Reduce your PDF file size. Pages are re-encoded as JPEG at the chosen quality.
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Choose a fileFusionPDF compresses PDFs by re-encoding each page as a JPEG at your chosen quality level. For image-heavy and scanned PDFs, this typically reduces file size by 50-80%. Text-only PDFs compress less (5-15%) since they contain few images to re-encode. All compression runs in your browser — no file is ever uploaded.
The process takes three steps. First, drop your PDF onto the upload area or click "Choose a file" to select it from your device. Second, pick your quality level: High, Medium, or Low. Third, click "Compress and download" — your optimized PDF saves immediately to your device. The whole operation typically completes in under ten seconds.
Each quality preset targets a different use case. High quality (90% JPEG) produces minimal visual change — good for documents where text readability matters most. Medium (70% JPEG) is the recommended default, balancing file size and visual quality for most documents. Low (40% JPEG) creates the smallest possible file, suited for archiving or sharing where display quality is less critical.
You can also drag the slider to any value between 10% and 99% for precise control. The preview shows the compressed result before you commit to downloading, so you can adjust the quality level and try again.
When you compress a PDF, three things happen at the content level. Images embedded in the document are re-encoded as JPEG at your chosen quality. Redundant internal objects — such as duplicate resource entries or unused cross-references — are removed during the re-save. Metadata fields (author, creation date, custom properties) are stripped from the output. Text and vector graphics are rasterized as part of the page re-render, which is why this method works on any PDF regardless of its original construction.
Some PDFs compress very little regardless of quality settings. Text-only PDFs with no embedded images see minimal reduction because text is already stored efficiently as compact vector data. PDFs that were already compressed by another tool often can't shrink further. PDFs built from lossless PNG images or vector illustrations may actually grow slightly after JPEG re-encoding, since JPEG is not efficient for flat-color graphics. If your PDF doesn't shrink after compression, the original was likely already well-optimized.
Confidential reports, financial statements, and medical records should not travel through a third-party server just to get smaller. Most online PDF compressors upload your file to a cloud service, process it there, and return a download link. That means your document passes through infrastructure you don't control, under privacy terms you may not have read.
FusionPDF compresses entirely in your browser using PDF.js and pdf-lib, both MIT-licensed open-source libraries. Nothing leaves your device. The tool is free, works on any modern browser, and requires no account or installation. For documents containing sensitive information, local processing isn't just convenient — it's the only responsible approach.
Need to get a specific PDF below 1 MB or below 2 MB for an email attachment? Read our complete guide to PDF compression → or jump straight to how to get below 1 MB →