Will compress PDF always make the file smaller?

No. We show original vs new size so it is obvious. Text-heavy PDFs with few photos often barely change. Flattening can help more, at the cost of selectable text.

What is the difference between shrink images and flatten?

Shrink images recompresses photos already in the PDF and tries to keep text. Flatten redraws each page as a JPEG. Usually smaller, but you cannot select text.

Is browser PDF compression as strong as Adobe or Ghostscript?

It is honest best-effort. We cannot rewrite every encoding. Some images (JPEG2000, masks, fax) are skipped.

Does compress PDF upload my document?

No. Work happens in this tab. Download the new file; the original on disk is untouched.

Why did my compressed PDF get larger?

Recompression can add overhead, or the file was already lean. Keep the original. Try the other method only if you accept flattened pages.

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Best-effort, honest about size

Compress a PDF

Compress PDF in a browser is not Ghostscript. LoveThisPDF tries two local methods: recompress embedded photos, or flatten each page to JPEG. You always see original size next to the new size. Photo-heavy scans often shrink. A text-only contract with almost no images may barely move, or even grow. We would rather show that than promise “90% smaller” on every file.

Shrink-images keeps selectable text when it can, and skips awkward encodings (JPEG2000, masks, fax). Flatten redraws pages as pictures (usually smaller, no copy-paste of words). Both paths run in this tab. Nothing is uploaded. If the result is larger, keep the original. The tool is free. The trade-off is honesty, not a desktop encoder.

Compression runs in this tab. Your PDF is never uploaded. Results vary; we show both sizes.

Add files

Drop a PDF file, or browse. They stay on this device.

No upload. No account.

No files yet. Drop them above. They stay in this tab and are never uploaded.

Honest note: browser compression is best-effort. Photo-heavy PDFs often shrink; text-only files may not. You’ll see original vs new size when it’s done.

MethodShrink embedded imagesKeeps selectable text. Skips some encodings (JPEG2000, masks).Flatten pages to JPEGUsually smaller. Text becomes a picture and can’t be selected.

Max image edgeJPEG quality

How to compress a PDF in your browser

Drop one PDF. The original size is shown before you start.
Pick shrink embedded images (keeps text) or flatten pages to JPEG.
Choose max image edge and JPEG quality. Smaller is more aggressive.
Compress and compare the two sizes. Download only if it actually helped.

Compress PDF without sending the file away

Many compressors upload, then nag you to register for the “strong” setting. This page cannot match every desktop encoder, and the UI says so. What you get is a private attempt plus a before/after. No account, no surprise watermark, no copy of your PDF on a vendor disk.

Questions

Will compress PDF always make the file smaller?: No. We show original vs new size so it is obvious. Text-heavy PDFs with few photos often barely change. Flattening can help more, at the cost of selectable text.
What is the difference between shrink images and flatten?: Shrink images recompresses photos already in the PDF and tries to keep text. Flatten redraws each page as a JPEG. Usually smaller, but you cannot select text.
Is browser PDF compression as strong as Adobe or Ghostscript?: It is honest best-effort. We cannot rewrite every encoding. Some images (JPEG2000, masks, fax) are skipped.
Does compress PDF upload my document?: No. Work happens in this tab. Download the new file; the original on disk is untouched.
Why did my compressed PDF get larger?: Recompression can add overhead, or the file was already lean. Keep the original. Try the other method only if you accept flattened pages.