How much smaller will my PDF get?

It depends entirely on the content. Scanned or image-heavy documents often drop by 60-90 percent; a document that is already mostly text may barely change.

Does compression reduce quality?

Pages are re-encoded as images at the quality level you pick, so strong compression is visibly softer. The low level is close to indistinguishable on screen.

Will the text still be selectable?

Compression rasterises pages, so text becomes part of the image. If you need selectable text, use the low level sparingly or keep the original alongside.

Is my file uploaded to compress it?

No. Rendering and re-encoding both happen in your browser.

Why is my compressed file larger?

That happens with documents that are already pure vector text. In that case the original is already optimal — keep it.

Runs in your browser

Compress PDF File Size

Shrink heavy PDFs with selectable quality levels and a clear size comparison.

Most oversized PDFs are oversized because of their images. This tool re-encodes each page locally at the quality level you choose, then reports the original size, the new size and the percentage saved, so you can decide whether the trade-off is worth it before you download. Pick a lighter level for documents you still need to print, a stronger one for email attachments.

Drop a PDF to compress

Scanned and image-heavy documents shrink the most.

Choose a file

Files stay on this device — nothing is uploaded.

Processing Happens in Your Browser

Processing happens locally on your device. Your file does not need to be uploaded to our processing server.

Works offline after load No account, no storage

How it works

1
Add the PDF
Drop in the document you need to make smaller.
2
Choose a level
Low keeps quality high, medium balances, strong maximises the saving.
3
Compress
Each page is re-rendered and re-encoded inside your browser.
4
Compare and download
Check the before/after figures, then save the smaller file.

Features and benefits

Honest numbers
Original size, compressed size and percentage saved are shown before you commit.
Three levels
Choose the balance between file size and visual fidelity yourself.
Great for scans
Photographed and scanned documents typically shrink dramatically.
No upload limit
There is no upload, so there is no maximum file size tier to pay for.

Supported formats and limits

Any unencrypted PDF. Image-heavy and scanned documents compress the most; pure text documents the least.

Everything runs inside your browser tab, so the practical ceiling is your device's available memory rather than an upload limit. Documents up to roughly 100 MB work comfortably on a modern laptop; very large files are best handled a few at a time, and closing the tab clears all of it instantly.

Frequently asked questions

Keep your documents on your own device

Every tool here works the same way: local processing, no upload, no account. Browse the full set or read exactly how the in-browser engine works.

Browse all tools How the technology works

Processing Happens in Your Browser

How it works

Add the PDF

Choose a level

Compress

Compare and download

Features and benefits

Honest numbers

Three levels

Great for scans

No upload limit