Compress PDF Files
Make PDFs smaller for email, forms and uploads. Pick a level or an exact target like 200 KB. It is free, and your files never leave your device.
- No upload
- Target size
- Keeps text selectable
- No sign-up
Drop PDF files here
or paste them. Accepts .pdf files up to 200 MB
More options
Compressed on your device. Nothing is uploaded to FileXL.
- 0 bytesuploaded, ever
- Any size100 KB, 1 MB, you choose
- Text keptselectable and searchable
- Any devicephone, tablet, PC, Mac
How do I compress a PDF?
Add your PDF to the compressor above, keep Recommended selected (or choose a target size such as 200 KB), and download the smaller file. It runs in your browser, so nothing is uploaded. Smart mode shrinks the images inside the PDF and keeps text selectable. It is free and needs no sign-up.
How to compress a PDF in 3 steps
No app, no account and no waiting for an upload. A typical PDF takes a few seconds.
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Add your PDF
Drop one or more PDFs on the box above, or tap Choose PDF files. Nothing is uploaded.
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Pick a level or a target size
Recommended works for most files. Need an exact limit? Turn on Target file size and choose 100 KB, 200 KB, 1 MB or your own number.
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Download the smaller PDF
Save each file, or download everything as one ZIP. You see the before and after size for every file.
Which PDF compression level should I choose?
Most of a PDF's weight is its pictures, so that is what the levels change. They shrink the images inside the file to a sensible resolution (dpi) and a lighter JPEG quality, and leave your text alone. Start with Recommended and step up to Strong only if the file is still too big.
| Level | Pictures inside the PDF | Best for | Text selectable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low | Kept sharp (up to 220 dpi, high quality) | Printing and keeping a good copy | Yes |
| Recommended | Balanced (up to 150 dpi, good quality) | Most documents, email and sharing | Yes |
| Strong | Smaller and softer (up to 110 dpi) | Upload limits and slow connections | Yes |
| Extreme | Every page saved as a 96 dpi image | Scans and the tightest size limits | No |
| Custom | You set the dpi and the quality | Fine tuning | Yes (No when pages are flattened) |
Compress a PDF to 100 KB, 200 KB, 1 MB or any size
Online forms often reject files over a limit. Choose your limit and the compressor tries gentle settings first, then gets stronger step by step until the file fits. If a limit is out of reach for your file, you get the closest size possible instead.
Why PDF files get so large
Knowing what makes a PDF heavy tells you what to expect. A PDF full of photos or scans can shrink dramatically. A PDF that is only text is already small and has little left to give.
Scans are pictures
A scanned page is one large photo. Ten pages at 300 dpi can easily reach tens of megabytes.
High resolution images
Photos pasted into a document keep their full camera resolution, far more than a screen or printer needs.
Embedded fonts
Fonts are stored inside the file so it looks the same everywhere. Many fonts add up.
Uncompressed content
Some programs save page data without compression, which makes the file much bigger than needed.
Leftover data
Edited PDFs can keep old versions of objects, thumbnails and hidden metadata that nobody sees.
Too many pages
Long reports are simply large. If you only need a few pages, remove the rest before compressing.
Smart compression vs Extreme: what stays in your PDF?
Smart mode is the default because it keeps the PDF working like a PDF. Extreme is the tool for the toughest size limits and for scans.
| Smart (Low, Recommended, Strong) | Extreme (pages become images) | |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Shrinks the pictures inside the PDF and removes unused data | Draws every page as one image and rebuilds the PDF |
| Text | Stays real text: select, copy and search | No longer selectable or searchable |
| Links, bookmarks, forms | Kept | Removed |
| Best for | Documents, reports, presentations, mixed files | Scanned pages and the smallest possible size |
| Text-only PDFs | Already small, so little changes | Usually becomes bigger, so the original is returned |
| Password-protected PDFs | Not possible, the file must be opened first | Works after you enter the password |
Compress a PDF on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android
The same tool works everywhere. Here is how it goes on each device.
Compress a PDF on Windows 10 and 11
- Add your PDF to the compressor above and pick Recommended or a target size.
- Download the smaller file. It is saved to your Downloads folder.
- Windows has no built-in PDF compressor, and Microsoft Print to PDF offers no compression settings, so a web tool is the quickest way.
Compress a PDF on a Mac
- The fast way: add your PDF to the compressor above and download the result.
- Preview can also do it: open the PDF, choose File, then Export, and pick the Reduce File Size Quartz filter.
- That filter often makes pictures very blurry. The compressor above lets you control the quality and the final size.
Compress a PDF on iPhone or iPad
- Open this page in Safari and tap Choose PDF files.
