Compress a PDF online
Compress a PDF online — reduce file size to send by email or share easily. If your PDF is too large for an attachment, choose a compression level and get a lighter document in seconds. Free, no sign-up required.
Drag & drop your file
or browse your files
100% secure
Your files are never shared
Ultra-fast
Processing in seconds
Privacy
Automatic deletion after 1h
How to compress a PDF online
Upload your PDF
Drag and drop your PDF or click to browse. We accept files up to 100 MB on the free plan and 2 GB on Pro.
Choose a compression level
Select Light for minimal quality loss, Medium for a good balance between size and readability, or Strong for maximum compression.
Download the result
Preview the compressed PDF and download it. The file is a standard PDF compatible with every reader — Adobe, Preview, Chrome, and more.
Why are PDFs sometimes so large?
A PDF is a container that can hold text, vector graphics, raster images, fonts, metadata, and even JavaScript. When a designer exports a brochure from InDesign or a photographer embeds high-resolution images, the result can be a file that weighs tens or even hundreds of megabytes.
The three biggest contributors to PDF file size are embedded images (often stored at 300 DPI print quality when screen viewing only needs 150 DPI), embedded fonts (a single font family with all weights can add 1–5 MB), and editing layers that were not flattened before export.
Our compressor targets the largest contributor — images — and re-encodes them at a quality level appropriate for screen viewing, email sharing, or archiving. Fonts are subsetted when possible, and unused metadata is stripped.
Compression levels explained
| Level | Image quality | Typical reduction | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light | Virtually identical | 20–40 % | Archiving, legal documents, contracts |
| Medium | Minor difference on close inspection | 40–70 % | Email attachments, reports, presentations |
| Strong | Visible on photos, text stays sharp | 70–90 % | Quick sharing, previews, low-bandwidth |
Email attachment limits by provider
| Provider | Max attachment | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Gmail | 25 MB | Above 25 MB, Gmail auto-converts to a Drive link |
| Outlook / Office 365 | 20 MB | Shared mailboxes often have even lower limits |
| Yahoo Mail | 25 MB | Total for all attachments combined |
| Apple Mail (iCloud) | 20 MB | Mail Drop is used automatically for larger files |
Tips for smaller PDFs
- •Export images at 150 DPI for screen use instead of 300 DPI for print. This alone cuts image data by 75 %.
- •Use "Save as" instead of "Print to PDF" in Word or PowerPoint — it usually produces a smaller file because the layout engine is optimised for the format.
- •Flatten layers and remove hidden content before exporting from design tools like Illustrator or InDesign.
- •Subset fonts instead of embedding the full font family. Most PDF exporters have an option for this.
- •Merge multiple small PDFs into one before compressing — the overhead of repeated font and metadata blocks is eliminated.
When to compress a PDF
- •Email attachments — most providers cap at 20–25 MB. Medium compression usually gets a 50 MB PDF under 10 MB.
- •Web uploads — job applications, government forms, and university submissions often have 5–10 MB limits.
- •Cloud storage — compressing PDFs before backing up to Google Drive or Dropbox saves storage and syncs faster.
- •Mobile sharing — a 2 MB PDF opens instantly on a phone, while a 30 MB version may take 10+ seconds on a mobile connection.
- •Archiving — long-term storage of thousands of documents adds up. Compressing at Light level preserves quality while saving terabytes across a large archive.
Privacy and security
Your PDFs are encrypted in transit (TLS) and processed in an isolated server container. Files are automatically deleted within one hour after processing. We never read, index, or share the content of your documents.
For image files, our tools like Compress Image and HEIC to JPG run entirely in your browser — nothing is uploaded. PDF compression requires server-side processing due to the complexity of the format, but your data remains strictly confidential.
Compress a PDF online — Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum PDF size?
On the free plan, the limit is 100 MB per file. The Pro plan allows files up to 2 GB.
What is the difference between compression levels?
Light mode optimizes the PDF with no visible degradation (ideal for archiving). Medium reduces embedded images and fonts (good balance). Strong compresses to the maximum, sometimes with a slight visual quality loss.
My PDF contains forms/signatures. Will they be preserved?
Yes, interactive forms and annotations are preserved in Light and Medium levels. Strong mode may affect some interactive elements.
Is the resulting PDF a real PDF?
Yes, the output file is a standard PDF, compatible with all readers (Adobe Reader, macOS Preview, Windows, etc.).
Are my documents confidential?
Your files are encrypted in transit and automatically deleted from our servers after 1 hour. We never read or share the content of your documents.
How to send a large PDF by email?
Compress your PDF with AwesomeToolkit before sending. Most email clients limit attachments to 10–25 MB. With Medium or Strong compression, you can reduce a 50 MB PDF to under 5 MB in seconds, with no loss of readability.
Why is my PDF so large?
PDFs become heavy when they contain high-resolution images, embedded fonts, or layers from design software like InDesign or Illustrator. A 5-page brochure with full-page photos can easily exceed 50 MB. Our compressor re-encodes these embedded images at an optimised quality level, often cutting the file size by 60–90 %.
Can I compress a scanned PDF?
Yes. Scanned PDFs are essentially images wrapped in a PDF container, so they compress very well. Medium or Strong compression can reduce a 30 MB scan to under 5 MB, making it easy to email or archive.
Does compression make the text blurry?
Text in digital (non-scanned) PDFs is vector-based and not affected by compression. Only embedded raster images are re-encoded. In Light and Medium modes the difference is nearly invisible. Strong mode may slightly reduce image sharpness but text remains crisp.
Can I compress a password-protected PDF?
If the PDF requires a password to open, you will need to enter it first. If the PDF is only protected against editing (owner password), our tool can still process it normally.