PDFLocal No upload

Compress a PDF

Reduce PDF file size without handing the document to a stranger. You see the exact before and after size before you decide which copy to keep.

Compression re-encodes each page as an image. Text becomes part of the image, so it is no longer selectable.

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Compression is where free PDF sites make their money: the file you uploaded is kept on their server, the result is held behind an email form, and the free tier caps you at a couple of files per day. Because PDFLocal streams everything through your own browser, there is no quota, no queue and no copy of your document sitting in someone else's storage.

The engine renders each page and re-encodes it as JPEG at the quality level you choose. That is exactly what makes scanned documents shrink so well — a 300 dpi colour scan of ten pages routinely drops from tens of megabytes to a couple. If your PDF is already text-only and tightly produced, re-encoding can make it larger; the tool always reports both numbers so you can compare and keep whichever copy you prefer.

How to compress a pdf

  1. Add your PDFDrop the document you want to shrink. A single file per run keeps the before/after comparison meaningful.
  2. Pick a compression levelLight keeps the most detail, Balanced is right for most documents, Strong is for scans you only need to read on screen.
  3. CompressEvery page is rendered and re-encoded on your device. Nothing is sent anywhere.
  4. Compare and keepThe result panel shows the compressed size next to the original, so you can decide which copy to keep.

Frequently asked questions

How much smaller will my file get?
It depends entirely on what is inside. Image-heavy scans commonly drop 60–90%. Text-only PDFs that were already generated by a word processor may barely change, and can occasionally grow — the tool reports both sizes so you never have to guess.
Will the text still be selectable?
No. Compression rasterises pages, which means text becomes part of the image. If you need to keep searchable text, use a lower scale instead, or keep the original and compress only a copy you are sending on.
Does compressing reduce quality?
Scanned documents look essentially unchanged at the Balanced level. Very small print or fine line art can soften at the Strong level. Compare the two copies and keep whichever suits the purpose.
Can I compress a password-protected PDF?
No. Encrypted files cannot be opened by browser-side tooling at all — remove the password first.
Is there a file size limit?
No server-side limit, because no server is involved. Very large documents are bounded by your device memory; a few hundred pages is comfortable on a modern laptop.

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Every tool on this site runs locally. Read the no upload policy to see how to verify it yourself.