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Compress PDF

Shrink a PDF so it fits an email or upload limit. PDFQuick re-renders each page as a compressed image and reports the real before-and-after size — if the result isn't smaller, we tell you to keep the original.

Select a PDF to compress

Drag & drop here, or choose from your device.

PDF files · up to 100.0 MB each

Before you compress: this method converts each page to an image. Selectable text, hyperlinks and form fields will not survive. Keep your original file and treat the compressed version as a copy for sharing.

Privacy note: this tool runs entirely in your browser using JavaScript. Your file is read into memory on your own device and is never uploaded to PDFQuick or any third party. Read our privacy policy.

How to use Compress PDF

  1. Add your PDF

    Select one PDF up to 100 MB.

  2. Choose a level

    Basic keeps the most detail, Maximum produces the smallest file.

  3. Compare and download

    Check the measured saving before you download the compressed copy.

Why use PDFQuick for this

Honest numbers

The sizes shown are measured from the actual output file, not estimated or invented.

Great for scans

Photo-heavy and scanned PDFs typically shrink the most, often by 60–90%.

Clear trade-offs

We state plainly that compressed pages become images, so text is no longer selectable.

Nothing leaves your device

Rendering and re-encoding both happen locally with pdf.js and pdf-lib.

Frequently asked questions

How does the compression work?

Each page is rendered at a reduced resolution and re-encoded as a JPEG, then all pages are assembled into a new PDF. This is very effective for image-heavy documents.

Will my text still be selectable?

No. Because pages become images, selectable text, links and form fields are lost. Keep the original if you need those.

What if the file gets bigger?

That happens with text-only PDFs that are already efficient. PDFQuick detects it, shows the real numbers and recommends keeping your original file.

Is quality loss reversible?

No. Compression is lossy, so always keep a copy of the original document.

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