Is Compress PDF free?
Yes. This tool is free to use with no sign-up, and it runs entirely in your browser.
Does it upload my PDF to a server?
No. The compression happens locally in your browser, so the source PDF stays on your device during processing.
Will this always make my PDF smaller?
Not always. It is most effective on scanned and image-heavy PDFs. If the source is already efficient, some presets may produce a similar or slightly larger file.
Will the compressed PDF keep selectable text and forms?
Not necessarily. This version rebuilds pages as images, so searchable text, form fields, and annotations can be flattened in the exported PDF.
Which preset should I choose?
Pick the smaller-file preset when you need to meet a strict size limit, or the better-quality preset when visual fidelity matters more than maximum size reduction.
Why can I no longer select the text after compressing?
Because compression here rebuilds each page as a JPEG image. The text becomes part of a picture, so it is no longer selectable, searchable or copyable. That is how the file gets small, and it is the trade you are making.
Which compression preset should I use?
Balanced for most scans: it renders at 1.8x with JPEG quality 0.64. Smaller (1.45x, quality 0.52) is for upload limits, and Better quality (2.15x, 0.76) is for dense text and diagrams.
Should I compress a text PDF?
Usually not. An exported document is already efficient, and compressing it this way makes it blurrier AND destroys the text layer. This tool earns its keep on scans and image-heavy files.
How much smaller will the PDF get?
It depends entirely on the source. A 600 dpi scan drops enormously, because pages are capped at 2200 px on the long edge. A lean text PDF may barely shrink at all.
Can I get the text layer back?
Not from the compressed file. You would have to run OCR over it, which is a reconstruction rather than a recovery. Keep the original.