PDF Tools

Compress PDF to 1MB

Fits a PDF under 1 MB. On our test pages that holds three scanned A4 pages at 150 dpi, five at 130 and eight at 96, and the page says plainly when yours is out of reach. Runs in your browser.

Add Files

Process

Download

Processed in your browser — your file is not uploaded.

Drop your files here

or click to browse files

Up to 1 files

Maximum file size

We aim under 1,000,000 bytes. Some sites count a KB as 1,000 bytes and others as 1,024, so this passes either check.

Up to 40 pages. A PDF that is already small enough is returned untouched, and a lossless rewrite is tried before anything is redrawn.

How to Use

1Add one PDF by dropping it on the upload area or choosing it from your device.
21 MB is already selected; change it with the buttons or type your own limit in KB.
3Click the compress button and wait. The progress bar shows which setting is being tried.
4Check the result and the resolution it reports, then open the download and read a page.

About this tool

Updated October 6, 2026

What fits under 1 MB

Two pages are already under it. Three fit at the top setting, five at 130 dpi, eight at 96 and twelve at 84.

• 1 page, 468 KB to start: already under, returned unchanged • 2 pages, 918 KB to start: already under, returned unchanged • 3 pages, 1.37 MB to start: 999.5 KB at 150 dpi • 5 pages, 2.27 MB to start: 969.7 KB at 130 dpi • 8 pages, 3.62 MB to start: 830.8 KB at 96 dpi • 12 pages, 5.42 MB to start: 924.4 KB at 84 dpi These are measurements on test pages we built to resemble scanned A4 pages, not on your document. Real pages vary: a mostly blank page costs less than a photo.

Three pages sit right on the line

Three of our test pages came to 999.5 KB at 150 dpi, the best setting the tool has.

That is a coincidence of the test pages, but it marks the top of the range: at about 333 KB a page, 1 MB is exactly what three pages at the highest setting need. Five pages at 130 dpi came to 970 KB, and eight at 96 dpi to 831 KB. For most short documents 1 MB is generous, and the result stays at 130 dpi or better up to five pages.

A megabyte is two numbers

A site that says “1 MB” may mean 1,000,000 bytes or 1,048,576. The tool aims under the smaller.

That 5% difference decides whether a file passes at the margin. Aiming under 1,000,000 bytes means the file passes either check, and it is why the three-page result above stops at 999.5 KB rather than creeping toward 1,048 KB. The longer explanation of how the settings are chosen is on Compress PDF to a Set Size.

Long documents take time

Twelve pages took 40 to 60 seconds on our test computer; the tool tries several settings before it settles.

The wait grows with the page count and shrinks with a faster device. A PDF already under 1 MB is returned at once, and one that a lossless rewrite can bring under takes only a moment, because nothing is drawn.

How many pages fit under 100 KB, 200 KB, 500 KB or 1 MB?
We built test PDFs of 1 to 12 scanned pages and fitted each under five size limits. The table shows what is possible, what one page costs at each resolution, and when a limit is out of reach.

Features

Returns the file untouched if it is already under the limit
Aims under 1,000,000 bytes, so it passes whether a site counts a megabyte as 1,000,000 or 1,048,576
Up to 40 pages in one run
Says plainly when a limit cannot be reached, and gives the smallest file it could make
Runs in your browser; the PDF is not uploaded

FAQ

How many pages fit under 1 MB?

On our test pages: two were already under it, three fit at the top 150 dpi setting, five at 130 dpi, eight at 96 and twelve at 84.

Is a megabyte 1,000,000 or 1,048,576 bytes?

Sites differ. The tool aims under 1,000,000 bytes, so the file passes either reading.

Why did a 12-page scan take about a minute?

The tool tries several settings before it settles, and each try draws the pages again. On our test computer a 12-page scan took 40 to 60 seconds; a phone will be slower. The progress bar shows what is being tried.

Is my PDF uploaded?

No. It is read and redrawn in your browser.

Compress PDF to a Set Size

Fit a PDF under any size limit from 20 KB to 20 MB, and see plainly when it cannot.

Compress PDF to 500KB

Fit a PDF under 500 KB: two pages at 130 dpi, five at 96, eight at 72.

Compress PDF to 2MB

Fit a PDF under 2 MB: five pages at 150 dpi, eight at 130, twelve at 110.

Compress PDF

Shrink a scanned or photo-heavy PDF by up to 90 percent, or strip its metadata while keeping the text selectable.

Split PDF

Cut a PDF into page ranges or fixed-size chunks; get a PDF or a ZIP of PDFs.

Compress Image to KB

Bring a photo under an exact size limit such as 20 KB or 100 KB, keeping as much quality as the limit allows.