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Compress PDF File Size Online

Reduce PDF file size by converting pages to optimized images — with a clear choice of compression level.

Runs entirely in your browser — your files are never uploaded to a server.

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This tool processes your PDF entirely in your browser. Your file is never uploaded to our servers.

How It Works

1. Choose Your File

Drag & drop or select the file you want to work with.

2. Processed in Your Browser

Everything happens locally on your device — your file is never uploaded anywhere.

3. Download Your Result

Get your finished file instantly, ready to save or share.

About Compress PDF File Size Online

PDF compression works primarily by reducing the quality of embedded images and optimizing the file’s internal structure — which is exactly why a scanned document (essentially a series of images) compresses dramatically, while a purely text-based PDF barely shrinks at all, since there’s very little image data to compress in the first place.

If your PDF is large and you’re not sure why, checking whether it contains scanned pages or embedded high-resolution images is the fastest way to understand what compression will actually help with — and how much improvement to realistically expect.

Compression never affects text quality or selectability — text in a PDF is stored as actual character data, not as an image, so it stays perfectly sharp and searchable regardless of how aggressively the surrounding images are compressed.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to compress a PDF?

Choose your PDF, pick Low, Medium or High compression and download the result. Each page is converted into a compressed JPEG image and rebuilt as a new PDF, so text becomes non-selectable. It works best for scanned or image-heavy documents.

How to compress a PDF to a smaller size?

Move the slider to Low for the smallest file; Medium and High keep more detail but are larger. There is no target-size input, so you cannot ask for an exact size. Text-based or already-optimized PDFs may shrink little or even grow.

How to compress a PDF for free?

The tool is free with no signup, and the PDF is processed in your browser rather than uploaded. Because pages are rasterized into images, expect some quality loss and non-searchable text. Try the Low setting first if you need the smallest file.

Will text stay selectable after compressing?

No. Every page is turned into a JPEG image, so text can no longer be selected, copied or searched. If you need to keep selectable text, use a different method. This tool suits scans and photos rather than text documents.

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