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Compress PDF Online

Make a PDF smaller so it fits an email or an upload limit. Choose a quality level, or type the exact size a form demands, such as 200 KB. Nothing is uploaded.

  • Free
  • No signup
  • Nothing uploaded
  • No watermark

Drop files here

PDF file · read on your device, never uploaded

Pick a target size, such as 100 KB, 200 KB, 500 KB or your own figure, and the right setting is found for you. Works best on scans and PDFs full of photos. A PDF that is only text will not get much smaller.

Processed entirely on your device. Nothing was uploaded.

How to Reduce PDF File Size Online

Compress PDF Online: before and after PDF A BEFORE COMPRESS PDF PDF A AFTER

Upload boxes are strict. A scholarship portal accepts 200 KB, a job site 2 MB, and an email bounces anything over 25 MB. Scans made on a phone are often many times those limits, and simply trying again does not help.

This compressor gives you two ways in. "Quality level" offers Strong, Balanced and Light presets, plus a slider, and shows an estimated size before you press anything. "Target file size" lets you pick a preset from 100 KB up to 5 MB, or type your own figure, and the tool searches for the best quality that fits.

It always tries the gentle route first, slimming down photos and scans embedded in the document and leaving typed words untouched. Only if that is not enough are pages redrawn as images, and even then a hidden text layer keeps the words searchable. You never receive a file bigger than the one you started with.

No software to install Free Works on any device

Compress a PDF in Six Steps

Most people only need the first, fourth and sixth steps.

  1. 1. Choose one or more PDFs

    Press Choose files or drop them in. With one file you see its name, page count and size. With several, each is compressed with the same settings and they come back together in one ZIP.

  2. 2. Pick how to compress

    Under "Compress by", choose between the two approaches: a general quality setting, or an exact size you must stay under.

    Quality levelTarget file size

  3. 3. Using a quality level

    Select a preset and watch the estimated size update. Moving the slider switches to Custom. The estimate is worked out from your first page, so treat it as a close guide.

    Strong: smallest fileBalanced: recommendedLight: best quality

  4. 4. Using a target size

    Tap a preset or type a number in KB. A hint states the lowest size your document can realistically reach, and when you ask for less, a "Use … KB instead" button appears.

    Good to know:

    • Presets bigger than your file are greyed out.
    • A target above the current size is refused, since there is nothing to shrink.

  5. 5. Consider greyscale

    Turn on "Convert to greyscale" for scanned text documents. Removing colour makes them much smaller and they usually stay perfectly readable.

  6. 6. Press Compress PDF

    The lighter copy saves with "-compressed" in its name, beside a before-versus-after size comparison. When a target proved impossible, the best attempt is shown first and downloading it is your call.

No .pdf file to hand? Download a sample PDF file (6.3 KB) and try it.

Try it now

What Is PDF Compression?

PDF compression makes a document take up less storage space. Most of the weight in a typical PDF comes from pictures: photos, logos and above all scanned pages. Lightening those pictures shrinks the file while the words stay as they are.

Scanned documents are different, because every page is one big picture. For those, the page is redrawn at a lower resolution and saved as a JPEG image, which can cut the size dramatically. Stronger settings mean a smaller file and a softer look.

Compressed PDF

.PDF

The same pages in a lighter file, sized for portals, email and phones.

Where smaller PDFs are needed

  • Government and exam portals
  • Job application sites
  • Email attachment limits
  • Sharing in chat apps
  • College submission systems
  • Saving storage space
  • Faster opening on phones

Why Compress PDF Files?

A lighter PDF gets through upload forms, sends faster, opens faster on slow connections and uses less space on your phone and in cloud storage. For many online applications, meeting the size limit is not optional.

“The right size is the one the upload box accepts.”
  • Meets portal size limits
  • Quicker to send and open
  • Kinder to mobile data
  • Exact size targets
  • Fits email attachments
  • Less storage used
  • Text kept searchable
  • Never a bigger file

Popular Uses for PDF Compressor

The limits people most often need to get under.

  • Exam and admission forms Squeeze certificates and mark sheets under the tight kilobyte caps that recruitment and exam sites set.
  • Job applications Bring a scanned CV and certificates under an employer site’s 2 MB limit.
  • Email attachments Get a large report or scan small enough to send without a sharing link.
  • Chat sharing Send documents quickly to family or clients over mobile data.
  • Expense claims Reduce photographed receipts before adding them to a claims system.
  • Court and legal e-filing Fit filings within the size caps many e-filing systems apply.
  • Assignment uploads Meet a learning platform’s file limit with a scanned handwritten answer.
  • Long-term storage Keep years of statements and scans without filling your drive.

Compress PDF Features

Built around the question people actually ask: will it fit?

Target

Compress to a size

Pick 100 KB to 5 MB or type any figure, and the tool finds the best quality that fits.

