What kind of PDF does this compress best?

Scanned documents and image-heavy PDFs, where the file size is dominated by images. Text-only PDFs are already stored very efficiently, so there's usually little or nothing to compress.

Why was my file returned unchanged (or could it get bigger)?

If your PDF is mostly text, re-encoding its pages wouldn't make it smaller, so we return the original untouched rather than hand back a larger file. That's expected for text-based documents.

Will the text still be selectable after compressing?

When compression does apply, pages are re-encoded as optimized images, so text becomes part of the image rather than selectable text. Pick a higher-quality preset if crispness matters most.

Is my file kept after compression?

No. The upload is processed on a secure server and deleted right away; the result is also removed automatically after a short period.

Compress scanned & image PDFs

Best for scanned documents and image-heavy PDFs: it re-encodes page images at a screen, ebook, or print quality preset to reduce file size. Text-only PDFs are usually already optimized — if compression wouldn't help, your file is returned unchanged. Processed securely on the server and auto-deleted after a short period.

Drop pdf file here, or click to browseMax 100 MB per file

How to compress pdf

Upload the PDF you want to compress.
Pick a quality preset.
Click Compress and download the smaller file.

Frequently asked questions

What kind of PDF does this compress best?: Scanned documents and image-heavy PDFs, where the file size is dominated by images. Text-only PDFs are already stored very efficiently, so there's usually little or nothing to compress.
Why was my file returned unchanged (or could it get bigger)?: If your PDF is mostly text, re-encoding its pages wouldn't make it smaller, so we return the original untouched rather than hand back a larger file. That's expected for text-based documents.
Will the text still be selectable after compressing?: When compression does apply, pages are re-encoded as optimized images, so text becomes part of the image rather than selectable text. Pick a higher-quality preset if crispness matters most.
Is my file kept after compression?: No. The upload is processed on a secure server and deleted right away; the result is also removed automatically after a short period.