Compress PDF — Free

Server-side GhostScript optimization. No sign-up, no watermark.

Select PDF to Compress

Click, press Enter, or drag & drop

Selected file

-

-

Compression level

Actual reduction depends on your file — image-heavy scans compress far more than text-only documents. These are GhostScript's standard presets, not fixed guarantees.

Processing on our server

This may take 10–30 seconds depending on file size.

Uploading…

Done

Original

-

Compressed

-

-

How this actually works

This tool uploads your PDF to our server, where it's processed with GhostScript (an industry-standard, open-source PDF engine) and one of three standard quality presets. The file is transferred over HTTPS. This is server-side processing — like most major PDF tools (PDF24, Smallpdf, iLovePDF, FreeConvert also process on their servers) — not something that happens only in your browser. If you need processing that never leaves your device, our Merge PDF and Split PDF tools genuinely are client-side; this one isn't, and we'd rather say so than imply otherwise.

What the three presets actually do

These map directly to GhostScript's own -dPDFSETTINGS options:

  • Screen (/screen) — downsamples images to roughly 72 DPI. Smallest files, most noticeable quality trade-off on images.
  • eBook (/ebook) — roughly 150 DPI. Good balance for on-screen reading and email.
  • Printer (/printer) — roughly 300 DPI. Best image fidelity, least size reduction.

Text and vector content aren't rasterized by any of these settings — the size reduction comes mainly from image downsampling and structural cleanup, so a text-only PDF will shrink far less than a scanned document.

What we can confirm about file handling

Your file is deleted from our server immediately after the compressed result is sent back to you — in the same request, not after a delay of hours like some other tools disclose. If your document is regulated (health, financial, legal), confirm with your compliance team whether server-side processing meets your specific requirements — we can tell you what our tool does, not certify your compliance.

What this tool doesn't do

  • No encrypted/password-protected PDF support — remove the password first.
  • One file at a time — no batch upload of multiple PDFs in a single run.
  • No custom DPI/quality slider — just the three standard presets above.

Frequently asked questions

Is my file uploaded to a server?

Yes — this tool uses server-side GhostScript. Your file is transferred over HTTPS and deleted immediately after the compressed result is returned, in the same request.

How much smaller will my file get?

It depends heavily on content. Scanned, image-heavy PDFs often shrink the most; text-only documents shrink much less. There's no fixed percentage we can guarantee in advance.

Will compression blur my text?

No — GhostScript's presets affect image resolution, not vector text, which stays sharp and searchable.

Can I compress a password-protected PDF?

Not currently — remove the password first, then compress the unlocked file.

Is this GDPR/HIPAA compliant?

We can tell you what happens to your file (uploaded over HTTPS, deleted after processing) — but formal compliance depends on your organization's own obligations and agreements, not a claim we can make on your behalf.