All Converter Pro
Compress PDF Files
Compress PDF files online for free, for email, uploads and sharing. Choose between balanced quality, high quality, maximum compression and extreme reduction, and see the before-and-after file size when finished.
About this Compress PDF tool
Compress PDF reduces large PDF files by optimizing images, fonts and structure. Use balanced compression for normal documents, high quality for printable files, or maximum/extreme compression when you need the smallest possible file, for example to fit an email attachment limit. The result shows the original and compressed file sizes so you can see exactly how much space was saved.
How to use Compress PDF
- Open the tool and add your file, text or values.
- Review the available options such as page range, output format, quality, password or language.
- Start the process and keep the browser window open until it finishes.
- Download the result and continue with a related tool if needed.
Useful tips
- For scanned PDFs, tools with OCR support run text recognition automatically where possible.
- For large files, use compression tools before sharing by email or uploading to portals.
- For best results, upload clean files with the correct extension and avoid corrupted documents.
Choosing a compression level
Balanced is the recommended default for most everyday documents like contracts, reports and forms — it noticeably reduces file size while keeping images and text clear.
High quality is best when the PDF will be printed or contains detailed images such as photos or design work where quality matters more than file size.
Maximum and extreme compression are for cases where file size is the priority, such as fitting an email attachment limit or speeding up an upload on a slow connection.
Frequently asked questions
Which compression level should I use?
Balanced is best for most files. High quality keeps more detail for documents that will be printed, while maximum or extreme compression creates smaller files with more visible image quality reduction, best for email or web sharing.
Will PDF compression damage text?
Text usually remains sharp at every compression level. Image-heavy PDFs may show lower image quality depending on the selected compression level.
Can I compress scanned PDFs?
Yes. Scanned PDFs usually compress the most because they contain large page images, so this tool works especially well on scanned documents.
How much smaller will my file be?
It depends on the content. Image-heavy or scanned PDFs often shrink significantly, while text-only PDFs that are already small may see only a modest reduction. The exact percentage saved is shown after compression.
What is the maximum email attachment size for a compressed PDF?
Most email providers limit attachments to around 20-25 MB, though limits vary. Use maximum or extreme compression if your file needs to fit under a specific email or upload limit.
Is this PDF compressor free?
Yes, compressing PDF files with this tool is free, with no account required.
Are my uploaded files private?
Files are stored with unique temporary names during processing and old temporary files are cleaned automatically.
Can I use this on mobile?
Yes. The upload and conversion workflow works on desktop, tablet and mobile browsers.