How to use it
- Choose or drop the PDF you want to make smaller.
- Pick a level: Basic, Recommended, Strong, or Target size in KB.
- Press Compress PDF and wait while the pages are processed.
- Check the new size, then press Download compressed PDF.
Which compression level should I choose?
| Level | What it does | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | Re-packs the PDF more efficiently without changing any page | Text documents where you need to keep the text selectable |
| Recommended | Turns each page into a clear image at about 108 dpi | Scans, photos and email attachments |
| Strong | Turns each page into a lighter image at 72 dpi | Upload forms with tight limits, reading on screen |
| Target size | Lowers quality step by step until the file fits your limit | Forms that ask for a PDF under 100KB, 200KB or 500KB |
Why are some PDFs so large?
A PDF made on a phone scanner or from photos stores each page as a full-resolution picture, often several megabytes each. A ten-page scan can easily pass email limits. Turning those pictures into lighter JPEG images at screen resolution removes detail nobody sees, which is why scanned PDFs often shrink the most.
How to make a PDF smaller on Windows, Mac or a phone
The steps are the same everywhere because the tool runs in your browser: open this page, choose the PDF, pick a level and download the result. You do not need Adobe Acrobat or an app, and the file is not uploaded.
Size limits you may need to meet
- Email: Gmail allows attachments up to 25 MB; see our email attachment size limit guide for other services.
- Job, exam and visa portals often ask for documents under 100KB to 2MB. Use Target size and check the result opens clearly before uploading.
To join several compressed files into one, use Merge PDF. If you need a page as an image instead, use PDF to JPG.
Popular sizes
Frequently asked questions
How do I compress a PDF?
Choose your PDF above, pick Recommended, and press Compress PDF. The tool shows the old and new size before you download, so you can try another level if the file is still too big.
Will the text in my PDF stay selectable?
With Basic, yes: the PDF is only re-packed more efficiently. Recommended, Strong and Target size turn each page into a compressed image, so the text can still be read and printed but can no longer be selected or searched.
How do I compress a PDF to 100KB or 200KB?
Choose Target size, type the limit in KB, and press Compress PDF. The tool lowers the image quality step by step until the file fits. If it cannot reach the limit without the pages becoming unreadable, it tells you and gives you the smallest version it made.
Why did my PDF hardly get smaller?
PDFs made from text, such as documents exported from Word, are usually small already, and most of their size is fonts. Compression helps most with scanned pages and photos. Try Strong or Target size if Basic did not help.
Is my PDF uploaded anywhere?
No. The PDF is read and rebuilt in your browser with the open-source pdf.js and pdf-lib libraries, so it never leaves your device.
Can I compress a password-protected PDF?
Not at the moment. Remove the password in your PDF reader first, then compress it.
How do I make a PDF smaller on a Mac?
Use the tool above in Safari or Chrome. Alternatively, open the PDF in Preview, choose File > Export, and set Quartz Filter to Reduce File Size. Preview's filter often makes pages very blurry, so check the result before sending it.
How do I make a PDF smaller to email?
Choose Recommended, compress the file and check the new size. Most email services accept attachments up to 20 to 25 MB, so a scanned PDF that was too large usually fits after compression.
Can I compress a PDF on my phone?
Yes. Open this page in your phone's browser, choose the PDF from your files and press Compress PDF. It works on Android and iPhone without installing an app.
Does zipping a PDF make it smaller?
Usually only by a few percent, because the images and text inside a PDF are already compressed. Compressing the PDF itself, as this tool does, makes a much bigger difference.
Can I reduce PDF size without losing quality?
Use Basic: it changes only how the file is stored, so nothing on the pages changes. It saves the most on PDFs built by older software. Larger savings always need lower image quality.
Last updated · Built and checked by Moeed Hussain