Presets:

  • 100 KB
  • 200 KB
  • 500 KB
  • 1 MB
  • 2 MB
  • 5 MB
Levels

Three presets and a slider

Strong, Balanced and Light cover most needs, with a slider for anything in between.

Estimate

Size shown in advance

An estimated result size appears before you compress, and updates as you change the level.

Text

Pictures first, text kept

The tool lightens images inside the PDF before anything else, and keeps text searchable even when pages are redrawn.

Greyscale

Optional greyscale

Drop colour from scanned text pages for a much smaller file.

Batch

Several files at once

Choose multiple PDFs and receive them all compressed with the same settings in a single ZIP.

Why Compress With ToolXkit?

Documents stay with you

Compression runs in your browser. Certificates, IDs and statements are never transferred.

Compress PDF for Applicants and Offices

Students

Meet admission, scholarship and exam portal limits for certificates.

Job seekers

Fit CVs and scanned documents under application site caps.

Office workers

Send reports and scans by email without bouncing.

Legal professionals

Keep e-filings within the size a court system allows.

Accountants

Store and share years of client statements efficiently.

Everyone at home

Share bills, forms and letters quickly over mobile data.

When to Compress a PDF

Shrinking a file is the answer when you are:

  • Told a file is "too large" by a portal
  • Bounced by an email size limit
  • Uploading a job application
  • Submitting exam or admission documents
  • Sending documents over a slow connection
  • Short of space on your phone
  • Archiving large scans
  • E-filing legal documents

Tips for Better PDF Compression

  1. If a portal names a limit, use Target file size rather than guessing a level.

  2. For black-and-white scans, switch on greyscale. It often halves the size with no visible loss.

  3. Start with Balanced. Move to Strong only if the file still does not fit.

  4. Open the compressed file and zoom into small print before you submit it.

  5. Remove pages that are not needed first. Fewer pages always compress to a smaller file.

  6. A PDF that is mostly typed text is already small. Compression mainly helps files with photos or scans.

  7. Aim a little below a portal limit, such as 190 KB for a 200 KB cap, to be safe.

Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to common questions about this tool.

How do I reduce the size of a PDF?

Choose your PDF, leave the level on Balanced, then hit the Compress PDF button. Out comes a lighter version, with its old and new sizes side by side. When a form names a limit, switch to Target file size.

What if a form needs my PDF under 200 KB?

Switch to Target file size, tap 200 KB or type 200, then start. A search runs for the highest quality that still fits. If 200 KB is impossible for that file, it says so and suggests the smallest size it can reach.

Will compressing reduce quality?

It depends on the file. Embedded photos are slimmed first, a change most readers never spot. Scans may be redrawn at a lower resolution, so small print can soften at Strong. Text stays searchable either way.

Why did my PDF not get smaller?

A PDF made mostly of typed text is already compact. If no setting makes it smaller, the tool keeps your original and tells you, rather than handing back a larger file.

Can I compress several PDFs at once?

Yes. Choose multiple files and each is compressed with the same settings. They download together in one ZIP, and the result shows the combined size before and after.

Is the text still searchable after compression?

Yes. When only pictures are lightened, text is untouched. When pages are redrawn as images, a hidden word layer goes with them, so searching and copying keep working.

Does greyscale help?

Often a lot, especially for scanned letters, forms and notes. Colour adds weight that black-and-white documents do not need, and the target search tries greyscale by itself before giving up on a size.

Are my files uploaded?

No. The squeezing happens locally, inside this very tab, and the lighter copy lands in your downloads. Neither the original nor the result travels online.

Can I compress a PDF on my phone?

Yes. Android and iPhone browsers both handle it: tap Choose files, select the scan, set a level or target and start. Very large scans take longer on a phone than on a computer.

How accurate is the size estimate?

The estimate is projected from the first page of your document, so it is close when pages are similar. Documents with very different pages can land a little above or below it.

Can I compress a password-protected PDF?

Statements carrying only a print or copy restriction compress as usual, since that restriction is lifted on loading. Documents sealed with an opening password stop with a notice; Unlock PDF plus the password clears the way.

What happens to links and form fields?

When only pictures are lightened, the rest of the document is kept. If pages have to be redrawn to reach a small size, the pages become images with searchable text, and clickable links or fillable fields do not carry over.

How much smaller will my PDF get?

It depends on what is inside. PDFs full of photos or scans often shrink a lot, while files that are mostly text are already small and change little. The compressor never hands back a file larger than the one you gave it.

Does Compress PDF work on a phone?

It does. Open the page in your phone’s browser, pick the file from your downloads or files app and save the result. Heavy scans can take longer because a phone has less memory than a laptop.

Further reading

  • Data compression How files are made smaller, and the difference between lossless and lossy methods.
  • JPEG The image format used when pages or pictures are re-encoded to save space.
  • Dots per inch Why a lower resolution makes a smaller file, and what it means for print quality.
  • Grayscale Why removing colour can shrink a scanned document considerably.

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