Compress a PDF without the fuss.
Optimize a PDF’s internal structure and download a smaller copy for sharing, uploading or archiving for free.
✓ No account · no watermark · your files stay yours
Ideas worth
keeping.
keeping.
A small change
can make a page
feel brand new
can make a page
feel brand new
✍
✦ Original layout
0 Dollars
Keep the document, lose the excess.
Use stronger cleanup and compression during export when a PDF needs to travel faster or fit within a file-size limit.
A clear workflow.
In three steps.
01
Open your PDF.
Load the document that needs a smaller, more portable copy.
02
Turn on optimization.
Enable Optimize file size in the pending edits panel before exporting.
03
Download the smaller copy.
Export the cleaned-up PDF and check its size before sharing it.
What actually gets smaller, and what does not.
Compression here is structural. Unused and orphaned objects are collected and discarded, streams are compressed harder, fonts and content are deflated, and the cross-reference data is packed into object streams. On files that carry a lot of editing history, were assembled from several sources or came out of a generator that was not careful, that can remove a surprising amount of weight without touching a single visible pixel.
What it does not do is re-encode your images at a lower quality. Most dramatic compression claims come from exactly that: downsampling photographs and re-compressing them as low-quality JPEGs, which is why the result often looks worse and cannot be undone. If your PDF is large because it contains twenty full-page scans, structural optimization will not shrink it much, and that is a fair trade rather than a disappointment.
Optimization is applied at export, after your other edits, so you can compress a document you have just annotated, redacted or reorganized in the same download.
Questions about this tool.
The things worth knowing before you edit the document.
How much smaller will my PDF get?
It depends entirely on what is in it. Files with redundant objects, bloated cross-reference tables or uncompressed streams can shrink considerably. A file that is mostly high-resolution scans is already close to its floor and will barely move.
Will compression reduce image quality?
No. Images are not downsampled or re-encoded at a lower quality, and text is untouched. The savings come from the document structure, so the visible page is identical.
Can I compress a PDF I have already edited?
Yes. Optimization happens at export, after your edits are applied, so annotations, redactions and page changes are all inside the smaller file.
Why is my scanned PDF still large?
Because its size is in the page images themselves, not in the file structure. Reducing it meaningfully would mean re-encoding those images at lower quality, which this tool deliberately does not do behind your back.
More ways to finish the PDF.
Switch tools whenever the document asks for a different kind of change.
Edit PDF ↗Change text while respecting the type, spacing and layout already on the page.Annotate PDF ↗Highlight, underline, draw, add arrows and leave clear visual notes.Sign PDF ↗Place a signature image exactly where you need it, then export the file.Organize pages ↗Rotate, duplicate, remove or add pages without rebuilding the document.Rotate PDF ↗Turn one page or a selected group to the correct orientation before exporting.Add text to PDF ↗Place new text anywhere on a page with a simple, flexible text box.Add links to PDF ↗Make a selected area clickable with a web or email link in the exported PDF.Merge PDFs ↗Combine multiple PDFs in the order you choose, then keep editing the result.Split PDF ↗Extract the pages you need, or break a long PDF into separate files.Crop PDF ↗Trim excess margins or focus a page on the content that matters.Protect PDF ↗Add password protection to the exported PDF when a document needs a little more privacy.Fill PDF forms ↗Type into existing PDF fields, choose options and complete forms before exporting.Create PDF form fields ↗Add interactive text fields, checkboxes and dropdowns to a PDF before sharing it as a form.Redact PDF text ↗Permanently remove sensitive text from the exported document instead of covering it up.Whiteout PDF content ↗Cover a visual area with white when you need a clean presentation edit, not permanent redaction.Watermark PDF pages ↗Add a light centered label such as Draft or Confidential to every exported page.Stamp PDF pages ↗Add Approved, Draft, Confidential, Paid or a custom stamp exactly where it belongs.Number PDF pages ↗Add consistent page numbers with a custom format at the top or bottom of every page.Bookmark PDF pages ↗Add named navigation entries to reports, papers and other long PDFs.Compress PDF ↗Reduce unnecessary PDF overhead and download a smaller, cleaner copy of the document.Flatten PDF annotations ↗Bake highlights, notes and markups into the page artwork for a final copy.
From PDF to done
In three small steps.
01
Drop it in.
Open your PDF locally in the editor. No account and no complicated setup.
02
Make it yours.
Click text to edit, or choose a tool to mark up, draw, sign or arrange pages.
03
Take it with you.
Export a finished PDF with the original document design kept in place.
Useful by default.
Free by design.
PDFEditor is built for quick, real-world edits, not a maze of plans, pop-ups and watermarks.