How to Compress a PDF to 100 KB, 200 KB, 500 KB or 1 MB (Free, No Upload)

Upload forms rarely tell you why a PDF was refused; they just say the file is too large. The fix is to compress the PDF to the number written in the notice. This guide shows how to do that for the usual limits without uploading private documents anywhere.

Quick answer

Open the page that matches your limit, add the PDF, press the button and download the result:

How it works

The tool redraws each page as a compressed picture and lowers quality and resolution step by step until the whole file is under the target. It then keeps the sharpest version that fits. If the file is already smaller than the target, it is returned as it is.

When the result is still too big

1. Many pages. Remove pages you do not need with Remove Pages or split the file with Split PDF.
2. Large colour scans. Rescan at 150 dpi in black and white or grayscale.
3. Photos inside. Compress the photos first with compress image to 100 KB, then build the PDF with Image to PDF.

What happens to the text

To reach a small size, pages become pictures, so the text is not selectable afterwards. If you need searchable text, use the Compress PDF tool in tidy-only mode or run OCR PDF after compressing.

Is it private?

Yes. The PDF is processed in your browser. There is no upload, so passports, bank statements and certificates stay on your device.

Frequently asked questions

Will the quality be good enough to read? Yes for normal documents. Very small targets such as 50 KB on a long colour scan will look soft.

Can I do several files? Run each file separately, or merge them first with Merge PDF.

Does it add a watermark? No.