Reduce the file size of a PDF without losing quality.
Drop your PDF here
or
Maximum file size: 20MB
One PDF, picker 20 MB. Three radio cards: High Quality, Balanced (default), Max Compression. The primary path re-encodes with print / ebook / screen-style presets. If that path is unavailable, pages may be rasterised at 120 DPI and written back as a PDF—text becomes a picture and looks softer. The workspace lead says “without losing quality”; the max setting and the raster fallback do lose detail. Keep the original.
When size actually drops
Photo-heavy scans shrink. Already-optimised text PDFs often barely move. There is no guaranteed percentage.
- High — smallest saving, better for print.
- Balanced — default for email and portals.
- Max — smallest file; small print can suffer.
Upload
The file is processed on our servers. Ten jobs per minute. If the fallback ran, the result UI may include a quality warning.
Compression questions
How much smaller will my PDF get?
It depends entirely on the content. Scanned or image-heavy documents can shrink dramatically because images hold most of the size. A text-only PDF may barely change, because there is little to remove. No compression tool can guarantee a fixed reduction.
Which compression level should I choose?
Use high quality for documents you will print, the balanced setting for on-screen reading and most email or upload situations, and maximum compression only when a strict size limit matters more than image fidelity.
Does compression reduce quality?
Yes, at the lower settings. Images are re-encoded at reduced detail, so fine detail can soften and small print in a scan can become harder to read. Always check the result before deleting your original.
Why did my file barely change?
Either the PDF is mostly text, which is already compact, or it has already been optimised. In both cases there is very little redundant data left to remove.
Is the text still selectable after compression?
Normally yes. If the server has to fall back to a secondary method the pages may be rasterised, which affects text sharpness; in that case the response includes a warning so you know quality was affected.
Is my file uploaded?
Yes. Compression happens on our server, so the PDF is uploaded. It is used only to produce your download and is not kept as part of a permanent user file library. See our Privacy Policy for details.
If it still will not upload
Split pages or convert a page to JPG: Split PDF, PDF to Image, Merge PDF. Browse the full PDF & File set or the all tools hub.