Compress PDF
Shrink a PDF — especially scans and photo-heavy files — without uploading it anywhere.
Your files are processed entirely in your browser — they are never uploaded to a server.
About this tool
Honest mechanics, because 'compress PDF' can mean several things: this tool re-renders each page as a JPEG image at the level you pick, then rebuilds the PDF from those images. For scanned documents and photo-heavy files — where the original pages are effectively big images already — that can cut the size dramatically.
Two trade-offs to know before you use it. First, the text in the result is a picture of text: you can't select it, search it, or copy from it. Second, a PDF that is already compact text may come out larger, not smaller — the tool tells you the before-and-after sizes and the honest result either way. For pure-text PDFs, deleting unneeded pages (our Delete PDF Pages tool) is often the better shrink.
How to use it
- Choose the PDF.
- Pick a compression level — Balanced suits most scans.
- Press Compress PDF and compare the sizes in the result message.
Frequently asked questions
Why did my PDF get bigger?
It was already efficient text. Rebuilding pages as images adds data instead of removing it. The tool reports the sizes honestly — keep whichever file is smaller.
Will the compressed PDF still print well?
At the Best quality level (200% render, high JPEG quality) it prints cleanly for everyday documents. For professional print, keep the original.
Are my files uploaded?
No. Rendering and rebuilding happen in your browser.