CloudConverter

Compress PDF

Reduce PDF file size for email and upload limits while keeping text sharp and pages readable.

Click to add files or drag and drop them here

PDF files · up to 10 files · 50 MB each

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How it works

1

Choose a PDF

Tap the box or drag one or more PDF files onto it, up to 50 MB each.

2

Pick a level

Balanced suits almost everything. Strong gives the smallest file for strict upload limits; Light keeps print quality.

3

Download

See the new size and the percentage saved, then download each PDF or all of them as a ZIP.

Big PDFs bounce off email limits and get rejected by upload forms that allow only 1, 2 or 5 MB. Most of that size is usually images: scanned pages and phone photos saved at far more detail than a screen or printer needs. This tool rebuilds the PDF with those images resampled and recompressed, removes duplicate data, and keeps the text as real, sharp, searchable text. Scanned documents and photo-heavy PDFs often shrink by 50 to 90 percent.

Which compression level should you use?

Balanced resamples images to 150 dpi, which looks sharp on any screen and prints well for normal documents. It is the right choice for email attachments, application forms and sharing.

Strong resamples images to about 100 dpi and compresses them harder. Use it when a portal has a strict limit such as 1 MB or 500 KB. Text stays perfectly sharp; only photos and scanned pages get softer.

Light keeps images at print quality (300 dpi) and mainly removes waste such as duplicate images and unused data. Use it when the PDF will be printed professionally.

If a PDF is already well optimised and cannot get smaller, you get the original file back instead of a bigger one.

What happens to text, links and fonts

Text is never turned into an image. It stays selectable and searchable, and fonts are kept (unused characters are removed to save space). Links, bookmarks and page sizes stay as they were.

Fillable form fields and digital signatures may not survive compression, because the PDF is rebuilt. Fill in and sign the form after compressing, or keep the original for signed documents.

Password-protected PDFs must be unlocked first.

Where this comes in handy

Email attachments

Get reports and scans under the 20-25 MB limit of Gmail and Outlook, or small enough for WhatsApp.

Upload limits

Shrink documents for job, exam, visa, bank and government portals that allow only 1-2 MB.

Scanned documents

Make phone-scanned contracts and certificates small enough to store and share.

Websites

Publish brochures, menus and catalogues that open quickly on mobile data.

Frequently asked questions

How do I reduce a PDF file size for free?

Upload the PDF on this page, keep the Balanced level and press Compress. You will see the new size and how much was saved, then download the smaller PDF. No sign-up or watermark.

How do I compress a PDF to under 1 MB or 200 KB?

Choose Strong. Text-only documents usually end up well under 1 MB. For scanned pages, the final size depends on the number of pages; if it is still too big, split the document or remove pages you do not need.

Will compressing make my PDF blurry?

Text stays sharp at every level because it is not converted to an image. Photos and scanned pages lose some fine detail at Strong; Balanced is hard to tell apart from the original on screen.

Why did my PDF not get smaller?

Some PDFs, especially text-only ones exported from Word, are already compact. In that case you get the original file back, marked “already optimized”.

Can I compress several PDFs at once?

Yes. Add up to 10 PDFs; they are compressed one after another, and you can download them all as a ZIP.

Are my PDFs stored?

No. Each PDF is compressed in a private temporary folder that is deleted as soon as the result is sent back to you.

Compress a PDF to another size

PDF to 100 KBPDF to 200 KBPDF to 500 KBPDF to 1 MB

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