PDF Flourish

Compress PDF Online Free

Compress a PDF so it is small enough to email or upload. Pages are re-rendered at your chosen quality inside your browser, so the file never leaves your device.

  • Files never leave your device
  • No signup, no watermarks
  • Works offline once loaded

Drag and drop here, or choose from your device.

Up to 50 MB per file. Files are processed in your browser.

How to compress PDF

  1. 1Select or drop your PDF file.
  2. 2Pick a compression level — lighter keeps more detail, stronger saves more space.
  3. 3Press Compress and wait for the pages to be processed.
  4. 4Check the size reduction and download the compressed PDF.

What you get

  • See original size, new size and the exact percentage saved.
  • Three quality levels so you can balance size and readability.
  • Runs offline in your browser after the page loads.

Tips for better results

  • Try the lightest level first and only step up if the file is still too large — each step also removes detail from scanned text.
  • Email attachments usually need to be under 25 MB, and many web forms cap uploads at 5 MB or 2 MB. Compress to the limit you actually need, not the smallest possible file.
  • If a compressed page looks blurry on your phone, zoom to 100% on a desktop before deciding — mobile screens exaggerate softness.

Examples

A 40 MB scanned contract that will not attach to an email

Scans are mostly photographs of paper, so they respond very well here. Use the medium level: a 40 MB scan typically lands between 3 MB and 8 MB and stays perfectly legible when printed at A4.

A design portfolio with full-page photographs

Use the lightest level and check the result page by page. Photographs lose visible detail quickly, so it is often better to compress lightly here and, if needed, split the portfolio into two smaller PDFs instead.

Frequently asked questions

How does compression work here?
Each page is rendered to an image at a reduced resolution and JPEG quality, then written into a new PDF. This is very effective for scanned documents and image-heavy files.
Will the text still be selectable?
No. Because pages are rasterised, text becomes part of the page image. If you need selectable text, use a lighter level or keep the original alongside the compressed copy.
Why did my file get bigger?
Files that are already highly optimised, or plain-text PDFs with few graphics, can grow when rasterised. In that case keep the original — the tool always shows you both sizes before you download.
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. This tool runs entirely in your browser using JavaScript. Your file never leaves your device, and nothing is stored by us.
Does it work on my phone?
Yes. The tools work in modern mobile browsers on Android and iPhone, as well as on Windows, macOS and Linux desktops.

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