Compress PDF File
Reduce PDF file size online, free and private.
Compress PDF files right in your browser. Choose Light to shrink a PDF while keeping its text exactly as it is, Recommended for a much smaller file with good quality, or Strong for the smallest possible size. Add up to 50 PDFs at once and download the results as separate PDFs or one ZIP file. Your files are never uploaded, and the tool is free, with no sign-up and no watermark.
No Sign-Up, No Watermark
Light, Recommended or Strong
PDFs Never Leave Your Browser
150 MB Each, Compressed in One Go
Drop PDF files here or browse
Up to 50 files, 150 MB each. Accepted: PDF.
Private by design: your files are processed in your browser and never uploaded. Protected by Cloudflare Turnstile.
How Do You Compress a PDF File?
To compress a PDF file, add your PDF, choose a compression level (Light, Recommended or Strong), then click Compress PDF and download the smaller file. Teasoft's PDF compressor runs entirely in your browser, so your documents are never uploaded to a server.
Scanned documents and photo-heavy PDFs are often far bigger than they need to be. Email services cap attachments at around 20 to 25 MB, and job, university, exam and government portals often accept only files of 100 KB, 200 KB or 1 MB. A PDF compressor reduces the file size so your document uploads, sends and opens faster, without rescanning or retyping anything.
Everything happens on your own device. With Light, your browser re-saves the PDF with pdf-lib, an open-source PDF library, and packs its internal structure more tightly. With Recommended and Strong, each page is drawn with pdf.js and saved again as a compressed JPEG image, with a hidden text layer added so the document stays searchable. Nothing is sent to a server, so it is safe to use for private files such as ID cards, certificates, mark sheets, bank statements, contracts and signed forms.
What ends up in your compressed PDF:
| Part of your PDF | With Light | With Recommended or Strong |
|---|---|---|
| Text | Kept as real, selectable text | Pages become images; a hidden text layer keeps the text searchable |
| Images and scans | Kept exactly as they are | Re-compressed as JPEG, which is where most of the size is saved |
| Page size and orientation | Kept for every page | Kept for every page, including A4, Letter, Legal and landscape |
| Links, bookmarks and form fields | Kept | Not kept. Fill in forms before you compress, or use Light |
| File names | Original name with -min added | For example report-min.pdf. Several files download as one ZIP |
Common reasons to compress a PDF file:
- Meeting upload size limits on job, university, exam and government portals.
- Attaching large scanned documents to an email without hitting the attachment limit.
- Sharing PDFs faster on WhatsApp, Telegram and other messaging apps.
- Shrinking photo-heavy PDFs such as brochures, catalogues and portfolios.
- Saving storage space on your phone, laptop, Google Drive or OneDrive.
- Making PDFs open faster for readers on slow mobile connections.
What each control does:
| Control | What it does | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Add / drop area | Adds PDF files by drag and drop, or by clicking Add or browse. | At the start, or any time you want to add more files (up to 50). |
| Compression | Picks Light, Recommended or Strong. A hint below explains the selected level. | Light for text PDFs, Recommended for most files, Strong for strict size limits. |
| Compress PDF | Compresses every file in the list and shows the size before and after. | After choosing a level. Switch levels and click again to compare results. |
| Download | Saves one compressed PDF, or one ZIP when you compressed several files. | When the results look right. |
| Clear | Empties the file list. | When you added the wrong files or want to start again. |
Each file in the list shows a first-page thumbnail, page count and size. After compressing, the tool shows the total size in, size out and percentage saved. If a file would not get any smaller, your original is kept and marked “Already well optimised”, so you never end up with a bigger file.
Good to know
- Only PDF files are accepted. To turn images into a PDF first, use JPG to PDF, then compress the result.
- Password-protected PDFs can't be compressed. If you know the password, remove it first with Unlock PDF, then compress.
- Some PDFs are already small. Text-only PDFs and files that were compressed before may shrink very little. If a file wouldn't get smaller, the original is kept.
