Compress PDF
Reduce your PDF to a target size — pick "under 100 KB", "under 200 KB", "under 500 KB", "under 1 MB", or just optimize for best quality. Compression runs locally in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
Drop a PDF file here
or click to browse · PDF files only
How to compress a PDF
- Open your PDF. Drop a PDF into the box above or click to browse. The current file size is shown right away.
- Pick a target size. Choose the limit you need to hit — 100 KB, 200 KB, 500 KB, 1 MB — or "Best quality" for moderate compression.
- Compress. Click Compress PDF. The tool automatically finds the highest quality that fits under your target.
- Download. Check the before/after size and save the compressed copy. The original stays untouched.
Why compress to an exact size?
Most people don't compress PDFs for fun — they compress because an upload form said no. Government portals, visa applications, university admission systems, and job boards commonly enforce hard limits like "maximum 100 KB" or "file must be under 500 KB", and a scanned document blows past that easily. That's why this tool works backwards from your limit: instead of asking you to fiddle with quality sliders, you pick the target and it finds the best quality that fits.
We also have dedicated pages with tips for the most common limits: compress PDF to 100 KB, to 200 KB, to 500 KB, and to 1 MB.
How the compression works
The tool re-renders each page and re-encodes it as an optimized JPEG image, then rebuilds the PDF. For a target size, it tries progressively stronger settings — starting sharp and stepping down resolution and quality — until the file fits under your limit. You always get the best quality that meets the target, and the result shows exactly how much smaller the file became.
One honest trade-off: because pages are converted to images, text in the compressed copy is no longer selectable or searchable. For upload forms and archiving scans that's irrelevant — but if you need selectable text, keep the original alongside. Your original file is never modified.
Good to know
- Everything runs in your browser — your document is never uploaded, which matters for exactly the files people compress: applications, IDs, contracts.
- If a document physically cannot reach the target (e.g. 60 pages to 100 KB), the tool tells you and offers the smallest achievable file instead of silently failing.
- Scanned documents compress dramatically well; already-optimized digital PDFs shrink less.
- Large documents take a little longer since every page is re-rendered on your device.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I compress a PDF to exactly 100 KB?
You pick "Under 100 KB" and the tool finds the highest quality that stays below that limit. If the document can't physically fit, it says so and offers the smallest achievable file.
Is my file uploaded to a server?
No. Compression runs entirely in your browser — the PDF never leaves your device.
Will the text still be selectable?
No — compression converts pages to optimized images, so text can no longer be selected or searched. Keep your original for editing; use the compressed copy for uploads.
How much smaller will my PDF get?
Scanned documents often shrink by 70–90%. Digital PDFs that are already optimized shrink less. The exact before/after size is shown before you download.
Does compressing change my original file?
No. You download a compressed copy; the original on your device stays untouched.
Is this free?
Yes — free, no signup, no watermark, no daily limits.