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Compress PDF

Genuinely reduce PDF file size by re-rendering every page at your chosen quality. Works on any PDF — scanned or digital.

🔍 How it actually worksEach page is rendered to an image via PDF.js, then a new lean PDF is built from those images. This compresses embedded images, scans, and graphics — often achieving 40–80% reduction.
⚠️ Trade-offOutput is image-based — text won't be selectable/searchable. For text-heavy PDFs with no images, this method may not reduce size much.
🔒 100% PrivateAll processing happens in your browser. Your PDF never leaves your device.
🗜️
Drop your PDF files here
or click below · PDF files · 100% browser-based
⚙️ Compression Level
📉 Screen — Maximum compression. Good for reading on screen, email, sharing. Text may look slightly soft.
✅ Compression Complete!
FAQ

Common Questions

How much will my PDF shrink? +
At Screen quality (72 DPI / 60%), image-heavy PDFs typically shrink by 50–80%. Text-heavy PDFs may shrink less. The exact result depends on how much image content is in your PDF.
Why is the text not selectable after compression? +
To achieve real compression, we render each page as an image and rebuild the PDF from those images. This removes embedded fonts and text layers, making the output image-only. If you need selectable text, use the "High" preset which preserves more quality.
Which preset should I use? +
Use Screen for maximum size reduction (email, messaging). Use Web for a good balance of quality and size. Use Print if you need to print the result. Use High for near-original quality with moderate compression.
Is this safe for confidential documents? +
Yes. All compression happens locally using PDF.js and pdf-lib in your browser. Your document never leaves your device and is never sent to any server.
Why is compression slow for large PDFs? +
Each page must be rendered individually using your CPU. A 20-page PDF at high DPI can take 15–30 seconds. This is normal for browser-based processing. Choosing a lower DPI preset speeds things up significantly.

How to Compress a PDF Online

Compressing a PDF with PDFSnip is simple. Upload your PDF, choose your compression level, and download the smaller file in seconds. Our tool reduces PDF size by optimizing images and removing unnecessary data — without visible quality loss for most documents.

Why Compress a PDF?

Large PDF files are difficult to share by email, slow to upload, and waste storage space. Most email providers limit attachments to 10–25 MB. Compressing your PDF solves this instantly. Compressed PDFs also load faster in browsers and are easier to work with on slower connections.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much can I reduce my PDF size?

PDFs with many images can be reduced by 50–90%. Text-only PDFs may reduce by 10–30%.

Will compression reduce quality?

For most documents, the quality difference is invisible. You can choose between strong compression (smaller file) and light compression (better quality).

Is there a file size limit?

PDFSnip supports PDF files up to 100 MB. For larger files, split first then compress each part.

Is it free?

Yes, completely free with no limits, no watermark, and no account required.