- Recommended and Strong turn pages into images. Text stays searchable, but links, bookmarks and fillable form fields are not kept. Fill in forms first, or choose Light.
- Big files need more memory. Files are compressed in your browser, so very large PDFs can be slow, especially on phones. Recommended and Strong handle up to 500 pages per file. For longer documents, cut them into parts with Split PDF first.
What You Can Do With This Tool
- Compress PDF files in your browser. No software to install and no account to create.
- Choose from three compression levels. Light, Recommended or Strong, depending on how small the file needs to be.
- Keep text selectable with Light. Optimises the file structure without touching text, images or links.
- Shrink scanned PDFs. Recommended and Strong re-compress page images, which is where scans save the most space.
- Keep text searchable. A hidden text layer is added to compressed pages, so text from the original can still be found.
- Compress up to 50 PDFs at once. Each file can be up to 150 MB.
- See how much you saved. Size in, size out and the percentage saved are shown after compressing.
- Never get a bigger file. If compressing wouldn't help, your original file is kept.
- Preview every file. See a first-page thumbnail, page count and file size before you compress.
- Download as PDF or ZIP. Several files are packed into one ZIP for a single download.
- Keep your files private. Nothing is uploaded to a server.
- Use it on any device, with no watermark. Works on Android, iPhone, Windows, Mac and Linux in any modern browser.
Which PDF Tool Should I Use?
Use Compress PDF when a file is too large to email or upload. If you only need some pages, pull them out first with Split PDF, since fewer pages means a smaller file. If your files are photos or scanned images, turn them into a PDF with JPG to PDF first. The tools below help with the next step.
How to Compress a PDF File (3 Steps)
Add your PDF file
Drag and drop, click Add, or browse to pick your PDF. You can add up to 50 files, each up to 150 MB.
Choose a compression level
Pick Light to keep text selectable, Recommended for good quality at a much smaller size, or Strong for the smallest file.
Compress and download
Click Compress PDF, then Download. One file downloads as a PDF ending in -min.pdf; several files download together as one ZIP.
Tip: for job, university or government applications that need a file under 100 KB or 200 KB, start with Recommended. If the file is still too big, try Strong, or remove pages you don’t need with Split PDF.
Which Compression Level Should I Use?
| What you have | Level to choose | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| A text-based PDF (report, invoice, e-book) | Light | The same pages with selectable text and working links, and a modest size drop. |
| A scanned document or photo PDF | Recommended | A much smaller file that is still clear to read and print. |
| A strict limit such as 100 KB or 200 KB | Strong | The smallest file. Small text may look softer, so zoom in to check it. |
| A fillable form or a PDF with links | Light | Form fields, links and bookmarks are kept. |
| A file that is still too big | Split PDF first, then Strong | Fewer pages and the smallest images, so the smallest possible file. |
Not sure? Start with Recommended. The tool shows the size before and after, so you can switch levels and compress again in seconds.
Compress PDF or Split PDF?
| Choose | When |
|---|---|
| Compress PDF (this tool) | Your PDF has all the pages you need, but the file is too large to send or upload. |
| Split PDF | You need only some pages, or want to break a long PDF into smaller files. |
Does compressing a PDF reduce quality? Light doesn’t change how pages look. Recommended and Strong save pages as images, so they can look slightly softer when zoomed in; Recommended usually looks the same on screen.
Can I compress a PDF to 100 KB? Often, yes. Choose Strong. A one- or two-page scan usually fits; for longer files, remove pages you don’t need first.
Getting better results when you compress PDFs
- Start with Recommended. It gives the best balance of size and readability for most files.
- Use Light for text documents. PDFs made from Word or Excel are usually compact already, and Light keeps their text crisp.
- Zoom in before you submit. After using Strong, open the file and check that small text, signatures and stamps are still readable.
- Remove pages you don't need. Fewer pages always means a smaller file, so split out unwanted pages first.
- Fill in forms before compressing. Recommended and Strong flatten pages into images, so form fields can't be edited afterwards.
