AllDayPDF
 Start

Compress

Small and Medium are free. Maximum compression is included with Pro ($0.99/mo or $9.99/yr).

Compress workspace

Files are processed only for the operation you choose, may pass through named processing providers when required, and are deleted within one hour. We never use documents for AI training or advertising.

About the Compress tool

Compress shrinks PDFs that are too large to email or upload — usually because of high-resolution scans and embedded images. Small and Medium compression are free and run entirely in your browser; Maximum compression is included with Pro and uses secure server-side processing, with files auto-deleted within one hour.

Compression permanently re-encodes images at lower resolution or quality, so keep your original if you may need print quality later. If Medium is not enough, go straight to Maximum rather than compressing twice.

  • Use Small when the file is only slightly over a limit or will be printed.
  • Medium is the balanced default for email attachments and web uploads.
  • If compression is not enough, split the document into smaller parts instead.
Read the compression guide

How to compress a PDF and reduce its file size

  1. 1Open the Compress tool and drop in your PDF.
  2. 2Pick a level: Small for a light reduction, Medium for email attachments, Maximum for the smallest file.
  3. 3Start the compression and wait for the size comparison to appear.
  4. 4Check the result, then download the smaller PDF.

Compress — frequently asked questions

How much smaller will my PDF get?
It depends on the source. Scanned or image-heavy documents often shrink dramatically, while text-only PDFs are already compact and change very little.
Which compression level should I use?
Small when the file is barely over a limit or will be printed, Medium as the balanced default for email and uploads, and Maximum when the file must be as small as possible.
Is compression free?
Small and Medium are free and run in your browser. Maximum compression is included with Pro.
Will compressing lower the quality?
Compression re-encodes embedded images at a lower resolution or quality, so keep your original if you may need print quality later.
How do I get a PDF under a specific size like 100 KB?
Start with Medium, check the reported size, then move to Maximum if you are still over. Splitting the document is the reliable fallback for very strict limits.
What happens to files sent for Maximum compression?
Maximum compression uses secure server-side processing and files are deleted within one hour.

Related tasks