Compress PDF — Reduce File Size
Shrink a PDF to a smaller file size, or hit an exact target like “under 200 KB” for upload forms. Free, no watermark — and your file is compressed on your device, never uploaded.
Note: compression converts pages to high-resolution images, so text in the output is no longer selectable. This achieves the biggest size reduction for scanned and image-heavy PDFs.
How to use
- 1Choose the PDF you want to shrink.
- 2Pick a compression level — Balanced works for most documents.
- 3Optionally enter a target size in KB if an upload form has a strict limit.
- 4Click “Compress PDF” and the smaller file downloads automatically.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I compress a PDF to a specific size like 200 KB?
Enter the target size in the “Target max size” field. The tool automatically lowers the compression quality step by step until the file fits under your target, and tells you if the target is not achievable.
Is my PDF uploaded to a server?
No. Compression runs entirely inside your browser — your document never leaves your device.
Why is the text not selectable in the compressed PDF?
To achieve maximum compression, each page is converted into an optimized image. This gives the biggest size reduction — especially for scanned documents — but text can no longer be selected or searched. Keep the original if you need selectable text.
What kind of PDFs compress best?
Scanned documents and PDFs full of photos compress dramatically. PDFs that are already mostly plain text are small to begin with and may not shrink much further.