How to compress a PDF
- Add a PDF.
- Choose lossless optimisation or strong (image-based) compression.
- Select Compress, check the before and after size, then download.
About this tool
How much a PDF can shrink depends on how it was made. PDFPUMA offers two clearly different methods and always shows the real size before and after.
Lossless optimisation removes leftover data from previous edits, compresses uncompressed content and repacks the file's structure. Text, links, bookmarks and image quality are unchanged. Already-optimised files may shrink very little — if the result isn't smaller, PDFPUMA keeps your original.
Strong compression turns every page into a compressed image. It can dramatically shrink scans and image-heavy files, but text becomes part of the image: it can no longer be selected, searched or copied, and links and form fields are removed. Use it only when a small file matters more than editable text.
Frequently asked questions
Are my files uploaded to PDFPUMA?
No. This tool runs entirely in your browser. Your files are read and processed on your device and the result is created there too — they are not sent to PDFPUMA's servers.
Why didn't my PDF get much smaller?
Many PDFs are already compressed efficiently. Lossless optimisation can only remove waste; it doesn't lower image quality. For scanned documents, strong compression usually makes a bigger difference.
Does strong compression keep my text searchable?
No. Strong compression converts pages to images, so text can't be selected or searched afterwards. Use lossless optimisation if you need to keep text.
Can I use password-protected PDFs?
Not with this tool yet. PDFPUMA doesn't bypass PDF passwords or permissions. If you own the file, remove the password in the app you used to protect it, then try again.