Free PDF Compressor
Make big scanned or photo heavy PDFs small enough for email, WhatsApp and portal upload limits. Choose a level, compare sizes and download.
PDF Compressor: Make big scanned or photo heavy PDFs small enough for email, WhatsApp and portal upload limits. Choose a level, compare sizes and download. It is free, needs no sign-up and runs in your browser. How to use it: 1) choose the PDF you want to make smaller; 2) pick Strong, Balanced or Light compression, or set your own DPI and quality; 3) click Compress PDF, compare the sizes and download. The compressor redraws every page of your PDF in the browser at the resolution you choose, saves each page as a compressed JPEG and builds a new PDF from those images at the original page size. Scanned documents and PDFs full of photos usually shrink a lot, often by 50 to 90 percent.
How the PDF compressor works
The compressor redraws every page of your PDF in the browser at the resolution you choose, saves each page as a compressed JPEG and builds a new PDF from those images at the original page size. Scanned documents and PDFs full of photos usually shrink a lot, often by 50 to 90 percent.
Compression levels
| Level | Resolution | JPEG quality | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong | 72 DPI | 50 | Smallest file, screen reading |
| Balanced | 110 DPI | 65 | Email and online forms |
| Light | 150 DPI | 80 | Printing |
Greyscale removes colour and saves extra space on text documents. The result shows the size before and after, so you can decide whether to keep it.
Important limitation
Because each page becomes a picture, the text in the compressed file can no longer be selected, searched or read by screen readers, and links and form fields are removed. Text only PDFs created from Word are usually already small and may get bigger; the tool tells you when that happens so you can keep your original. Keep the original file for editing and archiving.
Privacy
Your PDF is processed on your device and never uploaded. Large files up to about 50 MB work, but take longer on older phones.
PDF Compressor FAQs
How can I reduce PDF file size for email?
Choose your PDF, keep the Balanced level and click Compress PDF. Scanned and photo heavy files usually shrink by more than half, which brings most documents under common email limits of 10 to 25 MB. If it is still too big, try Strong or switch on greyscale.
Will compressing my PDF make the text unselectable?
Yes. This free compressor turns each page into a compressed image, which is what makes the big size savings possible. The result looks the same but text cannot be selected, copied or searched. Keep your original file if you need to edit it or copy text later.
Why did my compressed PDF get bigger?
Your PDF was probably created from Word or another program and contains only text and vector graphics, which are already very compact. Turning those pages into images adds data. The tool warns you when this happens. In that case keep the original, it is already optimised.
Is my PDF uploaded when I compress it?
No. The compressor uses PDF libraries bundled with this page and runs entirely in your browser. Your document never leaves your device and the tool keeps working without an internet connection. It is safe for invoices, IDs and other private paperwork.
Want our experts to implement these improvements?
Get professional support from Hayyat Networks. Request a free consultation.