Compress PDF
Make a PDF small enough for an email attachment or an upload form. Pick how much to compress, and download the lighter file. Text and vector graphics stay sharp: only the images inside the PDF are resampled.
or drop them here
Compression level
Free: 10 files a day, up to 500 MB each, no account needed. Files are deleted after 24 hours.
How it works
- 1
Add your PDF
Drop one or several PDF files, up to 500 MB each on the free plan.
- 2
Choose a level
Recommended suits most documents. Strong gives the smallest file for scans and photos.
- 3
Download
You see the size before and after. The file is deleted from our servers after 24 hours.
Frequently asked questions
How much smaller will my PDF be?
It depends on what is inside. Scanned documents and PDFs full of photos usually shrink a lot, especially at the Strong level. A PDF that contains mostly text is already small and changes little. The page shows the size before and after, so you can try another level if needed.
Does compression make text blurry?
No. Text and vector graphics are kept as they are. Only the images inside the PDF are resampled to the resolution of the level you chose.
Can I compress a password-protected PDF?
Not at the moment. Remove the password in your PDF reader first, then compress the file.
Is it free?
Yes, up to 10 files a day and 500 MB per file, without an account. For larger files or more files, see the paid plans.
Can I compress PDFs from code?
Yes. The ConvertFly API exposes the same compression as the optimize operation. See the API documentation.
Learn more
What makes a PDF heavy
Almost always the images: scanned pages, photos and screenshots stored at a much higher resolution than a screen needs. Compression resamples those images and rewrites the file. Text, fonts and vector drawings are kept as they are, so they stay sharp at any zoom.
Which level to pick
Light keeps images at 300 dpi, enough to print. Recommended uses 150 dpi, which reads well on any screen and suits email. Strong goes down to 72 dpi for the smallest file, at the cost of detail in photos. A PDF made of text only shrinks little, whatever the level.
Never bigger than your original
A PDF that was already optimized can come out larger after a new pass. When that happens, ConvertFly gives you back your original file instead of a heavier one, and tells you so.
Privacy
Files travel over HTTPS, are processed on our servers in Europe (United Kingdom and France), are stored encrypted, and are deleted automatically after 24 hours. They are processed automatically and are not shared.
More free tools
- Merge PDF: Combine PDFs and images into one PDF
- Compress image: Smaller JPG, PNG and WebP files
- Compress video: Shrink videos to share and upload
- Add watermark: Text watermark on PDFs, images and videos
- Split PDF: Extract pages or separate every page
- Rotate PDF: Turn pages the right way up
- Resize image: Change dimensions, same proportions
- GIF maker: Turn a video clip into a GIF