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PDF Compressor

Use our free online PDF compressor to reduce PDF file size for job applications, government forms, email attachments, online portals, and faster downloads. Compress PDFs generally or target exact sizes depending on your upload requirement.

Drop files here
or click anywhere in this box to choose files
Files deleted within 24 hours TLS-encrypted upload No sign-up required Batch compress supported

Max file size 50MB. Sign up for more.

How to Compress PDF Files Online

PDF compression works differently from image compression. Most of the file size comes from embedded images, fonts, and metadata — our tool optimizes all three.

Upload PDF Documents

Select your PDF files — scanned documents, reports, presentations, or ebooks. Encrypted and password-protected PDFs are not supported.

Select Compression Level

Choose screen quality for email sharing (smallest), ebook quality for balanced results, or printer quality to preserve maximum detail. Each level adjusts embedded image DPI and font handling.

Download Compressed PDFs

Download your optimized PDF with text, links, bookmarks, and form fields fully preserved. The document remains searchable and printable at your chosen quality level.

Why Choose Our PDF Compressor

Image Downsampling

Embedded images often account for 90%+ of PDF size. Downsampling high-res photos from 300 DPI to 150 DPI halves pixel count while staying sharp on screen.

Font Subsetting

A full font file can be 500 KB+. Subsetting keeps only the glyphs actually used in the document, often reducing font data to under 30 KB without affecting rendering.

Metadata Removal

PDFs carry hidden data: edit history, thumbnail previews, XML metadata, and duplicate objects. Stripping these can recover 5-15% of file size with no visible change.

Web-Optimized Output

Linearized PDFs rearrange internal objects so the first page loads instantly in a browser, without waiting for the entire file to download.

Email-Ready Compression

Most email providers cap attachments at 25 MB. Use screen-quality compression to get documents under the limit while keeping text perfectly readable.

Scanned Document Support

Scanned PDFs are essentially large images. Compression can reduce a 20 MB scan to under 2 MB by downsampling to 150 DPI and applying JPEG compression to embedded images.

PDF Compressor FAQ

Quick answers about compression targets, upload limits, format behavior, and the best cases for compressing PDF files.

What is a PDF compressor?

A PDF compressor reduces PDF file size so the document is easier to upload, email, store, or share.

Why do people compress PDFs online?

People usually compress PDFs to meet size limits for forms, job applications, email attachments, student portals, and cloud uploads.

Will compressing a PDF reduce readability?

It can if the target size is very small, especially for scanned or image-heavy files. Moderate compression usually keeps text readable.

Can I compress PDF to exact sizes like 100KB, 200KB, or 1MB?

Yes. Exact-size PDF compression is one of the biggest search intents because many submission systems require a file under a strict limit.

What types of PDFs compress best?

Scanned PDFs and image-heavy reports often compress the most because much of their size comes from embedded images.

Can I batch compress PDF files online?

Yes. Batch compression is useful when several files all need to be prepared for submission or storage.

Is online PDF compression safe to use?

Yes. The compressor uses temporary browser-based processing with automatic cleanup after compression.