How to compress a PDF
- Drop a PDF into the box above, or click it to choose one.
- Choose a method. For normal documents with text, use Compress images; for scans or a strict size limit, use Fit a target size.
- Click Compress PDF. Long documents can take a little while.
- Check the new size and click Download PDF.
Good to know
- PDFs that contain only text are small already and will not shrink much. Most of a PDF’s size comes from photos and scans.
- Fit a target size turns pages into images, so text in the result cannot be selected or searched.
- Your original PDF is not changed; the result is saved as a new file.
How it works
What decides the file size
A PDF can hold text, fonts, vector drawings and images. Text and vector graphics take very little space, so large PDFs are almost always large because of the photos or scanned pages inside. That is why recompressing those images is the most effective way to shrink a PDF without affecting the text.
PDF (Portable Document Format) looks the same on every device and printer, which is why it is the standard for documents, forms and scans. A PDF can hold text, vector graphics and images, and several pages in one file.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between the two methods?
- Compress images recompresses only the photos and scans inside the PDF and leaves text and shapes untouched. Fit a target size redraws every page as an image so the file is guaranteed to fit the size you choose.
- Will the text still be selectable?
- Yes with Compress images. With Fit a target size, pages become images, so the text can no longer be selected.
- The file barely got smaller. Why?
- Text-heavy PDFs are small already, and most of their size is font data that cannot be compressed further. If you must meet a strict limit, try Fit a target size.
- Can I compress a password-protected PDF?
- Yes, with Fit a target size: enter the password when asked. It is only used on your device to open the file, and the resulting PDF is not password-protected.
- Are my files uploaded to a server?
- No. Everything happens inside your browser, so private photos and documents stay on your device.
- Is it free? Are there limits?
- It is completely free, with no sign-up and no watermark. How much you can process depends only on your device’s memory.
- Does it work on my phone?
- Yes, in current versions of Chrome, Safari, Samsung Internet and other modern browsers.