Compress PDF — Reduce PDF File Size in Your Browser
Most oversized PDFs are large because of the images inside them, not the text. This tool finds every embedded image, re-encodes it at a lower resolution and quality, and rebuilds the document around the smaller versions — which is why scanned and photo-heavy files shrink dramatically while text-only files barely change.
How to compress pdf in your browser
- 1Add the PDF you want to shrink using the box above.
- 2Click Compress PDF. Each embedded image is decoded, resized, and re-encoded as JPEG on your device.
- 3Download the smaller file. If nothing could be compressed further, you will be told rather than handed an identical file.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much smaller will my PDF get?
It depends almost entirely on images. Scanned documents and image-heavy presentations commonly drop 60-90%. A text-only PDF may barely change, because text and fonts are already stored very efficiently and there is little left to squeeze.
Will compressing make my PDF blurry?
Images are re-encoded at reduced resolution and quality, so there is some visible loss on close inspection — that is the trade-off that makes the file smaller. Text and vector graphics are untouched and stay perfectly sharp at any zoom level.
Why did my file barely shrink?
Either it contains little or no image data, or its images use a format we cannot safely re-encode in the browser (some scanned fax and JBIG2 pages fall into this category). In those cases the tool tells you rather than returning a file that is the same size.
Does compressing remove text or make the PDF unsearchable?
No. Text content, fonts, and the document structure are preserved exactly. Only embedded raster images are re-encoded, so search and copy/paste keep working.
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. This tool runs entirely inside your browser using WebAssembly — your file is never uploaded, never stored on a server, and never seen by us. You can confirm it by opening your browser's Network tab while the tool runs, or by disconnecting from the internet after the page loads: it still works.