Compress PDF file size online

Shrink your PDF to a smaller file size for exam uploads and email — free and entirely in your browser.

📁 Drop a PDF here, or click to choose

Best for scanned documents and image-heavy PDFs (the kind exam portals reject for size).

Compress in 3 simple steps

1

Pick a level

Light, Recommended or Strong compression.

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2

Upload your PDF

Choose the PDF you want to shrink.

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3

Download

See the before/after size and save the smaller PDF.

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Why use this PDF compressor

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Big savings

Scanned and image-heavy PDFs often shrink by 40–80%.

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Adjustable

Choose how hard to compress to balance size and clarity.

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Private

Compression runs in your browser; your file is never uploaded.

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Beat upload limits

Get under the maximum size a form or email allows.

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Free

No watermark and no sign-up.

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Works with tools

Merge or convert first, then compress the final PDF.

Get your PDF under the upload limit

Exam portals, job applications and email attachments all enforce a maximum file size, and scanned documents easily blow past it. This tool compresses your PDF by re-encoding its pages, often cutting the size dramatically while keeping it readable — so a 5 MB scan can drop to a few hundred KB.

Choose Recommended for a balance of size and clarity, or Strong when you must hit a tight limit. The whole process runs in your browser, so your document is never uploaded. It works best on scanned and image-heavy PDFs, which are usually the ones that exceed size limits.

Frequently asked questions

How much can it reduce my PDF?
For scanned or image-heavy PDFs, savings of 40–80% are common. PDFs that are already small or pure text may compress less.
How do I compress a PDF to upload it on a form?
Pick a compression level (Recommended works for most files), upload your PDF, and download the smaller version. If you need it even smaller, choose ‘Strong’.
Are my files uploaded?
No. Compression runs in your browser, so your document never leaves your device.
Why did my text PDF not shrink much?
This tool is optimised for scanned and image-based PDFs, which are usually the ones that exceed size limits. A small, text-only PDF is already efficient and has little to compress.
Is it free?
Yes — free to use with no watermark and no sign-up.

Make any PDF upload-ready

Compress, merge and convert your documents — free and private.