active content are removed for safety, and unused objects are dropped. Pages, text, images, links and bookmarks stay.
Is there a limit?
Files up to 10 MB, and 10 free server jobs a day per person, shared by all of our server tools. Only jobs that succeed count, and the count resets at midnight UTC. For bigger files or more jobs, the Compress PDF API is paid per call.
What is the human check?
Before a job runs, Cloudflare Turnstile checks that a person, not a bot, is using the tool. It is usually invisible; sometimes it asks you to tick a box. It keeps automated traffic from using up the free capacity.