Compress PDF
Make a PDF smaller without turning the text into a picture.
Runs in your browser — your files never leave your device.
Save this tool
Keep Compress PDF handy
Use your browser's Share menu, then “Add to Home Screen”.
Text, fonts and vector graphics are never re-encoded — only the images inside the file.
About this tool
Almost all of a large PDF is the pictures inside it. A scanned contract is ninety per cent JPEG and a handful of per cent everything else, which is why tools that only rewrite the file's internal structure report a saving of two or three per cent on exactly the documents people wanted to shrink. This one goes after the images: each embedded picture is decoded, re-encoded at a lower quality and put back, while the text, fonts and vector drawings are left untouched. That matters, because the other common trick is to render every page to a photograph of itself. It shrinks beautifully and quietly destroys the document — the text stops being text, so it can no longer be searched, selected, copied or read aloud. Here a compressed contract is still a contract. Three strengths are offered, and it is worth trying the gentlest first since the difference is often smaller than you expect. If a file is already well compressed you are told so plainly rather than handed something two per cent smaller and a cheerful message. Everything runs in your browser, so a document you are compressing before sending it somewhere never gets sent here first.
How to use it
- Drop in your PDF
- Pick a strength — balanced suits most documents
- Compress, check the saving, then download
Frequently asked questions
Will the text still be selectable and searchable?
Yes. Only the embedded images are re-encoded; text, fonts and vector graphics are copied through untouched. This is the main difference from compressors that flatten each page into a picture — those shrink more, but the text stops being text and can no longer be searched, copied or read by a screen reader.
Why did my file barely get smaller?
Either it is mostly text, in which case there was never much to remove, or its images are already well compressed. It can also happen when the pictures are in a format this tool will not touch, such as JPEG 2000 or an image carrying a transparency mask. The result tells you which, rather than leaving you guessing.
Which strength should I choose?
Balanced suits most documents and is the default. Light is worth trying first when the images matter, such as a portfolio or anything being printed. Strong is for getting a bulky scan under an upload limit, where legibility matters more than fidelity.
Can compressing make a file bigger?
It can in principle, when images are already compressed harder than the setting you chose. The tool checks, and if the result would be larger it keeps your original and says the file is already optimised rather than handing back something worse.
Is my document uploaded anywhere?
No. The PDF is read into your browser and rewritten there, so it never reaches a server. That matters here in particular, because the reason for compressing a document is usually that you are about to send it to someone.