- Pick the PDF from Files or iCloud Drive.
- Tap Download. The smaller PDF is saved to your Files app and you can share it from there.
- Very large PDFs can be slow on a phone. Try Strong or a target size to keep memory use low.
Compress a PDF on Android or Chromebook
- Open this page in Chrome and tap Choose PDF files.
- Select the PDF from Files, Drive or your Downloads.
- Tap Download. The compressed copy appears in your Downloads folder.
Make a PDF small enough to email
- Many email services limit attachments to roughly 20 to 25 MB in total, so check your provider.
- Compress the PDF with Recommended. If it is still too big, choose Strong or set a target size.
- Several large files? Upload them to FileXL instead and send a link or a short code.
Private by design: your PDFs stay on your device
Most online PDF compressors upload your file to a server, compress it there and send it back. This one does not. The work happens in your browser, so your PDF is never sent to FileXL or anyone else. That matters for contracts, invoices, medical papers, IDs and anything else you would rather keep to yourself.
Working with photos instead? Try the HEIC to JPG converter or the WebP to PNG converter, which work the same way.
PDF compression questions, answered
How do I compress a PDF for free?
Add your PDF to the compressor on this page, keep Recommended selected and press Download when it is done. It is free, there is no sign-up and no watermark. For an exact limit, turn on Target file size and pick a size such as 200 KB.
Is it safe? Are my PDFs uploaded anywhere?
Your PDF is never uploaded. The compression runs inside your browser, on your own device, so contracts, invoices, IDs and other private documents stay with you. You can check this in your browser's network tab: no file data is sent while compressing.
How do I compress a PDF to 100 KB or 200 KB?
Turn on Target file size, tap 100 KB or 200 KB and add your PDF. The tool tries gentle settings first and gets stronger step by step until the file fits. Very long PDFs or large scans may not fit, and then you get the closest size it can reach.
Will compressing reduce the quality?
Only the pictures inside the PDF are made lighter, and the level decides how much. Low keeps them sharp, Recommended is hard to tell apart on screen, and Strong is visibly softer. Text and vector graphics stay crisp in Smart mode.
Will the text stay selectable and searchable?
Yes in Low, Recommended, Strong and Custom, as long as Flatten pages to images is off. Only Extreme turns pages into images, and then text can no longer be selected, copied or searched.
Why did my PDF not get any smaller?
PDFs that are mostly text and vector drawings are already compact, because text is stored very efficiently. Files from other compressors can also be fully optimized. In that case the tool says Already well compressed and gives you your original, so you never end up with a bigger file.
How do I compress a scanned PDF?
A scan is a set of photos, so it shrinks a lot. Start with Recommended, then try Strong, or set a target size. Extreme gives the smallest result, but it cannot keep text from a scan that was searchable through OCR.
Can I compress a password-protected PDF?
Yes, if you know the password. Enter it when the file asks. To read the pages, the compressor has to rebuild the PDF from page images, so the new copy is not password protected and its text is not selectable. Only do this with files you are allowed to open.
What does Extreme do?
It draws every page as an image at 96 dpi and builds a new PDF from those images. That gives the smallest files for scans, but text is no longer selectable and links, bookmarks and forms are lost. If the result would be bigger than your original, you simply get the original back.
What do the dpi and quality settings mean?
Dpi is how many pixels per inch the pictures keep. About 150 looks good on screen and prints acceptably, 300 is print quality and 100 or lower is for screens only. Quality is the amount of JPEG compression, where lower means a smaller file with more visible softening.
Does it keep links, bookmarks and form fields?
Yes in Smart mode, because it only changes the pictures and the file structure. Pages saved as images (Extreme or Flatten) lose them.
What happens to digital signatures?
Any change to a PDF, including compression, makes an existing digital signature invalid. The tool warns you when it finds a signed file. Compress before signing, or keep the signed original.
Can I compress many PDFs at once?
Yes. Drop in a whole batch and download each file or everything as one ZIP. Files are processed one after another to keep your device responsive.
Is there a file size limit?
We accept PDFs up to 200 MB. Because everything runs on your device, the real limit is your memory, and very large files can be slow on a phone.
What does Remove metadata do?
It deletes the document information such as author, title and the program that made the file, plus hidden application data. The pages you see do not change.
Does it work on iPhone, Android, Windows and Mac?
Yes, in any modern browser, with nothing to install. Open this page, add your PDF and download the result.
How can I share the compressed PDF?
Upload it to FileXL to get a link or a short code you can share. No account is needed.
Need to send your PDF to someone?
Upload it to FileXL and share a link or a short code. Large files, no account needed.
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