PDF Tools

Compress PDF to 500KB

Fits a PDF under 500 KB. On our test pages that holds two scanned A4 pages at 130 dpi, five at 96 and eight at 72, and the page says plainly when yours is out of reach. Runs in your browser.

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Up to 1 files

Maximum file size

We aim under 500,000 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.
2500 KB 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.
4Read the result under the button, then open the download and read a page at full size.

About this tool

Updated October 6, 2026

What fits under 500 KB

A single page is already under it. Two fit at 130 dpi, three at 110, five at 96, eight at 72 and twelve only at the floor.

• 1 page, 468 KB to start: already under, returned unchanged • 2 pages, 918 KB to start: 452 KB at 130 dpi • 3 pages, 1.37 MB to start: 438 KB at 110 dpi • 5 pages, 2.27 MB to start: 458.4 KB at 96 dpi • 8 pages, 3.62 MB to start: 469.6 KB at 72 dpi • 12 pages, 5.42 MB to start: 431.1 KB at 60 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.

A short scan keeps its quality

Up to five pages the result stays at 96 dpi or better, which is about 92 KB a page on our test pages.

Two pages shared the limit at 130 dpi and used 452 KB. Three used 438 KB at 110 dpi. Five used 458 KB at 96 dpi. Those are the resolutions a person would call comfortable on a screen, which makes 500 KB the first limit in this family where a short document is not a compromise.

Eight pages is the edge

Eight pages fit at 72 dpi, where fine print softens, and twelve only at the 60 dpi floor.

On 9-point test text at 100% zoom, 96 dpi was sharp, 72 dpi slightly soft, and 60 dpi clearly blurred though the words were still legible. Digits and small print are less forgiving than words, so check the ones that matter, such as ID numbers. If a long document must stay sharper, Split PDF into parts that each get their own 500 KB. The method behind the choice of resolution is on Compress PDF to a Set Size.

If the file already fits

A PDF under 500 KB is returned untouched, so a text PDF keeps its selectable text.

Many text-only PDFs are already well under 500 KB. The tool checks first and does nothing when nothing is needed. For a lossless trim that keeps text selectable even when the file is a little over, Compress PDF has a mode for that.

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 500,000 bytes, so it passes whether a site counts 1,000 or 1,024 per KB
Handles 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 500 KB?

On our test pages: a single page already did, two fit at 130 dpi, three at 110, five at 96, eight at 72 and twelve only at the 60 dpi floor.

Will eight pages still be readable?

At 72 dpi the test text was slightly soft but legible at 100% zoom. Small print and digits are less forgiving, so open the result and check the ones that matter.

Why did a 468 KB file come back unchanged?

A file already under the limit is returned as it is. Redrawing it would only lose detail, and it keeps its selectable text.

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 200KB

Fit a PDF under 200 KB: a page or two at good quality, five at the floor.

Compress PDF to 1MB

Fit a PDF under 1 MB: three pages at 150 dpi, five at 130, eight at 96.

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.