Reduce the file size of your PDF documents without losing quality. Our free online tool makes it easy to compress your PDFs for easier sharing and storage. No Signup Required.
Lower values = smaller file size, but lower quality
Lower values = more compression, but lower quality
The PDF format was created by Adobe co-founder John Warnock in 1991 through a project called "Camelot," aiming to make documents viewable on any computer regardless of operating system.
While a typical uncompressed PDF can be 15-30 times larger than its text-only equivalent, compression techniques can reduce file sizes by up to 80%.
Interestingly, the U.S. Courts system was an early adopter of PDF compression, implementing it in 1998 to manage the millions of legal documents filed annually.
The average office worker handles approximately 10,000 PDF files per year, with uncompressed versions consuming about 50GB of storage.
NASA has used specialized PDF compression for space missions, where transmitting uncompressed documents from Mars rovers would take hours versus minutes for compressed versions.
PDF compression employs multiple specialized algorithms working in concert. While JPEG compression handles images, text compression uses different techniques like FLATE (based on the zlib/deflate algorithm), which identifies repeating patterns and replaces them with shorter references.
Modern PDF compressors implement content-aware techniques that analyze document structure to apply optimal compression methods to different elements.
For images, they use perceptual quality models that identify which visual details can be reduced without noticeable quality loss to human eyes.
Browser-based compressors face unique challenges, using WebAssembly to achieve near-native performance while working within memory constraints.
The most advanced implementations use machine learning to predict optimal compression parameters based on document content analysis, achieving up to 30% better compression than static algorithms.
Selecting the best PDF compressor depends on your specific needs—such as batch processing, privacy, platform support, and whether you prefer an online or desktop tool. Here's our breakdown of the top options:
Versatile and widely trusted with a suite of PDF tools, reliable compression, and a user-friendly interface.
High-quality compression with editing and conversion features. Intuitive interface from the creators of PDF.
Completely free with up to 90% file size reduction, batch processing, and strong privacy protection.
Secure with SSL encryption, OCR capabilities, batch processing, and adjustable compression strength.
Versatile with batch compression, merging, editing, and cloud integration. Affordable premium options.
Open source with command line support, metadata-only compression, and strong privacy protection.
Our PDF compressor reduces the file size of your PDFs by optimizing images, removing redundant information, and applying compression algorithms. Simply upload your PDF and download the compressed version.
Yes, you can upload PDF files up to 10MB in size. For larger files, you may need to use desktop software.
Compression results vary depending on the content of your PDF. Files with many images typically see greater size reduction (up to 70-80%) compared to text-heavy documents (typically 20-30%).
Yes, we take data security seriously. This tool processes your files entirely in your browser - your PDFs are never uploaded to our servers. This means your sensitive documents never leave your device, ensuring complete privacy and security.
Our compressor is designed to maintain a balance between file size and quality. While some minor reduction in image quality may occur, text and document structure remain intact. You can adjust compression settings to prioritize quality or file size reduction.
Compressing PDFs is useful for many purposes: reducing file sizes for email attachments, saving storage space, improving website loading times for downloadable PDFs, meeting file size upload limits, or optimizing documents for mobile viewing.
No, we don't store any of your files. Since the compression happens entirely in your browser, your files never reach our servers. Once you close the browser tab or navigate away, all processed data is automatically cleared from your browser's memory.