Compress PDF to 1 MB free
Portal won't accept a PDF over 1 MB? We recompress the photos and scans inside and leave the text as real text.
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How to compress a PDF to 1 MB
- Drop your PDF, up to 3 files at a time.
- Start with Medium, which is already selected.
- Click Compress PDF and see how big the result is.
- Still over 1 MB? Click Start over and pick Strong.
- If that's not enough either, there's Maximum: pages become 120 dpi images.
Why there's no "exactly 1 MB" button
A PDF's size depends on what's inside. Text and fonts weigh almost nothing and barely compress. Photos and scans make up nearly all the weight, and those are what we recompress, so the exact result can't be known in advance. Four clear levels and an honest result beat a number we can't promise.
| Level | What happens | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Light | photos look almost unchanged | printing |
| Medium | usually no visible difference | email, websites |
| Strong | scans stay readable | portals with 1-2 MB limits |
| Maximum | pages become 120 dpi images, text no longer selectable | when nothing else works |
How much you can save
Scans and photos shrink several times over. In our own test, a 12.3 MB scan went down to 0.7 MB. A PDF exported from Word with only text barely shrinks, because it's already light. If a file is already compressed and can't get smaller, we hand it back unchanged rather than bloated.
If even Maximum isn't enough
- Split the document: many portals accept several files.
- Look for extra pages: blanks, duplicates, cover sheets.
- If the PDF was built from photos, rebuild it from smaller ones: compress images to 200 KB, then photos to PDF.
Check the whole file first
Before compressing, flip through the PDF: sometimes a single page with a huge photo or an accidental blank page accounts for most of the size. You can delete pages in any PDF viewer.
Where 1 MB limits come up
You'll see 1 MB caps on government and university portals, grant and job application systems, banks and insurers. Email allows more, usually 20-25 MB, but a light PDF is still kinder to the recipient, especially on a phone.
Several PDFs at once
Free: up to 3 files at a time, each saved separately. Pro Photo: up to 50 files at a time.
Limits
Files up to 300 MB, no daily limit, no watermarks. The PDF is never uploaded.
FAQ
How do I get a PDF under 1 MB if Strong isn't enough?
Try Maximum: pages become images and the file gets as small as possible. If that's still too big, split the document.
Will the text get blurry?
On Light, Medium and Strong, text isn't touched and stays selectable. Only Maximum turns it into an image.
Why did my PDF barely shrink?
It probably has no photos or scans, only text. Those PDFs are already small.
Is it free?
Yes, with no daily limit and no watermarks.