Compress PDF: Reduce PDF File Size
Compress PDF files and reduce their size to fit under email and upload limits. You see the new size before you download, and your file never leaves the browser.
How to compress PDF
Drop one or more PDFs into the box.
Choose a level: Lossless, Balanced or Strong.
Run it and compare the before and after size.
Download the smaller PDF.
Reduce PDF size with the right level
Lossless rebuilds the file with tighter compression and drops unused objects. Nothing visible changes.
Balanced and Strong also re-encode large photos as JPEG and scale them down, to about 2000 px and 1400 px on the long side. Picture-heavy files shrink the most. If the result is not smaller, you keep the original.
Make a PDF smaller and keep text sharp
Only photos are touched. Text and vector graphics are never turned into images, so the compressed PDF stays searchable and prints cleanly. For more ways to cut size, read how to reduce PDF file size. Only need some of the pages? Delete the rest before you compress.
Guides
Frequently asked questions
How do I compress a PDF for free?
Drop the PDF here, pick a level and run it. There is no signup, no watermark and no upload.
How much smaller will my PDF get?
It depends on the content. Files full of large photos shrink a lot on Balanced or Strong, while text-only files gain less because text is already compact.
Does compressing a PDF lower the quality?
Lossless does not change anything you can see. Balanced and Strong lower photo resolution, while text and vector graphics stay exactly as they were.
Why is my compressed PDF the same size?
Some files are already well compressed. When the result is not smaller, PDFDEN keeps your original instead of handing back a bigger file.
Can I compress several PDFs at once?
Yes. Drop multiple files and each one is compressed with the level you choose.
Is it safe to compress a confidential PDF?
The file is processed in your browser and never sent to a server. If it also needs a password, run Protect PDF afterwards.