Compress PDF
Reduce PDF file size with a light method that keeps text and quality, or a strong method that redraws pages as JPEG images at the resolution and quality you choose. You see the original and new size before downloading.
Drop your PDF file here
Choose a PDF to compress
Max 1 file, up to 50.0 MB each
About the Compress PDF
PDF files can be large for different reasons, so this tool offers two methods, and it always shows the original and new size side by side.
Keep text (light) tidies the file without touching what you see. It packs the PDF’s internal objects into compressed object streams, compresses any data stored uncompressed, removes objects that nothing refers to any more (often left behind by earlier edits), and drops page thumbnails, private data saved by editing programs and metadata such as author and creation software (the title is kept). Text, links, fonts and images stay exactly as they were. Because images are not touched, savings are usually small for photo-heavy or scanned files and larger for PDFs saved without compression or edited many times.
Convert pages to images (strong) redraws every page as a JPEG picture at the resolution (72, 100 or 150 dpi) and JPEG quality (30–90%) you choose. For scans and image-heavy documents this usually gives much smaller files, but there is a real cost: the text becomes part of the picture, so it can no longer be selected, searched or copied, links and form fields stop working, and screen readers cannot read the result. It is the right choice for something like a 15 MB set of scanned receipts that a reimbursement portal limits to 2 MB, not for a contract you may need to search or quote from.
If the result is not smaller than your original, the tool says so and suggests keeping the original. To make photos smaller before they ever become a PDF, use the Image Compressor and then JPG to PDF.
How to use the Compress PDF
- 1
Choose your PDF
Drop a PDF on the drop area or click Browse Files (up to 50 MB).
- 2
Pick a method
Select Keep text (light) to keep everything selectable, or Convert pages to images (strong) for maximum reduction.
- 3
Set resolution and quality (strong method)
Choose 72, 100 or 150 dpi and move the JPEG quality slider. Lower values give smaller files and softer pages.
- 4
Compress and compare
Click Compress PDF. The Original and Result boxes show both sizes and the percentage change.
- 5
Download or keep the original
If the result is smaller, click Download Compressed PDF. If not, keep your original file.
What it can do
Lossless light method
Object streams, compression of uncompressed data and removal of unused objects, thumbnails, private app data and metadata, with no change to how pages look.
Strong method with your settings
Pages rendered with PDF.js at 72, 100 or 150 dpi and saved as JPEG at 30–90% quality, keeping each page’s original size.
Honest before-and-after sizes
You see both file sizes and the percentage change, and a clear message when compression did not help.
Annotations included in strong mode
Highlights, stamps and form field contents that have a visible appearance are drawn into the page images.
Limitations
- The light method does not re-compress images, so scanned or photo-heavy PDFs usually shrink very little with it.
- The strong method makes text unselectable and unsearchable, removes links and form fields, and makes the file inaccessible to screen readers.
- Neither method targets an exact file size such as 100 KB; try lower resolution and quality settings until the result fits.
- Password-protected PDFs, and PDFs with usage restrictions, must be unlocked first with the PDF Password tool.
- Re-saving a PDF invalidates any digital signatures in it.
Privacy
Compression runs in your browser using pdf-lib and PDF.js served from FlexyPdf’s own site; your PDF is never uploaded.
Frequently asked questions
Which method should I choose?
Start with Keep text (light). If the file is mostly scans or photos and still too large, use Convert pages to images (strong), accepting that the text will no longer be selectable. For documents you need to search or copy from, stay with the light method.
Why did my PDF get only slightly smaller, or not at all?
Most PDFs are already compressed internally, and the light method does not touch images, which usually make up most of the file size. If the result is not smaller, the tool shows that and you can simply keep your original.
Can it compress a PDF to exactly 100 KB or 200 KB?
Not automatically. With the strong method, lower the resolution to 72 dpi and the quality slider step by step, compressing again each time, until the result is under your limit. Check that small text is still readable at the setting you end up with.
Will the strong method keep my page size?
Yes. Each new page has the same dimensions as the original page (rotation is applied), only its content is replaced by an image. Very large pages are rendered at a lower resolution so they fit within browser limits.
Is the light method safe for signed or official documents?
It does not change how pages look, but any re-saved PDF loses the validity of embedded digital signatures. Keep the original if the signature needs to be verified.
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