Compress PDF
Reduce the size of your PDF for email, uploads and online forms. See exactly how small it gets at each compression level before you download. Text stays sharp and searchable.
Drag & drop your files, or browse
PDF, JPG, PNG, WebP, GIF, TIFF, Word, PowerPoint, Excel · Max 200 MB · Deleted after 60 min
PDF Compressor features
- Three PDF compression levels with the exact file size shown before download
- Downsamples oversized images to 220, 150 or 96 dpi
- Keeps text, fonts and vector graphics sharp and searchable
- Removes duplicate images and unused font data
- Never returns a PDF larger than the original
How to compress a PDF
Upload your PDF
Drag and drop the PDF into the compressor above, or click to select it. Files up to 200 MB are supported.
Review the three results
CNVRT compresses the PDF at light, recommended and strong settings and shows the exact size and savings for each.
Pick a level
Recommended (150 dpi images) is ideal for screens and email. Choose light for printing or strong for the smallest file.
Download the smaller PDF
Click Download to save your compressed PDF. It opens in any PDF reader, just like the original.
Why PDFs get so large
A PDF's size is usually dominated by the images inside it. Scanned pages, photos pasted into reports and exported slide decks often embed pictures at 300 to 600 dpi, far more detail than a screen can show. Some PDF creators also embed the same logo on every page, or full font files when only a few characters are used.
CNVRT rebuilds the PDF efficiently: oversized images are resampled to a sensible resolution, identical images are stored once, fonts are subset to the characters actually used, and the file structure is repacked with maximum lossless compression.
What each PDF compression level does
Light (high quality) only reduces images above 220 dpi, keeping pages suitable for printing. Recommended resamples images to 150 dpi, which looks identical on laptops, tablets and phones and is the best choice for email and online forms. Strong resamples images to 96 dpi for the smallest possible file; photos look softer when you zoom in, but pages remain readable.
Text and vector graphics are never turned into images at any level, so text stays razor-sharp, selectable and searchable, and links inside the document keep working.
Common reasons to reduce PDF size
Email services typically cap attachments at 20–25 MB. Job portals, university systems, visa and government forms often allow only 2–10 MB per upload. Smaller PDFs also open faster on phones and use less cloud storage. Compressing before you send avoids bounced emails and rejected uploads.
Tips for the best results
- 1.For a government or job portal with a strict limit, compare the Recommended and Strong sizes and choose the smaller one that still meets the limit.
- 2.Scanned documents shrink the most, often by 50–80% at the recommended level.
- 3.PDFs made only of text (exported from Word, for example) are usually already compact and may show little or no reduction.
- 4.Password-protected PDFs must be unlocked before they can be compressed.
Compress PDF: frequently asked questions
How much can a PDF be compressed?
It depends on the content. PDFs with scanned pages or photos typically shrink by 50–80% at the recommended level. PDFs that contain only text are already small and may shrink little or not at all; CNVRT shows the exact result before you download.
Will compressing my PDF reduce the quality?
Only images are affected, and only by the amount you choose. The recommended level keeps images at 150 dpi, which looks the same on screens. Text and vector graphics stay perfectly sharp at every level.
Is the text still searchable after compression?
Yes. Text is kept as real text, so you can still search, select and copy it. Links in the document keep working too.
Can I compress a password-protected PDF?
No. PDFs that need a password to open must be unlocked first, because the file has to be read to be compressed.
What is the maximum PDF size?
You can compress PDFs up to 200 MB each, free and without signing up.
What happens to my PDF after compression?
Your original and compressed PDFs are deleted from our servers automatically within 60 minutes, or immediately if you click Delete now.
Private & secure
Encrypted transfer
Files travel over HTTPS and are only accessible from your browser session.
Auto-deleted
Everything is deleted within 60 minutes, or right away with one click.
No watermark
Free, no signup, and nothing added to your files.