Compress PDF, free, without uploading it
Make a PDF small enough for email or an upload form. Choose a level, or type a size such as 2 MB and the photos inside are re-compressed until the file fits. It all happens in this browser tab.
Drop PDF files here
PDF · up to 20 files, 100 MB each
Your files never leave your device: they are processed right here, in this browser tab.
How to compress a PDF
- 1
Add your PDFs
Drop them on the box or choose them. Nothing is uploaded: only this tab reads the files.
- 2
Pick a level or a size
Recommended suits most files. For a form with a limit, choose Target size and enter it, for example 500 KB.
- 3
Download
Compare the new size with the old one and download each file, or all of them as a ZIP.
Why this tool
Private by design
Files are processed in your browser with WebAssembly. Nothing is uploaded, stored or seen by anyone else.
No upload, no queue
Your file is never sent anywhere, so even a large one starts at once. The speed depends on your device.
Free, no account
No sign-up, no watermark and no daily limit. Up to 20 files at a time, 100 MB each.
Doing this often? Use the app
The File Acture app does Compress PDF for whole folders at once, works without internet and brings 21 tools for PDFs, images and archives.
File Acture: the same jobs for whole folders, offline, on your computer
Free to try · runs on your device
Questions
Is it safe to compress a PDF here?
Yes. The compression runs in your browser with WebAssembly (qpdf and MozJPEG), so the PDF is never sent to a server and no copy of it exists anywhere but on your device. Your browser's network panel shows that no file goes out.
How much smaller will my PDF get?
It depends on what is inside. Scans and PDFs with photos often shrink to a fraction of their size, because their images are re-compressed and scaled to a sensible resolution. A PDF made only of text and vector drawings is already compact and usually shrinks only a little.
Can I compress a PDF to an exact size, such as 1 MB or 200 KB?
Yes. Choose Target size and enter the limit; the tool picks the best photo quality that still fits. If the text and fonts alone are larger than the limit, it can't get there: it tells you so and gives you the smallest file it could make.
Will the text and pages change?
No. Text, fonts, links and vector graphics stay exactly as they were; only photos and scanned pages are re-compressed. Light keeps them closest to the original, Strong makes the smallest file.
Why can't it open my password-protected PDF?
A PDF that needs a password to open can't be read here. Remove the password first (the File Acture app does it with Unlock PDF), then compress the file.