What is a PDF Compressor?
PDFs balloon when they contain large photos or scans. This compressor re-renders each page at a resolution and image quality you choose, typically cutting scanned documents to a fraction of their size.
Because compression re-renders pages as images, the output is ideal for sharing and archiving. For contracts that must keep selectable text, compress only when the size limit truly demands it.
Scanned documents are the classic case: a 10-page scan at 300 DPI easily exceeds 20 MB, while email caps sit at 25 MB and many government portals at 1-5 MB. Re-rendering at a sensible resolution and JPEG quality typically brings scans down 60-90% while staying perfectly readable on screen.
How to use the PDF Compressor
- Drop a PDF onto the tool.
- Pick a compression level (higher compression = smaller file, softer detail).
- Press Compress and compare the size before downloading.
Frequently asked questions
Which level should I pick for email?
Balanced handles most cases — a 20 MB scan usually lands well under 5 MB. Use Strong for strict portal limits, Light when the document has fine print or detailed diagrams.
Why did my text-only PDF barely shrink?
PDFs that are mostly text are already tiny per page — there is little image data to squeeze. Compression pays off on scans and photo-heavy documents.
Is my PDF uploaded to your server?
No — the whole pipeline (reading, re-rendering, rebuilding) runs inside your browser.
Will text stay selectable?
No — pages are re-rendered as images to achieve strong compression, so text becomes part of the page image. Use it when file size matters more than selectable text.
How much smaller will my PDF get?
Scanned and photo-heavy PDFs often shrink 60–90%. PDFs that are already mostly text compress less because there is little image data to squeeze.
Is there a page limit?
No fixed limit — very large documents just take longer since every page is processed on your device.