How much smaller will my compressed PDF be?

Compression results vary significantly based on the original file's content and how it was created. PDFs with redundant structures, unoptimized images, or duplicate embedded fonts typically see 30-60% size reductions. Documents that were already optimized by professional publishing software may only shrink by 10-20%. Scanned documents with large images often show the most dramatic improvements. After uploading, you'll see the projected compressed size before committing to the download.

Will compression make my PDF look blurry or degrade image quality?

Our compression focuses on removing redundant data and optimizing internal structures rather than aggressively recompressing images. Text remains crisp and fully searchable. For most business documents—contracts, reports, presentations—there's no visible quality difference. Documents containing high-resolution photographs may see some quality reduction in those images, but it's typically subtle. You can preview the compressed result before downloading to verify it meets your needs.

Can I compress a scanned PDF document?

Yes, and scanned PDFs often benefit the most from compression. Scanners frequently create PDFs with unoptimized image data, excessive resolution, or inefficient compression settings. Our tool re-optimizes this data while maintaining readability. A 50MB scanned contract might compress to 15MB without any noticeable difference in the scanned text. If your scanned document needs OCR (text recognition), consider running that first before compression.

Why is my PDF so large in the first place?

PDFs become bloated for several reasons: embedded high-resolution images that exceed what's needed for viewing, duplicate fonts or resources, inefficient internal structures from older PDF software, or scans at unnecessarily high DPI settings. Documents that went through multiple editing passes in different programs often accumulate redundant data. Our compressor addresses all these issues by rebuilding the PDF structure efficiently.

Compress PDF

How To Compress PDF Online for Free

Upload Your PDF

Drag and drop or browse to select the PDF file you want to compress. The tool analyzes your document's structure and content.

Preview Compression Results

See the original file size and projected compressed size before proceeding. This lets you know exactly how much space you'll save.

Download Your Smaller PDF

Click compress and download your optimized file instantly. Ready to attach to emails, upload to portals, or store efficiently.

Shrink oversized PDF files for easier email attachment, faster uploads, and reduced storage consumption—all without sacrificing document quality. Our browser-based compressor intelligently removes redundant data structures, optimizes internal object storage, and streamlines embedded resources to achieve significant file size reductions. The entire compression process runs locally on your device using WebAssembly technology, so your financial reports, legal contracts, and confidential documents never leave your computer. Whether you're dealing with a bloated scanned document, an image-heavy presentation, or a PDF that's just too large for email, our compressor makes it manageable while keeping text sharp and images clear.

Everything You Need in a Compress PDF

Intelligent compression that

Intelligent compression that targets redundant data without degrading content

Removes duplicate embedded

Removes duplicate embedded resources and optimizes object storage

Preserves text searchability

Preserves text searchability and font rendering quality

Preview both original

Preview both original and compressed file sizes before downloading

Works with any

Works with any PDF type: scanned documents, digital files, or mixed content

No visible quality

No visible quality degradation for text-heavy business documents

Frequently Asked Questions

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Process your PDFs with our collection of free, privacy-first tools. No uploads to servers, no registration required. Everything runs directly in your browser.