Runs in your browser · nothing is uploaded

Compress a scanned PDF

Scanners and phone cameras save pages at high resolution, so even a short document can weigh tens of megabytes. Reading on screen does not need that resolution, so the file can shrink several times over.

Three steps

  1. 01

    Add a PDF

    Drop the file in or pick it from your device.

  2. 02

    Pick a level

    Move the slider and watch the size estimate.

  3. 03

    Download

    Your compressed file is ready in seconds.

Use cases

Pick what the file is for and PDFKilo picks the compression level for your exact document.

Why PDFKilo

Fully private

Ghostscript runs in WebAssembly on your device. Not a single byte of your file reaches a server.

Accurate estimate

Before compressing, we sample the first pages and show the expected size for the chosen level.

No watermarks

No logos stamped on pages, no sign-up and no limit on the number of files.

Never worse

If compression does not help, you get the original back rather than a bigger file.

FAQ

How much smaller will my scan get?

Usually 5–10 times at a medium level. The higher the original resolution, the bigger the savings.

Will the scanned text stay readable?

Yes, up to level 70 text reads without trouble. At the maximum, small print may blur, so check the result.

Can I search the text of the scan after compressing?

Only if the original PDF already had an OCR text layer. PDFKilo keeps that layer but does not run OCR itself.

Does it work for phone photos of documents?

Yes. Photos combined into a PDF compress especially well, because cameras save them at very high resolution.

Is my scan uploaded?

No, compression runs in your browser. That matters for scans of passports, contracts and medical records.

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