Compress PDF
Make a PDF smaller. Light mode keeps text selectable and searchable; Strong mode turns pages into images for the smallest file. Runs in your browser — your files are never uploaded.
or drop a file here
Up to 50 MB- 1Choose
Choose a PDF.
- 2Adjust
Pick a mode: Light (keeps text) or Strong (pages become images).
- 3Download
Click “Compress PDF”, then compare the before and after sizes.
Two modes, because PDFs are big for different reasons
Light mode rebuilds the file’s internal structure and removes redundant data. Text stays selectable and searchable, and nothing visible changes; typical savings are 5–30%. It is the right first try for documents exported from Word, Google Docs or design tools.
Strong mode renders every page as a JPEG image and builds a new PDF from those images. That is very effective on scanned documents and photo-heavy files — often more than 50% smaller — but text is no longer selectable, so keep your original. Choose 72, 110 or 150 dpi depending on whether the result only needs to be readable on screen or also printed.
Honest about the result
ShyPDF shows the size before and after. If compression would not make the file smaller — which happens with PDFs that are already optimized — it gives you back the original rather than a larger “compressed” copy.
Everything runs in your browser and the file is never uploaded, so you can shrink a bank statement or a contract to fit an email attachment limit without sharing it with a compression service.
Questions
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. Everything runs inside your browser, so your files never leave your device. Close the tab and nothing is left behind.
What is the difference between Light and Strong?
Light rebuilds the file structure and drops redundant data. Text stays selectable and searchable, and files usually shrink by 5–30%. Strong renders each page as an image, which can cut size by 50% or more, but text is no longer selectable. Strong works best on scanned documents.
Why did my file barely shrink?
It was probably optimized already, or most of its size comes from embedded fonts. Light mode can’t do much in that case — try Strong.
How small does a PDF need to be for email?
Gmail accepts attachments up to 25 MB and Outlook.com up to 20 MB, but many company mail servers set lower limits, commonly 10 MB. If Strong mode at 110 dpi is still too big, try 72 dpi, or split the document and send it in parts.