Compress PDF

Reduce the file size of image-heavy and scanned PDFs in your browser by re-rendering each page as a compressed image.

Choose one PDF. We read it locally — nothing is uploaded.

Higher compression shrinks the file more but lowers image quality. Pages are re-rendered as images, so text becomes non-selectable.

ToolsSoup's Compress PDF is a free online tool that shrinks the file size of scanned and image-heavy PDFs, entirely in your browser. It re-renders each page as a compressed JPEG image and rebuilds a smaller PDF, so your document is never uploaded. Pick a compression level, click compress, and see exactly how much you saved — no sign-up and nothing ever leaves your device.

What is a PDF compressor?

A PDF compressor reduces the size of a PDF file so it is faster to email, upload, or store. ToolsSoup compresses honestly by rasterizing each page: it draws every page onto a canvas with the open-source PDF.js engine, exports it as a quality-controlled JPEG, and embeds those images into a brand-new PDF with pdf-lib. This genuinely shrinks scanned documents and PDFs full of photos. Because the pages become images, text in the output is no longer selectable or searchable — this is image-based compression, not lossless optimization. Everything runs locally, so your file is never sent to a server.

How to compress a PDF online

Compressing a PDF with ToolsSoup takes just a few seconds:

  1. Click Select a PDF file and choose the document you want to shrink.
  2. Pick a compression level — recommended is a good balance of size and quality.
  3. Click Compress PDF and wait while each page is re-rendered.
  4. Check the original vs. compressed size and percentage saved, then download your smaller PDF.

Which compression level should I choose?

Choose Less compression when image quality matters most and you only need a modest size reduction — pages are rendered at a higher resolution and JPEG quality. Choose Recommended for the best balance, which suits most scanned documents and reports. Choose Maximum compression when you need the smallest possible file and can accept softer images, for example to fit an email attachment limit. If a PDF is mostly text or already optimized, image-based compression may not make it smaller — the tool will tell you when there were no savings.

Why use this PDF compressor?

  • 100% free with no ads, sign-up, watermarks, or page limits.
  • Runs entirely in your browser — your PDF is never uploaded to a server.
  • Genuine size reduction for scanned and image-heavy PDFs.
  • Three clear compression levels to balance size against quality.
  • See the original size, compressed size, and percentage saved.
  • Works offline once the page has loaded.

Frequently asked questions

Is this PDF compressor free?

Yes. Every tool on ToolsSoup is completely free, with no account, sign-up, watermarks, or hidden limits.

Is my PDF uploaded anywhere?

No. The entire compression happens locally in your browser using JavaScript, so your document is never sent to or stored on any server.

How does the compression work?

It re-renders each page as a JPEG image at a chosen quality and resolution, then rebuilds a new PDF from those images. This reliably reduces the size of scanned and image-heavy PDFs without uploading anything.

Will the text still be selectable after compressing?

No. Because each page is converted into an image, the output PDF looks the same but its text is no longer selectable or searchable. If you need selectable text, keep the original file.

Why didn't my PDF get smaller?

Image-based compression works best on scanned pages and PDFs full of photos. A PDF that is mostly plain text or already heavily optimized may stay the same size or even grow slightly. The tool shows you the result so you can decide whether to keep it.

Why won't my PDF compress?

The most common cause is a password-protected or corrupted file. Make sure the PDF opens normally and is not encrypted, then select it again. Files that are not valid PDFs cannot be processed.