Is my PDF uploaded anywhere?

No. The whole process runs inside your browser. Your PDF is never uploaded and never stored, and you can confirm this by disconnecting from the internet after the page loads: the tool keeps working.

How much smaller will my PDF get?

It depends entirely on what is inside the file. PDFs full of photos or scanned pages usually shrink a lot, while a PDF that is mostly text may barely change. Rather than promise a number, the tool compresses your actual file and shows you the measured result before you download it.

How does it make the PDF smaller?

It compresses the photos inside the PDF, which are usually what makes the file heavy. The pages, the text, and the fonts are left exactly as they were.

Will the text stay sharp and selectable?

Yes. The tool never changes text or fonts, only the photos. Text stays crisp at any zoom level, and you can still select, copy, and search it.

Why did I get my original file back?

Because your PDF is already compact. When compressing would barely change the size, the tool hands back your original file unchanged instead of trading quality for a saving too small to notice. That is a genuine result: the file was already in good shape. The same happens with print-ready PDFs whose pictures use printing-press colors: recompressing those would change how the colors look, so the tool leaves them alone.

Does it work on password protected PDFs?

No. A password protected PDF can't be opened for compression, even one that opens for reading. Remove the password in the app you use to open it, then add the file again.

What is the difference between Balanced and Smaller file?

Balanced is the default and keeps the result looking close to the original, so it is the safe choice for anything people will read on screen or print. Smaller file pushes harder and trades some sharpness in the photos for a smaller download. Text stays sharp on both.

Is there a file size limit?

One PDF at a time, up to 50 MB, which covers most reports, scans, and brochures. There is no limit on how many PDFs you can compress, one after another.

Compress PDF: Smaller Files, Same Sharp Text

How it works

Three steps to a smaller PDF

1
Add your PDF
Drag it in or browse your files. One PDF at a time, up to 50 MB.
2
Choose a preset
Balanced keeps the result looking close to the original. Smaller file trades some sharpness in the photos for a smaller download.
3
Compress and download
You see the measured before and after sizes from your own file. Nothing was sent anywhere, so there is nothing to delete afterwards.

Why this one

Why use this PDF compressor

It compresses the photos, not the text

Most heavy PDFs are heavy because of the pictures inside them. This tool re-compresses those pictures and leaves everything else alone, so your text stays sharp at any zoom and you can still select and copy it.

02
Two settings, both in plain language
Balanced is the recommended default and keeps the result looking close to the original. Smaller file trades some sharpness for a smaller download. There is no quality slider to guess at.
03
It tells you when there is nothing to save
If compressing your PDF would barely change its size, you get your original file back unchanged and the tool says so plainly. You never pay quality for a saving too small to notice.
04
The numbers are measured, not promised
How much a PDF shrinks depends entirely on what is inside it, so this page does not promise a percentage. The tool compresses your actual file and shows you the exact before and after sizes.
05
Your PDF stays private
The whole job runs in your browser. Your file is never uploaded and never stored, which matters when the PDF is a contract, a statement, or anything else you would not hand to a stranger.
06
Photo-heavy PDFs shrink the most
Brochures, reports full of pictures, and documents scanned as photos usually have the most to give. A PDF that is mostly text or line drawings may already be compact, and the tool will tell you rather than pretend otherwise.

Who it's for

When you'd use it

Someone sending an email
Getting a report or a scanned document under an attachment limit at the point of sending, rather than after it bounces.
A job applicant
Fitting a portfolio or a scanned certificate under an upload limit on an application portal, without the pages going blurry.
A marketer
Making a brochure or a media kit light enough to share in a chat message, while the product photos inside still look right.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Still unsure about something? These cover the questions we hear most.

Keep going

Related tools

Browse all 15 tools

Compressing an image instead?

This tool is for PDFs. For JPG, PNG, or WebP files on their own, the image compressor finds the smallest version that still looks the same as your original.

Try the image compressor

Add your PDF

Compression settings

Three steps to a smaller PDF

Add your PDF

Choose a preset

Compress and download

Why use this PDF compressor

It compresses the photos, not the text

Two settings, both in plain language

It tells you when there is nothing to save

The numbers are measured, not promised

Your PDF stays private

Photo-heavy PDFs shrink the most