Compress a PDF file
Portal rejecting your file for being too big? Shrink it here to a size that fits — your passport and certificate scans, all on your device, never sent to anyone.
Your file never leaves your device
Compression happens inside your browser — nothing is uploaded to any server, not even ours.
No sign-up, no account, and no data is stored.
The moment you close the page, everything is cleared from browser memory.
We built it this way on purpose: students compress passport and certificate scans — documents that shouldn't be uploaded to a server that isn't yours.
Drag a PDF here or click to choose
One file · up to 40 MB · on your device
💡 Most application portals require under 1–2 MB per file.
How to use it
Three steps
1
Add your file
Drag your PDF in or click to choose it. One file at a time.
2
Pick quality
“Medium” is enough for application portals. If it's still large, try “Small”.
3
Compress & download
Press “Compress” — we'll show the size before and after, and you download it if you're happy.
When you need it
Situations students run into
The portal rejects your file for exceeding the limit — every portal has one (e.g. 2 or 5 MB per file).
The passport/certificate scan came out large — scanners produce needlessly huge files.
You need to upload several documents — and the total exceeds the overall upload limit.
Tips
Before you compress
Start with “Medium” — it usually gets you to an acceptable size without hurting sharpness.
If the portal needs a very small size, try “Small” and check the result before uploading.
If your file is text (not a scan), compression turns it into images — so it's no longer searchable/selectable. The tool warns you if that happens.
Frequently asked
💬Is my file uploaded to a server?▾
No. Compression happens entirely inside your browser, on your device. No file is sent to any server — not even ours.
💬Is it really free?▾
Yes, completely free, with no sign-up and no usage limit.
💬Does compression reduce quality?▾
It reduces it a little depending on the setting — “Medium” is enough for application portals without hurting sharpness. You can try it and see before downloading.
💬Why does the size sometimes not drop?▾
If your file is already compressed or is text-based, compression won't save anything — the tool then keeps the original as-is and tells you, so you never get a worse file.
💬Does it work on mobile?▾
Yes. It works in any modern browser — phone or computer. Large files need more memory from your device.
💬Do password-protected files work?▾
Usually they can't be read. Remove the protection from the original first, then compress.
Other tools
You might also need
Free · no sign-up · no upload Merge PDF files Certificate and transcript in separate files? Merge them into one. Open the toolWhat next?
Your file is ready — now look at the opportunities
Preparation is half the road. The other half is knowing which opportunities exist and when.