Compress a PDF
Shrink a PDF's file size for easier sharing. Everything runs on your device: your file is never sent to a server.
This works by re-rendering each page as a compressed image. It's great for scanned documents and photo-heavy PDFs, but the text will no longer be selectable or searchable afterward. For text-based PDFs you want to keep searchable, this isn't the right tool.
Drag your PDF file here
or choose from your computer
Preparing…
How it works
- Each page is rendered with pdf.js at a resolution tied to your chosen level, then re-encoded as a JPEG and rebuilt into a new PDF with pdf-lib, at the same page size as the original.
- This is a real tradeoff, not free compression: lower levels mean a smaller file but blurrier text and images. Try "Balanced" first.
- Nothing is uploaded. Compression happens entirely in this browser tab.
Frequently asked questions
How much smaller will my PDF get?
It depends on the file. Scanned and image-heavy PDFs shrink the most; already-small text-only PDFs may not shrink at all, and the tool tells you so honestly. A live estimate updates as you move the quality slider, before you download anything.
Will the text stay selectable after compressing?
No. Compression works by re-rendering each page as a compressed image, so text stops being selectable and searchable. For text PDFs you want to keep searchable, this is the wrong tool.
Can I control the quality level?
Yes. A continuous slider trades file size against sharpness, with a live estimated output size so you can pick the balance you want.