Compress PDF to Under 20 MB
Need to trim a PDF down to email size? This free tool shrinks your file with light, standard, or strong compression. Whether it's a scanned report or a long document, you'll see the new file size before downloading. The result depends on how much unnecessary data your PDF contains.
File order is honored
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.pdf · Max file size 100 MB · Max files 5
How to Compress a PDF to Under 20 MB
- 1Drop one or more PDF files into the upload area above, or click to browse your device.
- 2Choose a compression level—light for minimal quality loss, standard for balanced results, or strong for maximum size reduction.
- 3Click the Compress button and wait while the tool processes your file locally.
- 4Preview the new file size and download the compressed PDF, or keep your original if the result isn't smaller.
- Free browser-based tool—no uploads, your files never leave your device
- Three compression levels: light, standard, or strong to match your quality needs
- Works on any device with a modern browser—no software to install
- Compress up to 5 PDFs at once, each up to 100 MB
- If compression would increase file size, the original is kept unchanged
Frequently asked questions
Will this tool definitely get my PDF under 20 MB?
Not always—the tool shrinks your PDF as much as possible, but the result depends on your document. If it's already optimized, compression won't help, and you'll be told to keep the original.
Is my file uploaded to a server?
No. Everything happens in your browser. Your PDF never leaves your device, so there's no upload wait time and no privacy risk.
What happens to text and images after compression?
Each page is re-rendered as an image, so text is no longer selectable or searchable. Photos and scans shrink the most, but the result is a fixed-layout file.
What if I need more than 20 MB?
This tool accepts files up to 100 MB, so you can compress larger PDFs first and see what size you get. If 20 MB is a hard requirement, you may need to split the document or reduce image quality further.
Compress PDF
Shrink PDF file size with light, standard or strong compression.
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