Compress PDF
Make PDF files smaller for email and uploads while keeping them readable. Compression runs in your browser, so your documents stay private.
How to use Compress PDF
- 1
Select one or more PDF files.
- 2
Pick a compression level.
- 3
Click Compress PDF and download the smaller file.
About Compress PDF
Compress PDF makes files smaller so they fit email limits and upload forms. It offers three levels. Extreme and Recommended re-draw each page as an optimized image at a lower resolution, which gives large savings on scans and image-heavy documents; text in the output is no longer selectable. Basic keeps your text and simply tidies the file, so savings are smaller.
Need to make PDF smaller for an email or a web form? This PDF compressor will shrink PDF files in a few clicks and show you exactly how much space you saved.
You can compress several files at once and download the results as a ZIP. If a file can’t be made smaller, the tool keeps your original instead of giving you a bigger one, and it shows you the before and after sizes.
Tips
- Text-only PDFs are usually small already, so expect little change.
- After compressing, zoom in on small print and signatures to make sure they are still readable.
- Read How to reduce PDF file size to choose the right level.
Guides for Compress PDF
Good to know
Why can’t I select text after compressing?
Extreme and Recommended levels shrink files by turning each page into an optimized image. Choose Basic to keep text selectable (savings are smaller).
What if the file gets bigger?
If compression can’t make a file smaller, we keep your original so you never end up with a larger PDF.
Which compression level should I choose?
Recommended suits most documents. Use Extreme only for very tight size limits, and Basic when the text must stay selectable.
Is it free?
Yes — completely free, with no sign-up and no watermarks added by us.