Compress a PDF
Shrink a PDF for email and upload forms, without uploading it.
Processed in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.
How to compress a PDF
- 1
Choose the PDF you want to make smaller.
- 2
Pick a level: Light keeps everything lossless, Recommended balances size and clarity, Strong makes the smallest file.
- 3
Tap “Compress PDF” and compare the before and after.
- 4
Download your smaller PDF.
Why PDFs get so big
Most oversized PDFs come from scanning: phone scanner apps and office copiers save each page as a high-resolution photo, often several megabytes per page. Others are bloated by large embedded images, or by leftover data from repeated editing and saving. Compressing removes that excess so the file is easier to email, upload and store.
This PDF compressor will shrink a PDF and make the PDF smaller for email, WhatsApp and upload portals.
Three levels, one honest result
- Light is lossless. Atifo removes data the PDF no longer uses, compresses parts that were stored uncompressed, and repacks the file. Nothing you can see changes.
- Recommended redraws every page as a well-compressed image at screen-friendly resolution. Scans typically shrink by 70–90% and stay clear.
- Strong goes further for the smallest possible file, at the cost of softer images and text.
Recommended and Strong turn pages into images, so text stops being selectable. To protect you from a bad trade, Atifo also runs the lossless method. If that turns out smaller, you get it and keep your text. If nothing makes the file smaller, you keep the original.
Check before you send
After compressing, drag the comparison slider across page 1 to see the original and compressed versions side by side, and zoom in to check small print.
Private, even for sensitive files
Compression runs in your browser. Contracts, statements and medical reports are never uploaded to a server.
Frequently asked questions
Which compression level should I use?
Recommended suits most scans and photo-heavy PDFs. Use Light when text must stay selectable, for example contracts or forms you will search later. Use Strong only when size matters more than sharpness.
Why isn’t text selectable after Recommended or Strong?
Those levels save each page as a compressed image, which shrinks scans and photos dramatically. If Light gives a smaller file for your PDF, Atifo uses that instead and your text stays selectable.
What happens if my PDF can’t get smaller?
Some PDFs are already well optimized. If compressing would make the file bigger, Atifo keeps your original and tells you.
How much smaller will my file get?
Phone scans and photo-heavy PDFs often shrink by 70–90%. Text-only PDFs from word processors are usually small already and may shrink only a little.
I need a specific size, like 100 KB. Can this do that?
Use Compress PDF to a specific size instead. It searches for the best quality that fits under the limit you choose.