Compress PDF files online



Supported image types: PDF documents
Max file size: 200MB. All uploaded files are automatically deleted 1 hour after upload.

When local processing is enabled, files are processed in browser without uploading to a server. Some features may be limited. If you experience issues, leave this unchecked.

Reduce PDF File Size Online

PDFs often end up larger than expected, especially when they contain high-resolution photos, embedded fonts, or scanned pages. This tool shrinks your PDF by downsampling and recompressing embedded images, stripping unnecessary metadata, and cleaning up the internal file structure. Text, vector graphics, and page layout stay intact — only the image resolution and compression level are adjusted.

How Much Smaller Will My PDF Get?

That depends on what's inside the document. A PDF made from scanned pages or photos can often shrink by 60-80% at the balanced setting. A text-heavy document with only a few small charts might shrink by 5-15%, since there is less image data to compress. If the output file is nearly the same size as the original, it means the PDF was already well optimized for that quality level.

Choosing the Right Compression Level

The four presets control how aggressively embedded images are downsampled:

  • Maximum compression (72 DPI) — produces the smallest file size. Images look fine on screen at normal zoom, though printing them may show softness. Best for email attachments, web uploads, or documents where text matters more than photos.
  • Balanced (150 DPI) — a solid middle ground. Images remain sharp enough for on-screen reading and everyday office printing. This is the default and works well for sharing reports, invoices, or presentations.
  • High quality (300 DPI) — suitable for documents that need to look crisp in print, such as brochures or portfolios, while still reducing file size compared to uncompressed originals.
  • Minimal compression — leaves image resolution untouched and only optimizes the PDF's internal structure and metadata. Use this when you need to preserve maximum image detail.

Related PDF Tools

  • Need an exact custom DPI or want to change the paper dimensions (e.g. to A4 or Letter)? Use Resize PDF.
  • If you only need certain pages, split the PDF first to extract just the pages you need.
  • Trim white margins with Crop PDF, or fix sideways pages with Rotate PDF.
  • Combine multiple documents into one with Merge PDF, or create a PDF from images with JPG to PDF.