Compress PDF
Drop a PDF here or click to choose
Choose a PDF. It stays in this browser tab.
Shrink a scanned or image-heavy PDF on this device. The new file is a picture of each page, which is why the size changes and why you can no longer highlight the words.
How to use
- Choose a PDF. Password-protected files are refused. This tool does not remove passwords.
- Pick Smaller, Balanced, or Clearer. Clearer keeps more detail and usually makes a larger file.
- Download the new PDF and compare the sizes shown under the buttons.
What actually happens
The page is painted onto a white canvas and saved as a JPEG, then placed back on a page of the same size. Photos and scans are what get smaller. A PDF made only of real text is already compact, and turning those letters into pixels often makes it bigger.
Because the letters are now pixels, find, copy, and screen readers lose the text. If you still need the words, use PDF to Text or PDF to Word on the original file before you compress it.
Long pages are scaled so the long side stays around 2,400 pixels. Files over 40 pages are cut off with a warning. Split first if you need the rest.
Questions
Will this match Adobe's compressor?
No. Adobe can subset fonts and recompress streams while keeping text. This page only has what a browser can do: rasterize and rebuild. The limit is stated on the tool, not hidden after download.
Is the file uploaded?
No. pdf.js and pdf-lib run in the tab. Closing the tab drops the file. The libraries themselves load from a CDN, so you need a connection to open the tool.
Why is my file larger?
The original was probably real text or an already-small scan. Download is still offered so you can compare. Try Smaller, or skip this tool and keep the original.