Four Compression Modes
Smart, Basic, Balanced, and Maximum — pick the right trade-off.
Compress PDF Online Free
Reduce PDF file size in your browser — Smart, Basic, Balanced and Maximum modes. Nothing is uploaded.
Upload a PDF to compress
Drop your PDF and choose a compression mode. Works offline after the page loads.
Drop PDF here
or click to browse
Compression summary
Your files never leave your device — processed locally in your browser.
Compress Your PDF in 3 Steps
Shrink file size without uploading — free and private.
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Step 1
Upload Your PDF
Drop the file — processing stays entirely on your computer.
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Step 2
Choose a Mode
Smart (recommended), Basic, Balanced, or Maximum compression.
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Step 3
Compress & Download
Review the summary for size saved and download your smaller PDF.
Benefits of Compressing PDF Online
Reduce file size for email and storage — without server upload.
100% Browser-Side
No PDF leaves your device. Check DevTools — no upload appears.
Free Compression
Compress unlimited PDFs at no cost.
Size Summary
See exactly how much space you saved after compression.
Works Offline
After the page loads once, compress without internet.
No Server Queue
Results in seconds on your device.
No Signup
Start compressing immediately.
Desktop Compression
PDF Champ desktop offers Ghostscript-level compression for huge files.
How to compress a PDF online
- Upload your PDF — Drop the file — processing stays on your computer.
- Choose a mode — Smart (recommended), Basic, Balanced, or Maximum.
- Adjust quality if needed — Lower JPEG quality means smaller files on image-based modes.
- Compress & download — Review the summary for size saved and text-search status.
Frequently asked questions
Why doesn't compression always shrink the file much?
Text PDFs are often already optimized. Scanned PDFs compress more because images can be re-encoded.
Is my PDF uploaded?
No. Compression runs locally. Check DevTools Network — no file upload appears.
Which mode keeps searchable text?
Basic and Smart preserve text on text-heavy pages. Balanced and Maximum convert pages to images — text is not selectable.
PDF Champ — Online & Desktop
Choose Your PDF Champ Experience
Free browser tools for everyday tasks, or download the full desktop suite for advanced PDF power on Windows and Mac.
Live · Free
Online PDF Champ
20+ free PDF tools in your browser — no install, no upload. Files never leave your device.
- 100% browser processing
- Chrome, Firefox, Edge & Safari
- No account required
- Works offline after first load
Desktop · Windows
PDF Champ for Windows
Complete desktop PDF suite — merge, split, lock, unlock, convert, compress, rotate, crop, watermark & sign.
- Windows 7+ (64-bit)
- Batch processing & encryption
- Commercial & personal use
- Free trial available
Desktop · Mac
PDF Champ for Mac
Native macOS app with the same powerful PDF tools and a smooth, integrated desktop experience.
- Designed for macOS
- Merge, split, convert & secure
- Full offline processing
- Free trial available