YOUR DOCUMENTS, ON YOUR DEVICE
Compress PDF Online for Free
Try reducing a PDF before sending it by email or attaching it to a form. Start with text-preserving optimization, or choose image-based compression when smaller scanned pages matter more than selectable text.
Introduction
Try reducing a PDF before sending it by email or attaching it to a form. Start with text-preserving optimization, or choose image-based compression when smaller scanned pages matter more than selectable text.
The tool runs on your device with no signup. Download the result when it is ready; choosing a file does not upload it to Kalika.
How to Use
- Choose the PDF you want to make smaller.
- Start with Preserve text, or choose image-based mode for scanned documents.
- For image-based mode, select quality and confirm the image-only tradeoff.
- Select Compress PDF and compare the reported file sizes.
- Download and review the output. If compression does not help, the tool offers your unchanged original.
Why Use This Tool
- Try text-preserving optimization first.
- See actual before-and-after file sizes.
- Keep the original when the generated result would be larger.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will every PDF become smaller?
No. Already optimized PDFs may have little room for improvement. The tool compares the generated file with your original and offers the unchanged original if the result is not smaller. It cannot guarantee a target file size.
Which compression mode should I choose?
Preserve text rewrites the PDF using compressed object streams without rasterizing page content. Image-based mode renders pages as JPEG images at up to 144 or 96 DPI, capped at 3,000 pixels on the longest side, and may reduce scanned files more.
Can I still search text in the compressed PDF?
Text-preserving mode keeps existing text as text. Image-based mode removes the text layer, so searching, selecting and copying page text will not work. It also removes interactive and accessibility features.
Are documents uploaded for compression?
No. Both modes process your document in this browser tab. Files are not uploaded by this tool or saved in browser storage; download the result before leaving.
Can I compress signed, fillable or protected files?
This tool rejects encrypted PDFs and files containing form or signature dictionaries. Use an unlocked, flattened, unsigned copy. Review the output before sharing, especially documents with small print or detailed diagrams.