Compress PDF to Under 2 MB
Upload form rejecting your PDF? Drop it below — it gets compressed on your device to fit under 2 MB (or 300 KB, 500 KB, 1 MB…), and it never leaves your browser. That matters, because PDFs are usually your most sensitive files.
Drop PDF files here or click to choose
Processed on your device, never uploaded
How to use
- Pick the limit your form demands. 2 MB is pre-selected; switch to 1 MB, 500 KB or 300 KB if your portal is stricter, or type a custom target.
- Drop your PDF in. Click the box or drag files onto it. Multi-page documents are fine — every page is processed.
- Download and upload. Watch the per-page progress, check the new size, hit Download, and go pass that form.
Why in-browser compression matters for PDFs
Think about what you compress PDFs for: visa applications, job portals, scholarship forms, tax submissions. These documents carry your passport number, salary, address and signature. The standard "free online compressor" asks you to upload exactly these files to a server you know nothing about. This tool doesn't. The compressor itself is delivered to your browser as code, your PDF is processed in your device's memory, and nothing is transmitted anywhere. Close the tab and no copy exists outside your computer.
How it works — and the trade-off
The tool redraws each page and re-encodes it as an optimized image, starting at high quality and stepping down in resolution and quality until the whole document fits your target — the same way a scanner produces a compact, faithful copy. This approach is what makes an exact size target guaranteed, which generic "compress a bit" tools can't promise. The cost: text is no longer selectable in the output. For upload forms that's irrelevant — reviewers read the document, they don't copy-paste from it — but keep your original for your own records.
Starting from photos or scans rather than a finished PDF? Combine them first with theImage to PDF tool, then compress the result here. And if you only need certain pages under the limit, split the PDFbefore compressing — fewer pages compress much further.
Frequently asked questions
Why do so many upload forms have a 2 MB limit?
A 2 MB cap is the default in a lot of government, visa, university and job-application systems — it keeps their storage predictable and most single documents fit. Indian government portals and some embassy forms go lower, often 300 KB or 500 KB per file. Pick the preset matching the limit shown on the form you're filling in, and the tool will get your PDF under it.
Will the text still be selectable after compression?
No — and this is a deliberate trade-off. To guarantee a size target, the tool re-renders each page as an optimized image, exactly like a good scan. The document stays perfectly readable and printable, but you can no longer select or copy text. Keep your original file for editing; use the compressed copy for the upload.
Is my PDF uploaded to your server?
No. The entire compressor — PDF rendering and rebuilding included — runs in your browser. Your document never leaves your device, which matters more for PDFs than almost anything else: these files are passports, bank statements, contracts and medical records. You can verify in your browser's dev tools that no file data is transmitted.
Does it work with scanned PDFs?
Yes — scanned documents are actually the ideal case. Scans are already images, usually saved at a much higher resolution than any reviewer needs, so they compress dramatically with no meaningful loss. A 20 MB passport scan typically lands well under 2 MB and stays crisp.
Why won't my password-protected PDF open?
The tool can't read encrypted PDFs. Remove the password first (open the PDF, print or save it without a password using your PDF viewer), then compress the unlocked copy.