Compress PDF
make it smaller

How to compress a PDF

1. Pick a level in the settings panel. Balanced is selected by default.
2. Choose your PDF or drop it on the page. Compression starts right away, and you can add several files; each one is compressed on its own.
3. Check the before and after sizes shown next to each file.
4. Press Save next to a file, or Download to save everything (several files come as one ZIP).
5. Changed the level after compressing? Press Apply to all files to run it again.

What the compression levels do

Because Balanced and Strong turn pages into pictures, text in the result can’t be selected, searched or copied, and links, bookmarks and form fields are dropped.

The tool never makes a file bigger. It compares the original, the Light version and (for Balanced or Strong) the picture version, and gives you the smallest. If your PDF is already tightly compressed, you may get it back unchanged.

• Light (keeps text, small savings): the PDF is re-saved without losing anything. Parts stored without compression get compressed, and leftovers like page thumbnails, private editing data from some apps and XMP metadata are removed (metadata stays in PDF/A files, which require it). Text, links, bookmarks and forms are kept.
• Balanced (150 dpi): every page is turned into a JPEG picture at 150 dpi. Scans and image-heavy files usually get much smaller and stay comfortable to read and print.
• Strong (100 dpi): the same, at 100 dpi and lower JPEG quality. It gives the smallest files and works well for reading on screen, but small print can look soft.

How much smaller will my PDF get?

It depends on what’s inside. PDFs saved from Word or Google Docs are mostly text and fonts and are usually small already, so there’s little to gain. PDFs made from a scanner or phone camera often store each page as a large, high-resolution picture, and Balanced or Strong can shrink those a lot. The only way to know is to try: you see the before and after sizes straight away, and you can switch levels and run it again.

Which level should I use?

• A contract, report or form you need to search or fill in: Light.
• Scanned pages or phone photos saved as PDF: Balanced. Text was already a picture, so nothing is lost but file size.
• A strict upload limit: Strong, or one of the exact-size tools (Compress PDF to 100 KB, 200 KB or 500 KB), which step the resolution and quality down until the file fits.

Common problems and fixes

• Light barely changed the size: the file is mostly images, and Light doesn’t touch images. Try Balanced.
• Text looks blurry after Strong: use Balanced instead.
• “Password-protected” message: remove the password with Unlock PDF first.
• Still too big after Strong: split the PDF with Split PDF and send it in parts, or remove pages you don’t need with Delete PDF pages.

Privacy

Pages are rendered and re-saved by your browser using pdf.js and pdf-lib. Nothing is uploaded, which matters for bank statements, IDs and medical records.