How to compress a PDF
- Drop your PDF into the box above or click "Choose PDF". As soon as it opens you will see the page count and the current size.
- Pick a method. "Compress images" gives the biggest saving; "Lossless" keeps text selectable but shrinks the file less.
- Choose a target. "Under 2 MB" suits upload forms with a small limit and "Under 5 MB" suits email attachments. If no limit applies, use Balanced or Smallest, or pick Custom to set the resolution and JPG quality yourself.
- Press "Compress PDF". The progress bar shows the current page and, when you chose a size target, which attempt the tool is on.
- Check the before and after sizes, then press "Download PDF". The file name gets "-compressed" added, and your original stays untouched.
Why PDFs get so big, and how to fix it
A PDF that is mostly typed text is tiny, often a few dozen kilobytes. The big ones almost always contain pictures: a phone scan of a passport at full camera resolution, a brochure exported with print-quality photos, or a slide deck full of screenshots. Each of those pages can weigh several megabytes, which is why a ten-page scan blows straight through the 2 MB attachment limit on many job portals, university application systems and government forms.
This tool attacks the real cause. In "Compress images" mode each page is drawn at a sensible resolution and stored as an optimized JPG inside a fresh PDF. For a scanned document this typically cuts the size by 70 to 95 percent while keeping the page readable on screen and perfectly acceptable when printed. When you select a size target, the tool tries a ladder of settings from higher to lower quality and stops at the first one that fits, so you keep as much sharpness as the limit allows.
The trade-off is honest and worth stating: because pages become images, the text in the output can no longer be selected, copied or searched. For a scanned form that never had a text layer anyway, that costs nothing. For a text-heavy report that you want people to search, use Lossless mode instead, which repacks the document structure and usually saves 5 to 20 percent.
Typical situations
An upload form with a 2 MB limit. Visa applications, scholarship portals and HR systems often reject anything bigger than a couple of megabytes. Choose "Under 2 MB" and the tool finds the best quality that fits. If even the lowest setting is not enough, the result note tells you so; then split the document with Split PDF and compress each part.
An email attachment that bounces. Many mail providers cap attachments around 20 to 25 MB, and company gateways are often stricter. "Under 5 MB" keeps a multi-page document comfortably inside most limits.
A merged file that grew too large. After combining several documents with Merge PDF, compress the result once rather than each source file.
If your PDF is already optimized or mostly text, the image method can make the file larger. The tool detects this and says so in the result note, so you can keep your original instead of a bigger copy.
Why use this compressor?
- Your file is not uploaded. Rendering and compression run in your browser using open-source libraries, so private documents stay private.
- You control the trade-off. Pick a size target, a preset, or set resolution and quality manually, and see exact before and after numbers.
- No watermark, no limits, no account. Compress as many files as you like.
- Large files are handled with care. Pages are processed one at a time and memory is released immediately; for files over 50 MB you get a warning because phones may struggle.
Frequently asked questions
Is my PDF uploaded when I compress it?
No. The file is read and processed entirely inside your browser tab. Nothing is sent to a server, and the tool also works offline once the page is loaded.
How do I compress a PDF to under 2 MB?
Select your file, keep "Compress images" as the method, choose "Under 2 MB" as the target and press Compress PDF. The tool tries progressively lower quality settings until the file fits.
Will the text in my PDF still be selectable?
Not in "Compress images" mode, because pages are converted to pictures. Use "Lossless" mode if you need selectable text; it saves less space but keeps the document structure.
Why did my file get bigger instead of smaller?
Documents that are mostly vector text and already efficient can grow when turned into images. The result note warns you in that case; keep the original or try Lossless mode.
How much quality do I lose?
At the default settings text stays crisp on screen and prints acceptably on a normal office printer. At the lowest settings photos look soft and fine print may become hard to read, so check the result before sending it.
Can I compress a password-protected PDF?
No. Remove the password first with a program where you know it, save an unlocked copy and compress that. This tool never attempts to bypass protection.
Is there a file size limit?
No fixed limit, but browsers have finite memory. Files over 50 MB trigger a warning and can take several minutes; a computer works better than a phone.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes, in current versions of Safari and Chrome. Large multi-page scans are faster on a computer.
Related tools
Need custom software or document workflows for your business? Get in touch with Bilişim Ajans.