Most oversized PDFs are big because of images: scanned pages saved at high resolution, photos dropped into a report, or slides exported with full-size pictures. Compress PDF recompresses and downsamples those images with Ghostscript and cleans up redundant data, which is usually where the biggest savings are.
Choose a level to match your goal. Recommended is a good balance for sharing on screen. Low keeps images closer to the original, which suits documents that will be printed. Extreme reduces resolution aggressively and is best when you must get under a strict upload limit and only need the document to be readable.
Your file is uploaded securely over HTTPS, processed on our servers and deleted automatically within an hour. You can also delete it immediately after downloading. Note that a PDF that is mostly text, or that has already been optimized, may not get much smaller.
How to Compress PDF
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1
Upload your PDF
Select the file you want to make smaller.
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2
Choose a level
Pick low, recommended or extreme compression.
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3
Compress
The file is processed on our servers; you'll see the before and after size.
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4
Download
Save the smaller PDF, then delete it from our server if you like.
Features
Three compression levels
Trade file size against image quality depending on whether the PDF will be printed, viewed on screen or just needs to fit an upload limit.
Image downsampling
High-resolution images are reduced to a sensible resolution for the chosen level and recompressed.
Text stays sharp
Text and vector graphics are kept as they are, so they remain crisp and selectable.
Short retention
Uploaded files are deleted automatically within 60 minutes and download links expire after 30 minutes.
Good to know
- Text-only PDFs and files that are already optimized may shrink very little.
- Extreme compression visibly lowers image quality; check the result before sending important documents.
- Maximum 100 MB and 500 pages per file. Password-protected PDFs must be unlocked first.
Frequently asked questions
Why didn't my PDF get much smaller?
Compression mainly works on images. If your PDF is mostly text, or images were already compressed when it was created, there is little left to remove.
Which compression level should I choose?
Start with recommended. Use low if the document will be printed or contains detailed photos, and extreme only when you need the smallest possible file and can accept softer images.
Will compression make my text blurry?
No. Text and vector drawings are not downsampled. Only raster images are affected.
What is the maximum file size?
You can compress PDFs up to 100 MB and 500 pages.
What happens to my file after compression?
It is processed in an isolated worker and deleted automatically within an hour. Download links expire after 30 minutes, and you can delete the file right away after downloading.