What is a PDF Compressor?
A PDF compressor shrinks the file size of a PDF so it is easier to email, upload to a government or job portal, store, or share. Big files are usually packed with high-resolution images, embedded fonts, and hidden metadata you never see. A compressor trims all of that weight so the document still looks right but takes up far less space.
How to Compress a PDF
- Drag and drop your PDF into the box above, or click to browse files.
- Choose a mode. Balanced keeps your text selectable and removes hidden data. Exact size lets you type a target in KB or MB, or pick a quick preset.
- Click Compress PDF and wait a moment while the tool works in your browser.
- Download the result and check the size before you upload it anywhere.
Why Use This PDF Compressor?
- 100% private – every file is processed in your browser and never uploaded to a server.
- Exact size control – hit a specific KB or MB target for forms, admissions, visa applications and email attachments.
- Two modes – use Balanced for clean, searchable documents or Exact size for scanned and image-heavy files.
- No software to install – everything runs on this page.
- Free and unlimited – no signup, no watermarks, no daily limits.
What Compression Ratio Can I Expect?
Scanned PDFs and image-heavy reports often shrink by 50-80% because their size lives in the pictures. Text-based documents are already efficient and usually lose 5-20%. In Exact size mode you decide the target, and the tool works toward it as far as your browser allows.
Which Files Should I Compress?
- Government and job application forms with strict size limits.
- Bank statements, salary slips and rent receipts for loan applications.
- Mark sheets, resumes and certificates for admissions and visas.
- Any PDF that is too large to attach to an email.
Tips for the Best Results
- Use Balanced mode for documents where you want to copy or search the text later.
- Use Exact size mode and pick a target slightly under the portal’s limit so you stay safely inside it.
- For scanned pages, a larger target keeps the pages readable. Very small targets can soften dense scans.
- Download and open the compressed file once before you submit it anywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it is completely free with no limits and no account required. Compress as many PDFs as you like, as often as you like.
Yes. Choose the Exact size mode and enter the target in KB or MB, or tap a quick preset such as 100 KB, 200 KB, 500 KB or 2 MB. The tool keeps working until your file lands at or under that target.
No. Every file is processed locally in your browser. Your PDF never leaves your device, so you can safely compress personal or official documents.
The Balanced mode only removes hidden metadata and rebuilds the file more efficiently, so text stays sharp and selectable. The Exact size mode re-renders pages at a lower resolution to hit the target, which can soften dense scans if you pick a very small size.
In Balanced mode, yes. In Exact size mode the pages may be re-rendered as images to reach a very small target, which makes the text part of the picture and no longer selectable.
Scanned documents and image-heavy PDFs usually shrink the most because most of their size lives in the pictures. Text-only PDFs are already efficient and usually lose only a little weight.
Files up to 25 MB are supported, and documents with up to 300 pages can be processed. Larger files may work but could be slow on an older device.