FileCrisp
PDF Tools Guide

Compress PDF.
Keep Your Text. Keep Quality.

Shrink PDF files by up to 90% — right inside your browser. Choose structural compression to keep text selectable, or rasterize for maximum savings. Nothing ever leaves your device.

Up to 90% smallerText stays selectable (Mode A)Zero uploads — 100% private
filecrisp.com/tools/compress-pdf

Drop your PDF here

contract.pdf · 8.4 MB

Compression level

Less (best quality)
Balanced
Strong (smallest)

↓ 1.1 MB saved 87%

0%

Average size reduction

Strong mode on a scanned PDF

0

Files uploaded to any server

Everything runs in your browser

0

Compression modes

Structural (text safe) + Rasterize (max savings)

Why it matters

Why PDF Size Matters

Every megabyte you save means faster transfers, better deliverability, and lower storage costs.

10×

Fits email attachments

Most email providers cap attachments at 10–25 MB. A compressed PDF passes every filter — no 'file too large' bounces, no zip workarounds.

90%

Faster cloud uploads

Uploading to Google Drive, SharePoint, or Dropbox? Smaller PDFs transfer in seconds instead of minutes. Your colleagues will thank you.

GB→

Cleaner storage

A folder of scanned contracts can easily reach gigabytes. Compress once and reclaim space on your drive, NAS, or cloud storage plan.

Step by step

From Upload to Download in Seconds

Four steps. No sign-up, no queue, no waiting.

  1. 01

    Upload your PDF

    Drag and drop any PDF into the upload zone — or click to browse. Files stay in your browser from the moment you drop them.

    Drop your PDF here or click to browse

    report-2024.pdf · 8.4 MB
  2. 02

    Choose compression level

    Less keeps text fully selectable (Mode A). Balanced is ideal for most documents. Strong rasterizes for maximum savings (Mode B).

    Compression level

    Less (best quality)

    Structural — text stays selectable

    Balanced

    Best for most documents

    Strong (smallest)

    Rasterize — max savings

  3. 03

    One-click compress

    Hit compress and FileCrisp processes the PDF page by page in your browser. Large PDFs stream through without ever blocking the tab.

    report-2024.pdf

    Compressing… page 4/12

    62%

    Processing entirely in your browser — never uploaded

  4. 04

    Download your result

    Your compressed PDF is ready. Grab it immediately or find it in your Downloads panel — it persists across page refreshes.

    Compressed!

    report-2024-compressed.pdf

    8.4 MB

    Before

    −87%

    Saved

    1.1 MB

    After

Under the hood

Two Modes — Pick the Right One

FileCrisp automatically picks the best mode based on your compression level, but knowing the difference helps you get the best result every time.

Mode A — Structural

Safe. Universal. Text stays.

10–40%
Text stays selectable & searchable
Works on any PDF — any size
Vector graphics stay sharp
Original fonts preserved
Modest savings: 10–40%
Less effective on scanned docs
Best for: Text documents, forms, reports, contracts — anything where readability and copy-paste matter.

Mode B — Rasterize

Maximum compression. Massive savings.

50–90%
Dramatic savings: 50–90%
Ideal for scanned documents
Consistent output size
Controlled by level (DPI + quality)
Text becomes pixels (not selectable)
Loses vector sharpness at small sizes
Best for: Scanned receipts, image-heavy reports, photo portfolios — anything where size matters more than copy-paste.

How the level selector maps to modes

Less (best quality)

Mode A — Structural

Stream optimization only. Safest, smallest quality impact.

Balanced

Mode A + light rasterize

Structural first; rasterizes only image-heavy pages.

Strong (smallest)

Mode B — Rasterize

All pages converted to images at optimized DPI.

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know — answered plainly.

Ready to compress your PDF?

Free, private, and instant — no account or installation needed.

No account needed
Files stay on your device
Instant results