Compress PDF
Reduce PDF file size with a quality choice.
Click to upload or drag & drop
Select a PDF file
How to use the Compress PDF
- 1Upload your PDF
Drag and drop or click to select the PDF you want to compress.
- 2Pick a compression level
Choose screen for the smallest file or a higher level to keep more quality.
- 3Compress
Click Compress PDF and our server optimises it with Ghostscript.
- 4Download
The smaller PDF downloads automatically.
Compress a PDF online
This PDF compressor reduces the file size of a PDF by optimising and down-sampling its images, using Ghostscript on our server. Pick a compression level to balance size against quality — perfect for getting under an email or upload limit.
When to use it
- Shrink a PDF to fit an email attachment limit.
- Reduce a scanned document before uploading it.
- Make a heavy, image-rich PDF quicker to share.
Private & secure
Your PDF is optimised with Ghostscript on our server, then handed straight back. It is uploaded over HTTPS into a workspace reserved for that single job and deleted the moment the smaller file downloads — we never keep, read or share what you compress.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much smaller will my PDF get?
It depends on the file. Image-heavy and scanned PDFs shrink a lot; PDFs that are mostly text are already small and change less. The 'screen' level compresses hardest.
What do the levels mean?
screen is the smallest (72 dpi images), ebook is a balanced default (150 dpi), printer and prepress keep higher image quality (300 dpi) for a larger file.
Are my files uploaded to a server?
Yes. Compression uses Ghostscript on our server rather than anything in your browser, so the PDF is uploaded for the moment it takes to optimise. It runs in an isolated workspace and is deleted the instant the compressed file is returned.
Is it free? Is there a watermark or size limit?
Yes — entirely free, no sign-up, and the compressed PDF has no watermark. You can compress files up to 100 MB each.