Make big PDFs small enough to email or upload. Pick a level or a target size. Nothing is uploaded.
- 100% free
- No sign-up
- PDF never leaves your device
- No page limit
This free compress PDF tool makes heavy files light. Choose a level, or pick a target such as under 100 KB, 200 KB, 500 KB or 1 MB. The tool then tries step by step until the file fits. It works best on scanned PDFs and files full of photos.
How to reduce PDF size
- Add your PDFDrop one file or many.
- Pick a level or a targetUse Medium for daily use. Use Fit under… when a form has a size limit.
- CompressPress Compress PDF and watch the page count go up.
- DownloadEach file shows its new size and how much you saved.
The levels explained
| Level | What it does | Text stays selectable? |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | Cleans and repacks the file | Yes |
| Medium | Redraws pages as images at 150 DPI | No |
| Strong | Redraws pages at 110 DPI | No |
| Extreme | Redraws pages at 72 DPI | No |
| Fit under 100 KB – 1 MB | Tries Basic first, then lower DPI until it fits | Only if Basic was enough |
Why can text stop being selectable? The strong levels turn each page into a picture. This is what makes big scans tiny. For text-only PDFs, try Basic first.
Our test: a 10-page scan and a text manual
Scanned pages shrink the most
First we made a 10-page test scan. Each A4 page was a 300 DPI image, and the whole PDF was 7.81 MB. We ran every level on it.
Fit under 1 MB gave 925 KB. Fit under 200 KB gave 125 KB in about 12 seconds. Then we tried a real 33-page text manual of 674 KB. Basic made it 604 KB with all text kept. The image levels made it bigger, so the tool warned us and told us to keep the original. Text PDFs are already small, and the tool is honest about it.
How to compress a PDF to 100KB
- Pick Fit under 100 KB and press Compress PDF.
- If it cannot fit, the tool keeps the smallest readable copy and tells you.
- For long scans, use Split PDF first and upload the pages in parts.
- Remove extra pages with Organize PDF. Fewer pages means a smaller file.
Frequently asked questions
How do I compress a PDF to 200KB?
Choose Fit under 200 KB. A green tick shows when the file fits.
Why did my PDF not get smaller?
It is probably already well packed, like a text PDF made in Word. Try Basic. If that saves nothing, your file is already close to its smallest size.
Will compression make my scan unreadable?
Medium and Strong keep normal text easy to read. Extreme may blur very small print.
Can I compress many PDFs at once?
Yes. Add them all and download them as a ZIP.
Are my PDFs uploaded?
No. Compression runs inside your browser, so ID copies and bank papers stay private.
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Final thoughts
Upload limits are everywhere. Job portals, exam forms and email services often reject PDFs that are too big. This compress PDF tool gives you two easy choices. You can pick a level, or you can name the size you need, like under 100 KB or 1 MB. The tool then does the trial and error for you.
Our test cut a 7.81 MB scan by up to 95%. It also showed something many tools hide: text PDFs often cannot shrink much, and forcing them can make them bigger. Here you always see the real result before you download. Your files are compressed on your own device, so even private documents stay safe.