Free Compress PDF: Shrink for Email, Keep Text Sharp
Make a PDF small enough to email or upload while the text stays sharp and selectable.
Photos and scans inside the PDF are resized to the resolution you choose and saved again as JPG. Text, links and vector drawings stay exactly as they are, so you can still select and search the text.
Every page is turned into one JPG picture. This gives the smallest file, but the text can no longer be selected, searched or copied, and links stop working. Use it for scans or when size matters more than anything else.
Everything you already do here stays free, with the same limits.
Your files
Your files never leave your device. Everything is processed in your browser, so nothing is uploaded to a server.
What this tool does
To make a PDF small enough to email, drop it above and press Compress PDFs: the photos and scans inside are shrunk while the text stays sharp, free and with no sign-up. It makes PDF files smaller so they fit through email attachment limits, upload forms and chat apps. You choose how:
- Recommended: shrink images, keep text. The photos and scans inside the PDF are resized to the resolution you pick and saved again as JPG. Everything else, including text, links, fonts and vector drawings, stays exactly as it was, so the text is still selectable and searchable.
- Strong: flatten pages to images. Every page is turned into a single JPG picture. This gives the smallest file, but the text can no longer be selected, searched or copied. It is best for scanned documents, where the pages are pictures anyway.
For each file you see the size before and after, and how many pictures were made smaller.
How to use it
- Choose Recommended or Strong.
- Drop your PDFs into the box above, or click it to choose them.
- Pick an image resolution and a JPG quality. The defaults (150 DPI, 70%) work well for most files.
- Press Compress PDFs. Each file shows its progress, and the results appear under Your files with the new size.
- Download each file, or press Download all.
Which settings to pick
| Goal | Mode | Resolution | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| Email a document with photos | Recommended | 150 DPI | 70% |
| Fit a strict upload limit (for example 2 MB) | Recommended | 100 DPI | 60% |
| Shrink a scanned document as much as possible | Strong | 100 DPI | 60% |
| Keep it good enough to print | Recommended | 300 DPI | 85% |
Tips
- Start with Recommended. Only switch to Strong if the file is still too large and you do not need to select the text.
- A PDF that is mostly text is already small. Compressing it again saves little, and the tool keeps your original when it cannot do better.
- Check the result before you delete the original. Open it and zoom in on a photo to make sure it is still sharp enough for you.
- Need to remove pages first? Use our free organize PDF tool to delete or reorder pages, or merge and split PDFs.
Free, Pro and Pro+
| Free | Pro | Pro+ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| PDFs per batch | 50 | 500 | 500 |
| Size per batch | 100 MB | 500 MB | 500 MB |
| Download all as one ZIP | — | Yes | Yes |
| Saved presets | — | Yes | Yes |
| Custom file names | — | Yes | Yes |
| Result quality | The same on every plan | ||
| Server tools paid with credits | With a credit pack | With a credit pack | 300 credits every month |
Pro+ credits pay for server tools: fast speech to text and fast auto subtitles. A credit pack (150 credits, valid for 12 months) works on any plan. Compare plans.
Frequently asked questions
How do I compress a PDF so it fits in an email?
Use Recommended mode at 150 DPI and 70% quality, the defaults. Many email services cap attachments at around 20 to 25 MB. If the file is still too big, run it again at 100 DPI and 60%, which is usually enough for reading on a screen.
Can I compress a PDF to an exact size, like 1 MB or 200 KB?
There is no target-size box, but you see the new size of every file right away. If it is still above your limit, lower the resolution and quality and compress again. For scanned documents, Strong mode makes the smallest files.
Are my PDFs uploaded anywhere?
No. The files are opened and rebuilt inside your browser, on your own device. Nothing is sent to our servers or anyone else, so it is fine for contracts, bank statements and other private documents.
Why did my PDF hardly get smaller?
Most of a PDF's size usually comes from photos and scanned pages. If your file is mostly text, there is little to shrink, and the tool tells you so. If the file is already compressed, you get your original back unchanged instead of a larger copy.
What is the difference between Recommended and Strong?
Recommended only shrinks the pictures inside the PDF. Text, links and drawings are untouched, so you can still select, search and copy the text. Strong turns every page into one picture. It gives the smallest file, but the text can no longer be selected or searched and links stop working.
Which resolution should I choose?
150 DPI keeps photos and scans sharp on any screen and is the best choice for email. 100 or 72 DPI makes the file smaller still and is fine for reading on a phone. Use 200 or 300 DPI if the PDF will be printed.
Will the text get blurry?
Not in Recommended mode. Text is kept exactly as it is, so it stays sharp at any zoom. Only the pictures are resized. In Strong mode the text becomes part of a picture, so choose 150 DPI or more if it needs to stay readable.
Can I compress a locked or protected PDF?
Not directly. Unlock it in your PDF reader, save an unlocked copy, and compress that copy.
Are there limits?
Up to 50 files and 100 MB per batch, and up to 1,000 pages per file in Strong mode. Everything is free.