Compress a PDF online — free

How it works

1. Drop your PDF (max 10 MB on free, 200 MB on Premium).
2. Pick a compression level: high (web, 72 DPI), medium (e-book, 150 DPI, recommended) or light (print, 300 DPI).
3. Click Compress. Download the lighter PDF — source and result deleted after 1 hour.

Which level to choose?

High compression — web (72 DPI): ideal for a PDF emailed or hosted online. Typical reduction of 60 to 80 % of the size. Images are downsampled to 72 DPI; on-screen rendering stays sharp but loses fine detail when zoomed.

Medium compression — e-book (150 DPI): recommended setting. Good size/quality trade-off, perfect for tablet or e-reader reading. Typical reduction of 40 to 60 %.

Light compression — print (300 DPI): choose this if the PDF is destined for high-quality print. Images stay at 300 DPI, the reduction is more modest (10 to 30 %) but the print result is preserved.

What gets compressed

Compression mainly targets embedded images in the PDF (downsampling + JPEG or JBIG2 recompression depending on type). Vector text and fonts are never touched — a pure-text PDF will hardly compress at all. Heavy PDFs (scans, image-rich brochures) are the best compression candidates.

Privacy and security

Compression on servers in France (OVH Gravelines), no US tier. Source PDF and compressed PDF deleted within 1 hour maximum, no result caching — two compressions of the same PDF produce two strictly independent files. GDPR compliant, DPA available on request.

Frequently asked questions

How much will my PDF shrink?

It depends on the content: a 10 MB scan can drop to 1-2 MB on high compression; a 50-page pure-text PDF will shrink by 5 to 15 % at most. The gain is massive on image-heavy PDFs.

Does text remain selectable and searchable after compression?

Yes. Text layers are not touched by compression — full-text search, selection and copy-paste keep working.

Is there a visible quality loss?

On light and medium compression, the loss is imperceptible for normal reading. On high compression, you may notice slight pixelation on fine image details when zooming above 200 %.

Can I compress an already-compressed PDF?

Yes but the gain will be marginal — most images have already been optimized. Try the « light » level first before going lower.