Reduce PDF file size significantly while maintaining readability. Custom compression levels available.
Upload the large PDF file.
Select a compression level (Extreme, Recommended, or Low Compression).
Optionally enable "Grayscale" for maximum size reduction.
Click "Compress PDF".
Download your optimized, smaller PDF file.
It rasterizes PDF pages into optimized JPEG layers using the Canvas API — highly effective for scanned documents and image-heavy PDFs. Text-heavy PDFs compress less aggressively to preserve readability.
For maximum in-browser compression, pages are converted to image layers. Text will not be selectable in the compressed output. For text-selectable compression, use a light compression level.
Yes — 100% of compression happens in your browser. Your financial, legal, or personal documents are never uploaded to any server.
Typically 50–80% reduction for image-heavy PDFs and scanned documents. Text-only PDFs may reduce by 20–40% depending on embedded fonts and graphics.
Extreme compression maximises size reduction but may reduce image sharpness. Recommended balances size and quality. Low compression is best for documents that need to remain sharp for printing.
No — password-protected PDFs cannot be read or processed until unlocked. Use the Remove PDF Password tool first, then compress.
You've finished a report, a portfolio, or a scanned document — and the upload limit says 5MB. Your file is 22MB. Sound familiar?
Most PDFs are larger than they need to be. A scanned invoice shot at 600 DPI, a contract with a high-res company logo, a brochure designed for print — all carry far more visual data than a screen (or an email inbox) will ever display. Compressing removes that excess without visibly degrading what matters.
This tool does it entirely inside your browser. Your document never travels to any server — no upload, no storage, no exposure to third parties. Load your file, choose a compression level, and download a lighter version in seconds.
Here's a realistic example from a scanned three-page contract:
| Version | File Size | Text Legible? | Image Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original scan | 18.4 MB | ✅ Yes | High (600 DPI) |
| Extreme compression | 1.2 MB | ✅ Yes | Reduced, screen-readable |
| Recommended | 3.1 MB | ✅ Yes | Good, suitable for email |
| Low compression | 7.8 MB | ✅ Yes | Near-original |
For most sharing purposes — email, web upload, messaging apps — the Recommended setting delivers an ideal balance.
The tool processes your PDF through three stages:
quality 0.3 for Extreme, 0.6 for Recommended, 0.85 for Low Compression).Grayscale mode adds an extra reduction step: before JPEG encoding, the image data is converted from three color channels (RGB) down to one. Documents that don't need color — contracts, academic submissions, internal reports — can see an additional 20–40% reduction on top.
Extreme — JPEG quality ~0.3. Maximum size reduction. Text remains legible, but fine images and diagrams show visible compression artifacts. Best for internal use, draft versions, or text-heavy scans.
Recommended — JPEG quality ~0.6. The sweet spot for most use cases. Significantly smaller, clearly readable, and realistic-looking for most document types.
Low Compression — JPEG quality ~0.85. Minimal visible ...
Looking for a more detailed deep-dive and advanced tips?
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Reduce PDF size with DPI, quality, and format controls. 100% local.
Your file is processed entirely in your browser — never uploaded