Compress a PDF to 1MB, 200KB or any size
Job portals, government forms and email often set strict size limits. Here is how to get a PDF under 1MB, 2MB or even 200KB for free, without uploading it anywhere.
The quick way
- Open Compress PDF and add your file.
- Choose Recommended and compress. You see the exact new size straight away.
- Still too big? Run it again on Strong. For scanned paperwork, choose Scans.
- Save the result once it is under the limit you need.
There is no box to type an exact size, because how small a PDF can get depends on what is inside it. Instead, you see the real size after each try, and you never get back a file bigger than the one you started with.
Still too big?
- Remove pages you don’t need. Use Delete pages, then compress again. Photos and scanned pages are usually the heaviest.
- Split it into parts. If a form accepts several files, Split PDF can break one large file into smaller ones.
- Use Scans for scanned documents. Every page becomes an optimised picture, which usually shrinks scans the most. Text is no longer selectable afterwards, so run OCR PDF if it needs to be searchable.
- Remove hidden metadata. Tick the option in Compress PDF to strip hidden details at the same time.
Why some PDFs won’t shrink much
Most of a PDF’s size is usually photos and scanned images. A file that is mostly text is already small, so there is little left to remove. If a text-only PDF is still over a strict limit such as 200KB, splitting it or removing pages is usually the answer.
Questions
How do I compress a PDF to under 1MB?
Add it to Compress PDF and choose Recommended. Most image-heavy files drop well under 1MB; if not, try Strong, or Scans for scanned documents.
Can I compress a PDF to exactly 200KB?
You can’t pick an exact size, but you see the real size after each try. Strong and Scans get files smallest; if it is still over 200KB, remove pages you don’t need or split the file.
Will compressing reduce the quality?
Recommended keeps documents sharp for reading on screen and printing. Strong and Scans shrink images further, so check the result before you send it.
Is it safe for confidential documents?
Yes. Compression happens on your own device, inside your browser. The file is never uploaded anywhere.
Can I compress several PDFs at once?
Yes. Add them together; they are compressed one after another and you can download them all as a zip.