Compress PDF
Drop a PDF here or click to choose
Choose a PDF.
Shrink a scanned or photo-heavy PDF by redrawing every page as a JPEG and building a new PDF. A text-only file often gets larger, and the words are no longer selectable.
Read the guide: Why a compressed PDF loses selectable text
How to use
- Choose a PDF. Password-protected files are refused. This tool does not remove passwords.
- Pick Smaller, Balanced, or Clearer. Clearer keeps more detail and usually makes a larger file.
- Download the new PDF and compare the sizes shown under the buttons. If the new file is bigger, keep the original.
What actually happens
Each page is painted onto a white canvas and saved as a JPEG, then placed back on a page of the same size. Photos and scans are what get smaller, because those pages are already pictures and a stronger JPEG squeeze removes detail you may not need.
A PDF made only of real text is already compact. Turning those letters into pixels often makes it bigger. Because the letters are now pixels, find, copy, and screen readers lose the text. If you still need the words, use PDF to Text or PDF to Word on the original file before you compress it.
Long pages are scaled so the long side stays around 2,400 pixels. Files over 40 pages are cut off with a warning. Split first if you need the rest.
This is not Adobe's compressor. Adobe can subset fonts and recompress streams while keeping text. This page only has what a browser can do: rasterize and rebuild. The libraries load from a CDN, so opening the tool needs a connection. The PDF itself is read in the tab.
A worked example
A 10-page scan of a signed contract, made by a phone camera, is often 8–15 MB because each page is a large photo. Balanced usually brings that kind of file down, at the cost of slightly softer type. The same settings on a 200 KB digital invoice, where the words are real text, can produce a larger file. The size comparison under the buttons is there so you can reject that result.
Smaller is the right choice for emailing a scan. Clearer is the right choice when someone still has to read small print, and you should expect less of a size cut. Neither choice puts the original text layer back.
When not to use this
- You need to search, copy, or hear the words later. Compress first and that text is gone.
- The PDF is a form you still have to fill in. Fields are flattened into the picture.
- The file is already a small export from Word or a drawing program. Keep it.
- The file has more than 40 pages. Split it, then compress each part.
Questions
Will this match Adobe's compressor?
No. Adobe can keep the text and only recompress images and fonts. This page paints each page and builds a new picture-PDF. The limit is stated on the tool, not hidden after download.
Why is my file larger?
The original was probably real text or an already-small scan. Download is still offered so you can compare. Try Smaller, or skip this tool and keep the original.
Can I compress a password-protected PDF?
No. The file is refused. This page does not remove or bypass passwords.