Compress PDF to 500KB

Aim for 500 KB.

Drag and drop your PDF file here

Select a PDF to compress. Up to 100 MB.

Your file is processed on your device and is not sent to any server.

Shrinks JPEG images further: medium quality and at most 1400 pixels per side. It may show in photos and scans. The result depends on what is inside the PDF, and a particular reduction cannot be guaranteed.

How to use Compress PDF to 500KB

Select your PDF, or drag it onto the drop area. It stays on your device.
The tool opens on Maximum reduction, the strongest level, because you are aiming for about 500 KB. You can pick a gentler level if quality matters more.
Press Compress PDF. The tool re-saves the file and shrinks JPEG images inside it.
Read the result. It shows the real size and tells you whether the file is under 500 KB. Download it, or keep the original if the saving is small.

About this tool

500 KB is a generous limit for a small document, and many PDFs are already under it. For a scan of a few pages, Balanced is often enough to get there while keeping the text readable. The tool starts on Maximum reduction and reports the real size, and you can choose a gentler level if the file is already close.

If your PDF is much larger than 500 KB, the images are the likely cause. Compressing them is what saves space; text and drawn lines add very little.

Limits and what to expect

Files up to 100 MB. The size in KB is a goal, not a promise: some PDFs cannot reach it without changing their content.
Only JPEG images inside the PDF are shrunk. Pages that are drawn as other image types stay as they are.
A digitally signed PDF loses its signature when it is compressed.

Tips

For scans of text, check readability after compressing.
Pick Balanced if the file is already close to 500 KB.
Split a long document into parts if a single file will not fit.

Frequently asked questions

Will my text stay readable at 500 KB?

Text in a PDF is not reduced. For a scanned page the text is part of an image, so check the result and use Balanced instead of Maximum reduction if it looks too soft.

Can every PDF be compressed to 500 KB?

No. A text-only PDF can often be very small, but a PDF made of scanned pages or many photos may stay larger because the images carry most of the size. The tool reports the real result and says if it is still above 500 KB.

Will the PDF look worse?

At the strongest level JPEG images are reduced to medium quality and at most 1400 pixels per side, which can show in photos and scans. Text and drawn lines are not reduced.

Is my file uploaded?

No. The file is read and processed in your browser on your own device. It is not sent to Paul Digital or any other server, and nothing is kept when you close the page.

Compress to a target size

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Privacy

Your file is processed in your browser on your own device. It is not uploaded to Paul Digital or any other server, and nothing is stored once you close the page.