About the Compress PDF
Large PDFs are hard to email and are often rejected by upload forms with limits like 1 MB, 2 MB or 5 MB. The Compress PDF tool shrinks scanned documents, photo-heavy reports, presentations and brochures by re-encoding every page as an optimized image.
Choose Low compression for the best quality, Recommended for a great balance, or Extreme for the smallest possible file. Scanned PDFs typically shrink by 50–90%. The tool shows the original and new size side by side, and if your PDF is already optimized it simply keeps the original. Because compression turns pages into images, the text in the result is no longer selectable; keep the original if you need to copy or search text.
What to expect from each level
| Level | Good for | Typical result for a scanned PDF |
|---|---|---|
| Low | Documents you will print, small text | Around 30–50% smaller |
| Recommended | Email, job portals, WhatsApp | Around 50–80% smaller |
| Extreme | Strict limits such as 500 KB or 1 MB | Up to 90% smaller, slightly softer |
Important to know
- Pages are re-saved as optimized images. That shrinks scans and photos a lot, but the text can no longer be selected or searched. Keep the original if you need that.
- A PDF made directly from Word with only text is often already small, so it may not shrink much.
- Always open the compressed file and zoom in on small print, signatures and stamps before you submit it.
Still too large? Remove pages you do not need with Delete PDF Pages, or split the file into parts with Split PDF.
How to use the Compress PDF
- Drop your PDF into the upload area.
- Choose a compression level.
- Click Compress PDF and watch the progress.
- Compare the sizes and download the compressed PDF.
Frequently asked questions
Which PDFs compress the most?
Scanned documents and PDFs with many photos. Text-only PDFs made from Word are usually already small.
Will text still be selectable?
No. Pages are converted to optimized images, so text becomes part of the image. Keep your original if you need selectable text.
Is it safe to use with confidential documents?
Yes. Your PDF is opened and processed entirely inside your browser. It is never uploaded to our servers, so contracts, bank statements and ID documents stay private.
