Compress PDF Files & Reduce Size
Hybrid3 free/dayCompress PDF files in your browser — Light keeps text selectable, stronger levels re-encode images for a smaller size. Free, no sign-in, no upload under 10 MB.
Free · Local processingRuns locally in your browser by default; choose cloud processing for large files
Drag files here, or click to browse
Supports PDF
Choose fileHeads-up: pages are re-encoded as images in this mode — the text layer is not preserved. Keep the original file.
Compression rewrites the PDF structure — results vary by file. Scanned PDFs compress by image quality only.
Pro · Process in cloudUploaded files are stored for 30 days by default and can be deleted anytime
After submission this page polls the job every 2 seconds for up to about 11 minutes; if it times out, please resubmit (the server allows up to 10 minutes per job).
Pro large-file compression · Sign in with Pro required
What is it? Compress PDF Files & Reduce Size shrinks PDFs by rebuilding pages and object streams — one file or a batch (per-file failure isolation) with a one-click ZIP of the results. Files up to 10 MB are compressed entirely in your browser; larger files can optionally go through Pro cloud processing (structure-level optimization — for deeper compression, use the local Recommended or Extreme levels on smaller files).
TL;DR: Shrink PDFs in Light, Recommended or Extreme levels. Drop one or more files, pick a level, compare before/after sizes and download singly or as a ZIP. Free with no sign-in — files up to 10 MB are compressed in your browser and never uploaded.
How to use
- Drop in one or more PDFs — files up to 10 MB are processed locally in your browser, never uploaded.
- Pick a compression level — Light (lossless), Recommended or Extreme — or the Web / Print / HighQuality quick presets.
- Click "Compress PDF" — before/after sizes and savings are shown per file and for the whole batch (per-file failures are skipped without stopping the rest).
- Download the smaller PDFs one by one, or grab them all as a ZIP; larger files can use the Pro cloud panel below.
FAQ
Is it lossless?
Light is lossless — it rebuilds the structure and object streams, so text stays selectable and quality untouched. Recommended and Extreme rasterize pages and lose selectable text, trading fidelity for a much smaller file. Already-optimized PDFs may barely shrink at any level.
When is cloud used?
Cloud processing is optional for any file — it's recommended for files over the local 10 MB limit. You choose it explicitly; small files are processed locally by default.
Will my PDF be uploaded?
Not for files up to 10 MB — they are compressed locally in your browser. Larger files leave your device only if you explicitly choose Pro cloud processing.
Can I compress a PDF to a specific size, like 1 MB or 200 KB?
No — there is no target-size mode. The levels trade quality for size in fixed steps; compress, read the before/after sizes on the page, and step up a level if the file is still too large. For an email or upload limit, start with Recommended.
How do I make a PDF small enough for email?
Pick Recommended (or Extreme if the attachment limit is tight), read the savings per file, then download — a batch packs as a ZIP so one attachment holds them all.
Is it free? Do I need an account?
Yes — compressing PDFs up to 10 MB uses the free daily allowance and needs no sign-in, and those files never leave your device. Files over the local limit can optionally use Pro cloud processing, which requires sign-in and counts against cloud quota.
Why isn't my PDF getting smaller?
Usually because it is already optimized — scanned or image-heavy PDFs with compressed images have little left to reclaim. Stepping up to Extreme re-encodes images and saves more, at a visible quality cost; vector/text PDFs shrink the most.
Examples
- Drop in a PDF → pick a compression level → download
Supported formats
Limitations
- Aggressive modes reduce quality.
- Already-optimized PDFs may not shrink much.
- Recommended and Extreme modes re-encode pages as images — the selectable text layer is lost. Choose Lossless to keep text.
- Compression is irreversible — keep your original file.
- Files up to 10 MB are processed locally in your browser; larger files can use Pro cloud processing.
Privacy
Processed locally in your browser by default — nothing is uploaded unless you choose cloud processing. Then files travel over an encrypted connection to our own VPS, are stored for 1 days by default and auto-deleted, or you can delete them earlier at any time.