Compress PDF to KB
Your portal does not want “a smaller PDF” — it wants under 200 KB, and it rejects anything bigger. This tool shrinks an existing PDF to the exact KB target you choose — 100, 200, 300, 500 KB, 1 MB or a custom value — at the highest quality that fits, and shows you the exact final size before you upload. Free, no sign-up, and your file never leaves your device. Starting from photos or scans instead of a PDF? Use Image to PDF — it builds the PDF at your target directly.
Drag & drop your PDF here
or click to choose a file — one PDF, up to 50 pages and 50 MB
🔒 Your file never leaves your device — compression happens in your browser.
🔒 Your file never leaves your device.
✅ Your compressed PDF is ready
Built for portal upload limits
Most PDF compressors give you three vague buttons — “basic”, “strong”, “extreme” — and a result that is still 40 KB over your portal's limit. Portal limits are not vague: a job, admission or document-verification form in Pakistan or India typically allows 200 KB for a document PDF, sometimes 100 KB, 300 KB or 500 KB. So this tool works backwards from the number: you set the exact limit, it renders every page at 200 DPI and rebuilds the PDF, stepping quality and page size down only as far as needed to fit — then reports the true byte count, ticked against your target. If your PDF is already under the target, it is returned unchanged at full quality: compressing it would only cost quality for nothing. Need the common case with nothing to set? The dedicated Compress PDF to 200KB page starts with 200 KB already chosen.
Good to know before you compress
- Pages become images. To hit an exact KB target, each page is rebuilt as a high-quality image. Pages look the same and stay readable, but text is no longer selectable and links or form fields do not carry over. Portals only view and verify pages, so for uploads this changes nothing — but do not use the compressed copy as your editable master.
- Page sizes are preserved exactly — an A4 page stays A4, in points, so the PDF prints exactly like the original.
- Quality is searched, not fixed. The tool tries the highest quality first and only steps down until the file fits, so a document that fits at 90% quality is never crushed to 40%.
How to use
- Add your PDF. Drag & drop it, tap to select, or paste — the tool shows its page count and current size.
- Choose the target your portal states (200 KB is pre-selected as the most common limit), or enter a custom KB value.
- Compress and download. The result panel shows original size, new size and percentage saved, ticked against your limit — then upload with confidence.
Which target should I use?
- Job / admission portal document upload: whatever the form states — most often Under 200 KB.
- Strict portals and older forms: Under 100 KB.
- Certificate or degree scans with fine print: Under 300 KB or 500 KB if the portal allows it — the extra room keeps small text crisper.
- Email attachments: Under 1 MB keeps the mail light while staying sharp.
Frequently asked questions
How do I compress a PDF to 200KB?
Add your PDF, choose “Under 200 KB” as the target, and press Compress PDF. The tool renders every page and rebuilds the PDF, searching quality and size steps until the whole file is at or under 200 KB (204,800 bytes) at the highest quality that fits. The result panel shows the exact final size. There is also a dedicated Compress PDF to 200KB page with the target already set.
Will the text in my compressed PDF still be selectable?
No — and the tool says so openly. To hit an exact KB target, each page is rebuilt as a high-quality image, so the pages look exactly the same and stay readable, but text can no longer be selected or copied, and links, annotations and form fields do not carry over. For portal and form uploads — the main reason to compress to an exact KB size — this is exactly what is wanted, because portals only view and verify the pages. If you need an editable, text-based PDF, keep your original as the master copy.
What if my PDF is already under the target?
Then nothing is compressed. The tool detects that your file already fits — for example a 150 KB PDF against a 200 KB target — and returns the original file unchanged at full quality, telling you plainly that no compression was needed.
Will my documents stay readable after compression?
Yes. Pages are rendered at 200 DPI and quality is reduced only as far as needed to fit your target — the tool searches for the highest quality that fits rather than applying a fixed heavy compression. Scanned documents, certificates and CNIC copies stay clearly readable at the sizes portals display. Very small targets on photo-heavy PDFs will look softer; the result panel always shows the true final size so you can judge before uploading.
Is my PDF uploaded to your server?
No. Compression happens inside your browser on your own device using PDF.js (an open-source reader that downloads once from a public CDN — that is a program file, not your document). Your PDF is never sent anywhere, never stored and never seen by anyone — which is exactly how CNICs and certificates should be handled.
How large a PDF can I compress?
Up to 50 pages and 50 MB per PDF. Password-protected PDFs cannot be read — remove the password first, then compress. If even the smallest settings cannot reach your target (rare, usually a long photo-heavy PDF against a tiny target), the result panel says so honestly and suggests splitting the PDF in two.
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