Why won't my PDF get small enough?

A PDF that is mostly text is usually small already, and text cannot be compressed much further without turning it into pictures. A long document may simply hold more than fits the size asked for. Tick the option to turn pages into pictures, choose a larger size, or split the PDF into parts with the PDF Toolkit.

Only as much as the size requires. If rewriting the file is enough, nothing you can see changes; if not, the pictures are compressed at the lightest strength that fits, and the text and drawings are never touched. Turning pages into pictures is used only when you allow it.

Can it compress a password-protected PDF?

Not while it is locked. If you know the password, unlock it with the Unlock PDF tool first, then compress the unlocked copy.

Is my PDF uploaded to compress it?

No. The PDF is compressed in your browser, and nothing is sent to a server.

Stays on your computer How this works

Compress a PDF to a size - free, no upload

Get a PDF under the size a form, portal or email allows - 100 KB, 500 KB, 1 MB or any size you type - with the gentlest compression that gets there. In your browser, with nothing uploaded

Drag & drop a PDF here, or browse

Any PDF · scans, photos, reports · nothing is uploaded

About this PDF compressor

Upload forms, job portals and email often refuse a PDF over a set size - 100 KB, 500 KB, 2 MB - and most compressors only offer "low, medium, high" and leave you guessing. This one takes the size you need and finds the lightest compression that gets under it, so nothing is spoiled more than it has to be. It is free to use, with no account and no upload limit, and it runs entirely in your browser: nothing is uploaded, and while the page stays open, a feature you have already used keeps working offline.

First the file is rewritten without changing anything you can see, with qpdf: streams packed more tightly and duplicate data shared. If that is not enough, the pictures in it are made lighter, step by step - lower JPEG quality, and photos larger than they need to be scaled down - while the text, fonts and drawings stay exactly as they were, sharp and searchable. Only if you allow it, and only if nothing else reaches the size, are whole pages turned into pictures.

What you can do

Compress a PDF to 100 KB, 200 KB, 500 KB, 1 MB, 2 MB or any size you type
Keep the text sharp and searchable: only the pictures are made lighter
Shrink scanned PDFs and PDFs full of phone photos the most
Turn pages into pictures for the very smallest sizes, if you choose to
Sizes are counted in thousands of bytes, so the file passes whichever way a form counts a KB

How to compress a PDF to a size

Drop the PDF onto the page.
Type the size it must be under, or pick one of the common sizes.
Press Compress. The smaller PDF downloads as soon as it fits.

Questions

Why won't my PDF get small enough?: A PDF that is mostly text is usually small already, and text cannot be compressed much further without turning it into pictures. A long document may simply hold more than fits the size asked for. Tick the option to turn pages into pictures, choose a larger size, or split the PDF into parts with the PDF Toolkit.
Will it look worse?: Only as much as the size requires. If rewriting the file is enough, nothing you can see changes; if not, the pictures are compressed at the lightest strength that fits, and the text and drawings are never touched. Turning pages into pictures is used only when you allow it.
Can it compress a password-protected PDF?: Not while it is locked. If you know the password, unlock it with the Unlock PDF tool first, then compress the unlocked copy.
Is my PDF uploaded to compress it?: No. The PDF is compressed in your browser, and nothing is sent to a server.

Built by John McMillan, a senior full-stack engineer. Open to remote roles: hire me.

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