Compress PDF: reduce PDF file size for free
Make a PDF small enough to email or upload. Choose how much to compress, and download the smaller file. Your PDF never leaves your device.
Your files never leave your device. Every PDF tool on this page works inside your browser, and nothing is uploaded to BunnyDoc or anyone else.
How to compress a PDF in 3 steps
- 1
Open your PDF
Drop the PDF into the box above or click Choose PDF.
- 2
Choose a level
Recommended keeps text sharp and selectable. Strong shrinks photos and scans further. Maximum turns every page into an image for the smallest file.
- 3
Compress and download
Click Compress and download. You see the old and new size, and the smaller PDF is saved to your downloads.
Why compress PDFs with BunnyDoc
Keeps text sharp
The Recommended and Strong levels shrink images only, so text, links and form fields stay as they are.
Three levels
Choose between quality and size, from Recommended to Maximum.
See the saving
The tool shows the size before and after, so you know it worked.
Private by design
Your files are processed in your browser and never uploaded, so they stay on your device.
Free, no sign-up
No account, no email address, no watermark and no daily limit.
Works on any device
Use it on Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, Android or a tablet, in any modern browser.
Why PDFs get big, and how compression helps
Most large PDFs are large because of the photos and scans inside them: a scanned contract, a brochure with full-page images, or pages photographed with a phone. Text takes very little space. That is why this tool works on the images: it resizes them to a sensible resolution and saves them as efficient JPEGs, and leaves the text alone.
Which level to choose
- Recommended: the best balance for email and uploads. Images stay clear on screen and in print at normal sizes.
- Strong: for portals with strict size limits. Photos lose some fine detail.
- Maximum: every page becomes an image. This gives the smallest file, but the text can no longer be selected, searched or copied, and form fields are flattened.
A PDF that is mostly text is often already small. If the tool can't make your file meaningfully smaller, it tells you instead of giving you a file that is the same size. For other methods, read how to compress a PDF without losing quality.
Compress PDF: frequently asked questions
Is Compress PDF free?
Yes. It is free to use, with no sign-up and no watermark.
Is my PDF uploaded?
No. The PDF is compressed inside your browser and the smaller file is created on your device. Nothing is sent to BunnyDoc.
Will compressing reduce the quality?
Recommended keeps text exactly as it is and reduces images to a resolution that still looks sharp on screen and in normal printing. Strong and Maximum trade more image quality for a smaller file.
Why didn't my PDF get smaller?
PDFs that contain mostly text, or images that are already well compressed, have little to save. Try Strong or Maximum, or split the file and send it in parts with Split PDF.
How small does a PDF need to be for email?
Many email services limit attachments to about 20 to 25 MB in total, and some portals accept only 2 to 10 MB. Check the limit where you are sending it.
More free PDF tools
Sign PDF
Add your signature, initials, date and text, and fill in PDF forms.
Open →Merge PDF
Combine several PDFs into one file, in the order you choose.
Open →Split PDF
Pull out pages, split by page ranges or save every page separately.
Open →Rotate PDF
Turn pages that are sideways or upside down, and save them.
Open →PDF to JPG
Save each page of a PDF as a JPG image.
Open →Add text to PDF
Type on any PDF and fill in forms, then download it.
Open →Government forms
Official forms to fill in and sign online.
Open →Need signatures from other people?
Send your PDF with BunnyDoc eSignature. Signers get an email link, every step is recorded in an audit trail, and you get the completed PDF back. The free plan includes 5 signature requests a month.
No credit card required.