Compress PDF
Shrink a PDF's file size — right here in your browser. Free, no signup, no watermark, and nothing is uploaded.
Important trade-off: this tool converts every page into an image to shrink the file. Any real, selectable text in your PDF will no longer be selectable or searchable afterward. It's a great fit for scanned documents and photo-heavy PDFs that are already images — a poor fit for text documents where you need to keep the text selectable. See "Who this is for" below before you compress.
Up to 50 MB · compressed on your device, nothing uploaded.
This PDF has real, selectable text. Compressing will convert every page to an image — the text will no longer be selectable or searchable. Proceed only if you are OK with that trade-off.
Choose a PDF to begin.
Don't take our word for it — prove it: turn on airplane mode, or unplug your Wi-Fi, before you compress. It still works with zero network connection, because your PDF is read, rendered, and rebuilt entirely on your device — nothing is sent anywhere.
How this PDF compressor works — and its one big trade-off
Click the box above to choose a PDF, or drag one straight in. Pick a compression level, click Compress PDF, and your browser renders every page as a JPEG image and rebuilds a new, smaller PDF from those images — all locally, with a progress message showing which page it's on.
Read this before you compress: because every page becomes an image, any real text in your original PDF (the kind you could normally click and drag to select, or search with Ctrl/Cmd+F) is gone after compression — it's now just pixels that happen to look like text. This is unavoidable with an image-based compressor; it isn't a bug. If your PDF has a scanned page or a photo, there was no selectable text to lose in the first place, so this trade-off costs you nothing.
Before compressing, the tool quickly checks the first few pages for real text. If it finds a meaningful amount, it shows a warning so you can decide with full information — it never blocks you from proceeding, it just won't let the trade-off be a surprise.
When it's done, you'll see your original file size and the new file size side by side, with the real percentage saved — calculated from the actual bytes, never estimated. If a file was already efficient and the "compressed" version isn't actually smaller, it says so plainly instead of dressing up a non-win as a win.
Who this is for
Scanned documents and receipts. A scanned form, a photographed receipt, or an image-only PDF is already just pictures of pages — there's no selectable text to lose, so this tool is a clean fit.
Email attachment limits. Many inboxes cap attachments around 20–25 MB. Shrinking a large PDF before sending it is a common, low-stakes use case even when the file does contain some text.
Archiving large, photo-heavy PDFs. Reports or portfolios stuffed with high-resolution photos can be shrunk a lot without much visible quality loss, since the source images were already large before this tool touches them.
Not a good fit: if your PDF is a contract, report, resume, or anything else where people need to select, copy, or search the text, don't run it through this tool — you'll get a smaller file but lose that text permanently. Instead, go back to whatever created the PDF (Word, Google Docs, your browser's Print → Save as PDF) and export a new, appropriately-sized PDF from the source document.
How does this compare to other free PDF compressors?
Every comparison below is a factual, checkable claim about how each tool works today — not a knock on the competition.
| Compressor | Preserves selectable text? | Runs in your browser | Free limits | Signup |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tools Berry | No — always converts pages to images | Yes, client-side only | 50 MB, no page-count limit | No |
| PDF Edit | Yes, on its Light/Recommended/Strong presets (re-encodes embedded images only); only its opt-in Extreme preset rasterizes | Yes, client-side only | Not stated ("only limit is your device memory") | No |
| ExactPDF | Not stated either way — offers 3 opaque levels (Light/Medium/Heavy) | Claims local processing ("files never leave your device") | Up to 150 MB; no page-count limit stated | No |
| Sejda | Not stated either way | No — files are uploaded, deleted after 2 hours | 200 pages or 100 MB; 3 tasks per hour on the free tier | Not required for free tier |
| iLovePDF | Not stated either way | Not stated on-page; three quality presets offered (Extreme/Recommended/Less compression) | Not published | Not required, but sign-in is offered |
The one gap worth calling out honestly: PDF Edit's default presets re-encode only the images already embedded in a PDF and leave real text untouched, reserving full rasterization for an opt-in "Extreme" setting. This tool always rasterizes every page — there's no lighter, text-preserving mode (yet). If preserving selectable text matters, this isn't the right tool for that file.
Frequently asked questions
Is this PDF compressor free?
Yes — completely free, with no signup and no watermark on the result.
Are my files uploaded anywhere?
No. Compression runs entirely in your browser, so your PDF never leaves your device. Nothing is uploaded, stored, or logged.
How much smaller will my file get?
It depends on the PDF and the level you pick. Scanned or photo-heavy PDFs usually shrink a lot, since their pages are already large images being re-encoded at a lower quality. PDFs that are mostly text and already small may not shrink at all — if that happens, this tool tells you honestly instead of pretending the result is smaller.
Will I lose my selectable text?
Yes. This tool converts every page into a JPEG image and rebuilds the PDF from those images. Any real, selectable, searchable text in your original file will no longer be selectable or searchable afterward — it becomes part of a picture. If keeping selectable text matters, don't use this tool on that file.
Is there a size or page limit?
The file size limit is 50 MB. There is no fixed page-count limit — the practical ceiling is how much memory your device and browser have available, since every page is rendered locally.
Does it work with no internet connection?
Yes. Once the page has loaded, turn on airplane mode or unplug your Wi-Fi — compression still works, because your PDF is read, rendered, and rebuilt entirely on your device.
What happens if my PDF is password-protected?
You'll see a clear message asking you to remove the password first. Password-protected PDFs can't be read in the browser, so there's nothing to compress until the password is removed.
What do the compression levels mean?
Each level renders every page at a different resolution and JPEG quality: Smaller file uses 100 DPI at 50% JPEG quality for the smallest result; Balanced uses 120 DPI at 65% quality; Higher quality uses 150 DPI at 80% quality, which keeps small text more legible after compression at the cost of a bigger file.