Compress PDF
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About Compress PDF
Pick a level, then compress. Lossless rewrites the file and keeps selectable text. Recommended, Strong, and Extreme draw each page as a JPEG and build a new PDF, so text is no longer selectable. Those levels are aimed at scans and photo-heavy files.
The result shows original size, new size, and percent smaller. If the new file is not meaningfully smaller, you get the original back. Stronger JPEG levels look softer. Preview the pages before you send the file.
How to use Compress PDF
- 1Drop a PDF. Page thumbnails render locally.
- 2Pick a level. Start with Recommended. Use Lossless if you still need to copy text.
- 3Click Compress PDF. Long documents show page-by-page progress.
- 4Download. Compare the size line (original to new) before you send it.
Limits and privacy
Compression stays in this browser. Nothing is uploaded. 25MB on a phone, 50MB on a desktop. No account. Password-protected PDFs cannot be opened here.
FAQs
- Will text stay selectable?
- Yes on Lossless. Recommended, Strong, and Extreme flatten each page to a JPEG, so you cannot copy text from the result.
- Why didn't the file get smaller?
- Text-only PDFs are often already compact. If the compressed file is not smaller, the original is kept. Image-heavy scans shrink the most.
- What do Strong and Extreme change?
- They draw pages at a lower resolution and heavier JPEG compression than Recommended. Preview the result. Use them for scans you only need to read, not edit.
- Is this the same as PDF to Image?
- No. Compress still gives you a PDF. PDF to Image exports JPG, PNG, or WebP files.
- Does Lossless change how the pages look?
- It rewrites the file structure. Appearance should match. It will not shrink a scan the way the JPEG levels do.