Email attachments
Get under the size limit your email or a client's inbox allows.
Compress PDF
Make a PDF smaller, with the before and after sizes shown honestly.
Your files stay with you. Your files never leave your browser. This tool runs on your device: nothing is uploaded to our servers, so there is nothing for us to store or see.
How to use it
- Choose your PDF.
- Pick a level: Light keeps text, Medium and Strong turn pages into compressed pictures.
- Press Compress PDF, check the sizes, and download.
Medium and Strong make pages into pictures: files get much smaller, but text can no longer be selected or searched.
Where it helps
Portal uploads
Fit government, university and job portal limits, often 1 or 2 MB.
Sharing on WhatsApp
Send scanned documents that open quickly on any phone.
Good to know
Private by design
Files are processed in your browser and never uploaded to our servers.
Light keeps text
Use it for documents people need to search or copy from.
Scans shrink most
Photo and scan PDFs drop a lot; text PDFs may not shrink.
Check readability
Open the result and zoom in before you submit it anywhere.
Questions people ask
How do you reduce the size of a PDF?
Choose your PDF and pick a level: Light keeps the text selectable, while Medium and Strong turn pages into compressed pictures for much smaller files. Press Compress PDF, check the real before and after sizes, then download. If the result would be bigger, you get your original back unchanged.
- 3 levels Light, Medium, Strong. Pick your trade-off.
- Honest Before and after sizes. Shown every time.
- Never bigger Than the original. Or you keep the original.
- 0 Uploads. On your device.
How do I compress a PDF?
Choose your PDF, pick a compression level, and press Compress PDF. The tool shows the original and new sizes so you can judge the result, then you download the smaller file. Light keeps text selectable, while Medium and Strong shrink files much more by turning pages into pictures.
How much smaller will my PDF get?
It depends on what's inside. Scanned documents and photo-heavy PDFs often shrink a lot, sometimes to a fraction of their size. PDFs that are mostly text are already compact and may not shrink at all. The tool always shows you the real numbers, not an estimate.
What if the result is bigger than my original?
Then the tool offers your original file unchanged and suggests trying a stronger level. You're never handed a bigger file presented as if it were smaller. This can happen with text PDFs, which are usually already as small as they can sensibly get. Light suits most text files.
Why can't I select text after compressing?
Medium and Strong redraw each page as a compressed picture, which is how the size drops so much. Pictures don't contain selectable text. Use Light if people need to search or copy the text, or keep the original PDF for that and share the compressed copy.
Is my PDF uploaded?
No. Everything runs on your device, inside the browser, so the file is never uploaded to our servers. That matters for bank statements, ID scans and contracts, which are exactly the documents people often need to compress for upload portals. Nothing is kept after you close the tab.
Which level should I choose?
Start with Light if the PDF has real text, such as a report or an invoice. Use Medium for scanned documents and photo PDFs that need to be much smaller. Use Strong only when you must meet a tight limit, and check that the text is still readable.
How do I get a PDF under 1 MB or 2 MB?
Try Medium first and check the new size. If it's still too large, try Strong, or remove pages you don't need with Delete PDF pages before compressing. For scanned documents, scanning at a lower resolution in the first place also helps a great deal. Check readability after.
Will compression make my document blurry?
Light keeps pages as they are, so nothing gets blurry. Medium and Strong lower image quality to save space, so fine print can soften. Zoom in on the result before you submit it, especially for certificates, ID documents and anything with small numbers. Keep the original as well.
Can I compress a scanned PDF?
Yes, and scans usually compress best, because each page is already a large image. Medium often cuts scanned PDFs dramatically while keeping them readable. Check the result on a phone screen, which is how many recipients will read it. Strong is there if a portal's limit is especially tight.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes, in modern mobile browsers. Compression uses your device's memory and processor, so very large PDFs are faster on a laptop. For typical documents, such as a few scanned pages for an upload, a recent phone handles it in seconds. No app or account is needed on either.
Can I compress a password-protected PDF?
No. Encrypted PDFs can't be read by the tool. Open the file with its password, save an unlocked copy, compress that, and delete the unlocked copy afterwards if it contains sensitive information. Many bank statements are protected this way. The original stays protected throughout. Nothing is uploaded.
Why didn't my text PDF shrink?
Because text is already stored very efficiently in a PDF. Most of the size in large PDFs comes from images or embedded fonts. A text-only report may not get smaller at all with Light, and Medium would turn it into pictures, which isn't always worth it.
Is there a file size limit?
There's no upload limit because nothing is uploaded. Your device's memory sets the practical limit. Very large PDFs with hundreds of pages are best compressed on a computer, or split into parts first and compressed one part at a time. Most documents finish in seconds on a laptop.
Will links and form fields still work?
With Light, pages keep their content, so links usually still work. Medium and Strong turn pages into pictures, so links and fillable form fields are lost. If the PDF is a form someone needs to fill in, compress it with Light or not at all.
Is compressing PDFs free?
Yes. There's no sign-up, no watermark and no daily limit. It's one of many free tools from Marketiism, and like the other PDF tools it runs in your browser. Use it for personal and business documents alike. Nothing is added to your files, and the before and after sizes are always shown honestly.
Want this inside your own account?
Marketiism keeps your invoice numbers, GST reports, UPI payment links and WhatsApp reminders in one place. Leave your details and we'll call to set it up for your business, or start the trial yourself.
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