Compress a PDF — without uploading it

Too big for a 5 MB email limit or an upload cap? Shrink your PDF right here in your browser. No sign-up, no watermark, and the file never leaves your device.

How to compress a PDF

1. Open the Compress PDF tool and drop your PDF in (or click to choose it).
2. Pick a level. Strong gives the smallest file, Balanced is the sweet spot, Light keeps the most quality.
3. Download. You'll see the original size, the new size, and the percentage saved.

Why PDFs get large — and what compression does

Most oversized PDFs are heavy because of images and scans. This tool re-renders each page as a compressed JPEG at a lower resolution and rebuilds the PDF, which is what shrinks the file. The trade-off: the result is image-based, so text is no longer selectable and OCR is lost. For documents you only need to read, email or upload, that's usually a perfect trade.

When to use a different approach

If you need selectable text, form fields, or a fully searchable document, don't compress to images — re-export from the original source at 150–200 DPI instead. Only need part of the document? Delete the pages you don't need first to save even more.

Frequently asked questions

Is my PDF uploaded to a server?

No. Compression runs entirely in your browser. See our privacy policy.

How do I get a PDF under 5 MB?

Use Balanced or Strong and check the reported new size. If it's still too big, delete unneeded pages first, then compress.

Will the text still be selectable?

No — pages become compressed images. If you need selectable text, re-export from the source at a lower DPI.