After you compress your PDF
- Combine files. Use Merge PDF to join your compressed files into one upload.
- Fix page direction. Use Rotate PDF to turn sideways or upside-down pages.
- Keep it secure. Use Protect PDF to add a password before you share it.
- Turn pages into images. Use PDF to JPG to save pages as pictures for sharing or posting.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I compress a PDF file?
Open Teasoft's Compress PDF tool, add your PDF, choose Light, Recommended or Strong, then click Compress PDF and download the smaller file. It is free and runs in your browser.
How can I reduce PDF file size without losing quality?
Choose Light. It optimises the PDF's internal structure without changing text, images or links, so pages look exactly the same. Savings are smaller than with Recommended or Strong.
Is the Compress PDF tool free?
Yes. It is completely free, with no sign-up and no watermark.
Are my PDF files uploaded to a server?
No. Your PDFs are compressed in your browser on your own device and never uploaded, so it is safe for ID cards, certificates, bank statements and contracts.
How much smaller will my PDF get?
It depends on the file. Scanned and photo-heavy PDFs usually shrink the most with Recommended or Strong, while text-only PDFs shrink less. The tool shows the size before and after and the percentage saved.
How many PDF files can I compress at once?
Up to 50 PDFs in one go, each up to 150 MB. The same compression level is applied to every file, and several files download together as one ZIP.
Can I compress a PDF to 100 KB or 200 KB?
Often, yes. Choose Strong for the smallest file. A one- or two-page scan usually fits; for longer files, remove pages you don't need with Split PDF, then compress again.
Will the text in my PDF still be searchable?
Yes. Light keeps text as real, selectable text. Recommended and Strong turn pages into images but add a hidden text layer, so text from the original can still be searched. Scans without text to begin with stay image-only.
What is the difference between Light, Recommended and Strong?
Light only optimises the file structure and keeps everything as it is. Recommended re-renders pages at 150 DPI with 70% JPEG quality. Strong uses 100 DPI and 50% quality for the smallest file.
Why didn't my PDF get smaller?
Some PDFs are already well optimised. If compressing wouldn't make a file smaller, the tool keeps your original and marks it "Already well optimised". Try a stronger level, or remove pages you don't need.
Can I compress a password-protected PDF?
No. A PDF that needs a password to open can't be compressed. If you know the password, remove it with Unlock PDF first, then compress.
Will links, bookmarks and form fields be kept?
With Light, yes. Recommended and Strong rebuild each page as an image, so links, bookmarks and fillable form fields are not kept. Fill in forms first, or use Light.
Which file types can I compress?
PDF files (.pdf) only. Turn images into a PDF with JPG to PDF first, then compress it.
What are the compressed files called?
Each file keeps its original name with -min added, for example report-min.pdf. Several files download together in one ZIP.
Is there a page limit?
Recommended and Strong process up to 500 pages per PDF. For longer documents, split the PDF into parts with Split PDF and compress each part.
Will my compressed PDFs have a watermark?
No. Teasoft never adds a watermark, logo or extra page to your files.
Can I compress PDF files on my phone?
Yes. It works in Chrome, Safari and other modern browsers on Android and iPhone. Very large files can be slower on phones, so compress them one at a time.
Do I need an internet connection?
Yes, to open the page and load the PDF libraries. The compression itself happens on your device, and your files are never sent anywhere.
About Teasoft's Compress PDF Tool
Teasoft's Compress PDF tool is a free, browser-based PDF compressor that reduces the file size of PDF documents. It offers three compression levels (Light, Recommended and Strong), handles up to 50 PDFs of up to 150 MB each, keeps text searchable, and never returns a file larger than the original.
It is made for students, job seekers, office workers, accountants and anyone who needs to meet a file size limit, from a scanned certificate, mark sheet or ID card for an online application to a bank statement, invoice or report that is too large to email.
Files are compressed on your own device using pdf-lib and pdf.js, two open-source PDF libraries, so your documents stay private. Teasoft makes free online tools that are simple, fast and respect your privacy.