Compress a PDF to an Exact File Size
Shrink a PDF down until it fits under a size you choose — for email or upload limits.
Select a PDF to compress
Click to choose, or drop a file here
You can also paste (Ctrl+V / Cmd+V)
Most tools run entirely on your device
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About compressing to a target size
Instead of picking a quality level and hoping, this tool lets you name the size you need — for a 5 MB email limit or a 2 MB portal cap — and it works backwards to hit it. It steps the image quality down repeatedly until the file fits, then stops.
Everything runs in your browser: the PDF is re-encoded in a loop, checking the output size after each pass. Very text-heavy files may not be able to reach an aggressive target without becoming unreadable, in which case the tool gets as close as it can and tells you the result.
The tool works by re-encoding the images in a loop, checking the output size after each pass and lowering quality until the file fits under your target. Very text-heavy PDFs may not be able to reach an aggressive target without becoming unreadable — in that case it gets as close as it can and tells you the final size.
Supported files
Accepts a single PDF; you enter a target size in KB or MB. Produces a PDF at or just under that size.
Is my file uploaded?
No. The whole size-down loop runs in your browser — nothing is uploaded at any point.
Common problems
- It couldn't reach the target size
- A PDF that's mostly text has a floor it can't go below without destroying legibility. Try a slightly larger target, or split the document and send it in parts.
- Quality dropped more than expected
- A small target on an image-heavy file forces heavy compression. Raise the target a little, or remove pages you don't need before compressing.
How to Compress to Target Size
- 1
Open the tool
Open the Compress to Target Size tool and drop your file onto the page, or click to browse for it. Everything runs in your browser — the file is never uploaded.
- 2
Enter a target size
Type the maximum size you need — for an email or upload limit — in KB or MB.
- 3
Download the fitted PDF
Click Compress; the tool steps down quality until the file fits, then you download it.
Further reading
Compress to Target Size — frequently asked questions
How is this different from the regular Compress PDF tool?+
Compress PDF asks you to pick Low/Medium/High and shows you what you get. This tool instead asks for a target size and automatically steps through progressively stronger compression until the file fits, or reports that it couldn't.
What happens if it can't reach my target size?+
It stops at the smallest setting it has and downloads that, clearly labeled as not having hit the target — usually because the target was very small or the PDF has few images left to compress.
Why does it take longer than the regular Compress tool?+
It may re-render the whole document several times at different settings before finding one that fits, instead of just once.
Can I compress a PDF to an exact file size for free?+
Yes — set the target size in KB or MB and it automatically steps down the quality until the file fits, free and in your browser.
Do you upload my files to a server?+
No — every tool here processes your files entirely on your device, and nothing is uploaded to a server. The only exception is the AI tools, which send the extracted text (not the file) to Claude to do their work.
Is there a file size limit?+
There's no artificial limit we impose, but since processing happens in your browser, very large files (500+ MB or 1,000+ pages) are limited by your device's memory rather than by us.
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