How do I compress a PDF file online?

Drag and drop your PDF onto the upload area or click Choose File. Select a compression level (Light, Recommended or Maximum), then click Compress PDF. The file is processed locally in your browser and downloads automatically — no upload to any server.

Can I compress a PDF without losing quality?

Yes. The Light compression mode preserves maximum visual quality with a 10–30% file size reduction. Recommended mode balances quality and size at 30–50% reduction. For compress PDF without losing quality, choose Light or Recommended.

How much can I reduce PDF file size?

Light compression reduces PDF file size by 10–30%. Recommended achieves 30–50% reduction. Maximum compression can shrink PDF file size by 60–90%. PDFs containing many images typically achieve the greatest reductions.

Is this PDF compressor free?

Yes. This is a completely free PDF compression tool with no registration, no watermarks and no file size limits. It works 100% in your browser — no account required.

Can I compress PDF for email attachment?

Yes. Most email services limit attachments to 10–25 MB. Use Recommended or Maximum compression to shrink large PDF files down to email-friendly sizes. The Recommended level typically reduces a 20 MB PDF to under 10 MB while maintaining readable quality.

Is my PDF safe when I compress it online?

Completely safe. This drag and drop PDF compressor processes your file entirely in your browser using JavaScript. Your PDF is never uploaded to any server, stored in any database, or shared with any third party.

Compress PDF Online Free

The fastest PDF compressor — drag and drop any PDF to instantly reduce PDF file size by up to 90% without losing quality. Our free PDF compression tool runs entirely in your browser. No uploads, no account, 100% private.
Compress PDF Online · Free · Secure · Works Offline

Drag & Drop your PDF here

100% secure — your file is processed locally and never uploaded to any server

Compression Level

Light Compression

Preserves text and image quality — minimal compression (~10–30% reduction)

⭐ Recommended

Balanced quality and size — best for most PDFs (~30–50% reduction)

Maximum Compression

Smallest file size — optimised for email and upload (~60–90% reduction)

How It Works

1. Drop Your PDF

Drag and drop your PDF or click to select. Works with any PDF — text, images or both.

2. Choose Level

Pick Light, Recommended or Maximum compression based on your quality requirements.

3. Compress Locally

All processing happens in your browser — your PDF never leaves your device.

4. Download

The compressed PDF downloads automatically. See exactly how much space you saved.

What Is an Online PDF Compressor?

An online PDF compressor is a tool that reduces the file size of PDF documents by removing redundant data, downsizing embedded images, and optimising the internal structure of the file. The result is a smaller PDF that is faster to upload, easier to email, and cheaper to store — while remaining fully readable.

Our free PDF compression tool runs entirely in your browser using the pdf-lib and PDF.js libraries. Your PDF is never sent to any server. This makes it the most private drag and drop PDF compressor available — ideal for sensitive documents such as contracts, medical records and financial statements.

Compression Level Guide

Level	How It Works	Best For	Typical Reduction
Light	Re-encodes at high quality — preserves all text and image detail	Archiving, print-quality documents	10–30%
Recommended	Balanced quality reduction — visually nearly identical	Web sharing, presentations, reports	30–50%
Maximum	Rasterises pages to highly optimised JPEG — smallest output	Email attachments, faster uploads	60–90%

How to Compress a PDF File Online

Using this compress PDF online tool takes under a minute. Here's exactly how to compress a PDF file and reduce PDF file size:

Step 1 — Upload your PDF. Drag and drop it onto the upload area or click Choose PDF File. The tool shows the original file size and estimated compressed sizes for each level.
Step 2 — Choose a compression level. Recommended (30–50%) is ideal for most situations. Use Maximum to compress PDF for email attachments or to compress large PDF files for faster upload.
Step 3 — Click Compress PDF. Processing happens locally — no upload required. A progress bar tracks each page.
Step 4 — Download. The compressed PDF downloads automatically. The stats panel shows original size, compressed size and percentage saved.

When Should You Compress a PDF?

Compress PDF for email: Most email providers limit attachments to 10–25 MB. A scanned document or presentation can easily exceed this. Maximum compression brings most PDFs well under the limit.
Compress PDF for faster upload: Uploading to cloud storage, CMS platforms or client portals is faster with smaller files. A 50 MB PDF can compress to under 10 MB in seconds.
Compress large PDF files: Multi-page presentations, catalogues and brochures with embedded photos often exceed 100 MB. Maximum compression can shrink these to a fraction of their original size.
Optimize PDF size for web embedding or download links — smaller PDFs load faster in browser viewers.

Why Use This Free PDF Compression Tool?

There are many tools to compress PDF online, but most require you to upload your file to a third-party server. This raises serious privacy concerns — especially for confidential documents. Here's why our tool is different:

100% client-side processing: Your PDF never leaves your device. This online PDF compressor uses JavaScript to compress files directly in your browser tab.
No registration required: No sign-up, no account, no email address. Just drop your file and compress.
No watermarks: The compressed PDF is identical to the original except in file size — no stamps, logos or branding added.
Works offline: Once the page loads, this compress PDF free tool works without an internet connection.
Three quality levels: Unlike basic online compressors, this tool offers Light, Recommended and Maximum modes so you can balance quality vs. size for your specific use case.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Drag and drop your PDF onto the upload area above, or click Choose PDF File. Select a compression level — Recommended works for most use cases. Click Compress PDF and the compressed file will download automatically. All processing happens in your browser — no upload to any server.

Yes. The Light compression mode is designed to compress PDF without losing quality — it re-encodes the document at high quality, reducing file size by 10–30% while preserving all text sharpness and image detail. Recommended mode also maintains excellent quality at 30–50% reduction.

Using Maximum compression, most PDFs can be reduced by 60–90% depending on content. PDFs that contain many high-resolution images typically compress the most. Text-only PDFs usually achieve 30–60% reduction. The estimated compressed size for each level is shown after you select a file.

Select Maximum compression to get the smallest possible file size for email attachments. Most email services (Gmail, Outlook) accept attachments up to 25 MB. Maximum compression typically brings a 50–100 MB PDF well under this limit. If visual quality is important, use Recommended compression instead.

Yes. This is a completely free PDF compression tool with no registration, no watermarks, no file size limits and no usage caps. You can compress as many PDFs as you like. It works 100% offline once the page has loaded.

Completely safe. This drag and drop PDF compressor processes everything locally in your browser. Your PDF file never leaves your device — there are no server uploads, no temporary files stored remotely, and no third-party access to your document content.