PDF Compress

Reduce PDF file size with browser-side optimization.

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Quick Tip

Select the PDF you want to shrink.

About This Tool

Why use PDF Compress?

Rebuild a PDF's internal structure to make the file smaller. The document is loaded with pdf-lib and saved again using object streams, which packs the PDF's objects together and strips the slack that editors, form tools and repeated saves leave behind. The tool shows the before and after size, so you can see what was actually saved.

Be realistic about how much this can do. The savings come from structure, not from re-encoding the page content, so text-heavy PDFs and files that have been edited many times can shrink noticeably, while a PDF that is mostly scanned photographs will barely move — nearly all of its weight is in the images. If a scan is your problem, lowering the scan resolution at source is what actually helps.

Key Benefits

Honest before and after

The original and compressed sizes are both shown, so you can tell whether the result is worth downloading rather than guessing.

Text and pages untouched

Only the file's internal structure is repacked. Nothing is re-encoded, so text stays selectable and pages look exactly the same.

No upload

The document never leaves your browser, unlike compression services that require you to upload the file first.

How to use PDF Compress

1
Select the PDF you want to shrink.
2
Compress, and the document is rebuilt with object streams.
3
Compare the original and new sizes shown on screen.
4
Download it if the saving is worthwhile; if it barely changed, the file is image-heavy and needs re-scanning instead.

Best use cases

Get a PDF under an email or portal attachment limit.

Tidy a file that has grown after repeated edits and form fills.

Reduce the size of a document before publishing it for download.

Cut storage for a large archive of text-based PDFs.

PDF Compress FAQs

Why did my file barely get smaller?

Because its size is in its images. This tool repacks the PDF's structure and does not re-encode page images, so a scanned document has little to give. Re-scan at a lower resolution, or reduce image quality before creating the PDF.

Does compressing lose quality?

No. Nothing on the pages is re-encoded — only the file's internal object structure is rebuilt, so text and images are unchanged.

What kind of PDF compresses best?

Text-heavy documents, files exported from office software, and PDFs that have been edited or filled in repeatedly, where redundant objects have accumulated.

Is the file uploaded to compress it?

No. The rebuild happens in your browser, so the PDF stays on your device throughout.