How much smaller will my PDF get after compression?

It depends heavily on the content — image-heavy scans often shrink by 50-90%, while text-only documents shrink only slightly since there are few images to re-encode.

Will compressing my PDF make the text blurry?

No. Compression targets embedded images; selectable text and vector graphics remain sharp at every quality level.

What is the difference between the three compression levels?

Smallest Size prioritizes the lowest possible file size, Balanced is a good default for everyday sharing, and Best Quality keeps images closer to their original resolution for print use.

Does this work on Ubuntu, Fedora and other distributions?

Yes — any Linux distribution with a modern browser works identically, regardless of desktop environment.

Do I need to use the terminal for this?

No — everything is handled through the browser interface; no command-line knowledge is required.

Compress

Compress PDF on Linux

Linux has excellent PDF tools available, but they are usually command-line utilities that require comfort with a terminal, or desktop apps that are not preinstalled on every distribution. My PDF gives you the same result through any Linux browser, with no package manager and no terminal required.

Use the Compress PDF Tool

No registration required
Files deleted automatically
Works in any browser

Why This Matters

What Is a PDF Compression Tool?

A PDF compression tool reduces the file size of a PDF, usually by re-encoding the images embedded inside it and streamlining the document's internal structure, while keeping the number of pages, the text, and the overall layout exactly the same. The result is a file that looks the same to the reader but takes up noticeably less disk space and transfers faster.

Step by Step

How to Compress PDF on Linux

Upload Your PDF

Drag in the PDF you want to shrink, or click to browse and select it. On Linux, drag the file in from your file manager — no terminal or package installation needed.

Choose a Compression Level

Pick Smallest Size, Balanced, or Best Quality depending on how the file will be used.

Click Compress PDF

Our server re-encodes the document's images and rewrites its structure, usually within seconds.

Download the Smaller File

Save your compressed PDF — same pages and layout, a fraction of the size.

Recommended Tool: Compress PDF

Reduce file size while preserving visual quality.

Open Compress PDF

Get Better Results

Tips

Match the Preset to the Purpose — Use Smallest Size for quick, informal sharing, and Best Quality when the document is going to professional print.
Don't Compress Twice — Running an already-compressed PDF through compression again rarely reduces size further and can slightly reduce image quality unnecessarily.
Works identically across distributions — Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian, Arch or anything else — since it only needs a modern browser, not a specific desktop environment.
If you're already comfortable with a terminal, the operations here use the same well-known open-source tools (like qpdf and Ghostscript) that many Linux PDF workflows already rely on.

Avoid These

Common Mistakes

Uploading a file that is already password-protected without unlocking it first — most operations require an unencrypted starting file.
Assuming a converted or compressed file replaces the need for the original — keep your source file until you have confirmed the result looks right.
Not checking the 50 MB upload size limit before starting, then wondering why a very large scan fails to upload.
Assuming a GUI tool needs installing via a specific package manager first — a browser tool skips that step entirely.