Barely shrank
Text-only PDFs don’t have much fat. Image-heavy ones respond better—try High if you can tolerate softer pictures.
Compress PDF Online
Compress PDF files to reduce size. Choose Low, Medium, or High compression. Max 10MB, no sign-up required. Requires Adobe PDF Services.
Input file
Converted result
Daily limits: 7 for guests, 15 for signed-in users.
You have 7 of 7 remaining today.
- No registration required
- Files deleted immediately after processing
- Max 10MB per file
- Free to use
Your files are automatically deleted immediately after processing. No manual cleanup is required.
How to Compress a PDF
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Upload your PDF file (max 10MB).
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Choose compression level: Low, Medium, or High.
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ConvertFloor processes the file and reduces its size.
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Download the compressed PDF. Your file is not stored.
What this tool does
Pick Low, Medium, or High—Adobe’s engine rewrites the PDF so attachments stop tripping 8–10MB walls. Text usually survives fine; photos and scanned pages take the hit first. One file, 10MB max in, smaller PDF out. Nothing is kept after you download. I’d default to Medium unless I’m emailing a deck full of screenshots—then I might brave High and eyeball the result.
If the output is not what you expected, try a cleaner source file, then run the conversion again.
When to use this vs other tools
- The merged bundle from PDF Merge just laughed at your mail server’s limit
- A form portal caps uploads and you’re 200KB over with no patience left
- You’re archiving years of scans and want less disk, not a museum-quality photo book
- You already know the recipient opens on a phone—lighter files actually open
Common problems and fixes
Looks mushy after High
That’s the trade. Step down to Medium or keep an uncompressed master somewhere safe.
Rejected / timeout
Passwords and corrupt files break the pipeline. Unlock in a reader first. Still stuck? Stay under 10MB.
Hit the daily cap
Guests: 7/day, signed-in 15/day—clock resets midnight. Logging in is the boring fix.
FAQ
Will my fonts break?
Generally no—this isn’t a print-to-PDF hack. Embedded text stays text; rasterized pages lose detail first.
Merge then compress or the other way around?
Merge first to see real size, then compress the combined file once.
Same as “print to PDF”?
Different stack—here you’re optimizing an existing PDF, not re-rendering from Word.
Mobile?
Works in the browser; huge files still prefer Wi‑Fi.
Stored anywhere?
No—download and it’s gone from our side.
Real-world use case
Useful for meeting upload limits on portals, email attachments, or CMS file-size restrictions.
Practical tips
- Compress once, then validate signature/readability.
- If needed, split large PDFs before compression.
Manual vs tool
Manual print-to-PDF often causes unpredictable quality loss; this gives a direct compression flow.
Limitations
Compression is a quality-size tradeoff and cannot preserve perfect fidelity in all files.
Edge cases
- Already optimized PDFs may not shrink much.
- Aggressive compression can reduce scan readability.
What this tool does
This tool shrinks PDF size so uploads stop failing and email attachments actually send. If you've ever had a portal reject your file for being "just a little too large," this is the fastest fix. You can pick compression level based on whether you care more about file size or image sharpness.
How to use
- Upload one PDF and choose Low, Medium, or High compression.
- Run compression and compare output size quickly.
- If text and scans still look good, keep the smaller file.
- If quality drops too much, rerun with a lighter level.
When to use this vs other tools
Use Compress PDF after merging files, before form uploads, or before email sharing. If you need to remove pages first, use Delete PDF Pages. If the file is large because it includes unnecessary pages, Split PDF may be cleaner than heavy compression.
Common problems and fixes
If size barely changes, your PDF likely contains mostly text (already efficient). If scans turn blurry, switch from High to Medium. For password-protected files, unlock first in your PDF viewer before uploading.
FAQ
Will compression break fonts? Usually no, but scanned images may lose some detail at higher levels.
Should I merge then compress? Yes, that usually gives the best final size outcome.
Is this free? Yes, with daily usage limits.
Failure scenarios people hit all the time
The most common complaint is "I compressed it and it barely changed." That usually means the PDF is mostly text already. Compression wins big on image-heavy files, especially scans and slide decks. Another common issue is over-compressing on High and then wondering why logos and signatures look soft. Medium is usually the practical default unless you are fighting strict upload limits.
If you need to cut size without quality damage, remove unnecessary pages first with Delete PDF Pages, or split and send only required sections with PDF Split. When the file is a combined package, compress after PDF Merge so you optimize once, not repeatedly.
Compress PDF vs convert tools
Compression changes size, not file type. If your goal is editing content, use PDF to Word. If your goal is extraction, use the relevant conversion tool first, then compress final deliverables for sharing.
Try another tool
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