How to · ThriftyPDF

Compress a PDF without wrecking quality

Perfect lossless shrink is rare for already-optimized PDFs. For scans, start with higher JPEG quality (about 0.8 to 0.9) and only lower it until the file fits your limit.

Try it here

Open full tool page

Processed in your browser — not uploaded to our servers.

Honest limits: we re-render pages as JPEG. Best for scans/image-heavy PDFs. Text-only files may get larger or look softer.

Drop a PDF to compressStays on your device — never uploaded for this tool

Compression preset

Balanced: JPEG quality 0.72, scale 1×

Steps

Use the compressor below.
Start with higher quality and scale near 1.0.
Download and check readability at 100% zoom.
Only then lower quality if you still need fewer bytes.

FAQ

Is compression lossless?

Our browser compressor is lossy (JPEG). True lossless often barely helps image-heavy scans.

Why did my file get bigger?

Text-heavy vector PDFs can expand when rasterized—keep the original.

Best for invoices?

If they are scans, yes. If they are text exports, try gentler settings or skip compress.