Compress a PDF file

File too big for email or a government portal? If the portal states a limit in megabytes, choose Fit a size limit and pick that number, and we find the highest quality that stays under it. Or pick a fixed level and compare before and after.

Drop your files here

Files are processed on your device and never uploaded

Runs in your browser. Your file never leaves your device.

You can process several files at once, up to 3.

100% local, nothing uploaded

Three steps, that's it

Drop a PDF into the tray
Choose a quality level, or Fit a size limit and the limit the portal asks for
Compress, compare sizes, download

What the compress tool does

The compress tool shrinks a PDF at one of four levels. Light rewrites the file with a tighter structure and keeps text, fonts and links exactly as they are, which suits text documents. Medium and strong redraw every page as a JPEG image at a lower resolution and quality, and that is what cuts a scanned file to a fraction of its size. Fit a size limit turns the question around: you state the limit the portal set, and we look for the least damage that stays under it. After the run you see the size before and after and the saving.

Everything runs inside your browser. The file never leaves your device and is never uploaded, which is what makes the tool fit for payslips, invoices and official paperwork.

When you need to compress a PDF

The need comes from size limits. WhatsApp compresses photos but sends documents as they are up to a cap, email refuses large attachments, and job portals such as Jadarat and university systems put a ceiling on uploads that is usually between 1 and 5 MB. A service on Absher or Qiwa can reject a high-resolution scan for its size alone.

Phone scanning is the main reason files balloon: a camera app saves every page at several megapixels, so a ten-page contract reaches tens of megabytes. Strong compression brings those pages back to a sensible size that passes any portal while the text stays readable.

How to compress a PDF, step by step

Open the compress page and drop the file into the tray, or pick it from your device. Up to three files run together in one batch.
Choose the level: light for text documents you want to copy from, medium for a balance of size and clarity, strong for scans when size matters most. If the portal states a limit in megabytes, choose Fit a size limit and pick that number instead of guessing at a level.
Click the compress button and wait. Medium and strong visit every page, so a long file takes a little longer.
Compare the before and after sizes on the result card. If the file is still too big, run it again on strong or on Fit a size limit; if it came out larger than the original, keep your original.
Download the compressed file, or share it to WhatsApp from the share row.

Limits to know about

Fit a size limit offers five ready limits: 1, 2, 5, 10 and 25 MB. For any other limit, add ?level=fit&capMb=3 to the page address.
Fit a size limit tries a lossless save first; if that does not come in under the limit it redraws the pages as images, the way medium and strong do, and keeps the highest quality that still fits. If even the strongest setting cannot reach the limit we say so rather than give you a file that exceeds it.
Medium and strong turn pages into images, so the text is no longer selectable, copyable or searchable, and links and form fields are lost. Only the light level keeps them.
A small text file can come out larger on medium or strong, because an image weighs more than text. The result card tells you when that happens.
A password-protected file cannot be compressed directly. Unlock it first, then compress the result.
One run handles up to three files, a technical limit because every file is unpacked and rebuilt inside your browser, and several results download as one ZIP.

Common problems and fixes

The file is still too big after compressing

Choose Fit a size limit and state the limit you need, rather than trying the levels one after another. If even the strongest setting cannot reach it, split the file with Split by size, which meets the same limit losslessly across more than one file.

The file came out larger than the original

This happens to a light text file when it is redrawn as images. Run it again on light, and if the output is still larger, the original is already well compressed and you should keep it.

The text can no longer be copied or searched

That is what medium and strong do. Compress again on light, or run the result through the OCR tool to add a searchable text layer.

Arabic letters look faint or blurry

Strong lowers the resolution. Try medium, which draws the page at a higher resolution, or use light if the file is text.

The file is password protected

Run it through the unlock PDF tool with the current password, compress the result, then protect it again if you need to.

Frequently asked questions

How do I compress a PDF to under 1 MB?

Choose the Fit a size limit level and pick 1 MB. We try a lossless save first, and if that fits, the job is done and the text stays selectable. If not, we search for the highest quality that still fits, measuring the real bytes of every attempt, so the size on the result card is the size you will download. If even the strongest setting cannot reach it, we say so and point you at Split by size.

How do I compress a PDF on my phone without an app?

Open the compress page in your phone browser, tap the tray to pick the file from the Files app or from WhatsApp after saving it, choose a level and tap compress. Everything runs in the browser on iPhone and Android with nothing to install, and you can share the result straight to WhatsApp from the share row.

Why the note about text selectability?

Because the medium and strong levels turn every page into a compressed JPEG image, which gives the biggest saving on scans but removes the text layer. If your file is text and you need to copy from it or search it, use the light level, which keeps text, fonts and links exactly as they are.

How much smaller will my file get?

It depends on the file. Scanned documents often shrink to half their size or far less on the strong level. A text file that is already compressed gains a little on light and can come out larger on medium or strong, because those levels turn pages into images, and the result card tells you when that happens.

What is the difference between light, medium, strong and fitting a size limit?

Light rewrites the file with a tighter structure and keeps the text selectable, with a modest saving. Medium redraws pages as images at a higher resolution, balancing size and clarity. Strong draws them lower for the smallest size, and suits scans. Fit a size limit asks a different question: you state the limit the portal set, and we find the least damage that stays under it.

Can I compress a password-protected PDF?

Not directly, since an encrypted file refuses to open and you see a message that it is protected. If you know the password, run it through the unlock PDF tool first and compress the unlocked file, then protect it again with the protect PDF tool if it must stay locked when you send it.

Are my files uploaded when compressing?

No. Compression runs entirely inside your browser; the pages are read and rewritten on your device and the file is never sent to a server. That is why the tool is safe for payslips and tax invoices, and it also works with no internet once the page has loaded once on your phone or computer.