Document Tools · Compress PDF

Compress a PDF

Bring a bulky PDF down to a smaller file size that's easier to email or upload — choose how much to compress, then download.

Drop a PDF here, or click to choose one
Works best on PDFs full of scanned pages or images
🔒 Your PDF is compressed locally in your browser using canvas rendering — nothing is uploaded to a server.

How it works

01

Add your PDF

Drop in the file you want to shrink.

02

Pick a compression level

Low keeps the most detail, Strong gives the smallest possible file.

03

Download the result

See the size saved, then grab your compressed PDF.

Shrinking a PDF locally, without an upload queue

A PDF full of scanned pages or embedded photos can easily balloon past what an email attachment or web form allows. This tool re-renders each page as an optimised image at your chosen quality and resolution, then rebuilds a smaller PDF from the result — the same core approach most compressors use for image-heavy files, but running locally instead of through an upload.

Because pages are flattened into images during this process, the text is no longer selectable afterward, which is why this tool is best suited to scanned documents and photo-heavy PDFs rather than plain text reports — for those, shrinking is rarely necessary in the first place since text-based PDFs are already small.

Common uses: getting a scanned application form under an email attachment limit, shrinking a photo-heavy portfolio PDF, or compressing a large report before uploading it to a form with a size cap. If you need to combine multiple files first, Merge, Split & Rotate PDF handles that before compression.

Frequently asked

How does the compression work?

Each page is re-rendered as an optimized JPEG at your chosen resolution and quality, then rebuilt into a new PDF — the same approach most compressors use for image-heavy files.

Will the text still be selectable afterward?

No — pages become flattened images, so text can no longer be selected or searched. This tool is best for scanned documents, photo-heavy PDFs, or files you just need to shrink for sharing.

Why didn't my file get much smaller?

PDFs that are already mostly plain text, or already lightly compressed, may see only a small size reduction — try the Strong setting for a bigger drop.

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