Guide
Compress a PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro or Standard
The paid desktop versions include a compression tool. The steps below follow recent versions, and Adobe sometimes renames menus, so look for similar labels if yours differ.
- 1Open your PDF in Acrobat.
- 2Open the Compress a PDF tool from the All tools list. Older versions keep it under File, Save As Other, Reduced Size PDF.
- 3Pick a compatibility level or quality option.
- 4Save the file under a new name so you keep the original.
Fine control with PDF Optimizer
Acrobat Pro also offers PDF Optimizer, where you choose image resolution, JPEG quality and which extra data to strip. It gives experts a lot of control, but you still guess the settings and check the size afterwards.
Can Adobe Reader compress a PDF?
The free Adobe Acrobat Reader mainly opens, reads and signs PDFs. Adobe keeps its compression tools in the paid plans and points free users to its online compressor.
If you only have Reader, the tool at the top of this page compresses for free, with no account.
Adobe Acrobat online compress PDF tool
Adobe also runs a web compressor. You upload the file to Adobe, pick a level, and download the result. Some actions ask you to sign in.
Our tool takes a different route. Your browser does the compression, so the file never travels to a server. That matters for bank statements, ID cards, contracts and medical reports.
Adobe Acrobat or PDF File Compress?
Pick the tool that matches the job:
| Adobe Acrobat (paid) | Adobe online | PDF File Compress | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Subscription | Free with limits | Free |
| Uploads your file | No | Yes | No |
| Exact target size (e.g. 200 KB) | No, presets | No, presets | Yes |
| Full PDF editing | Yes | Some tools | No, compression only |
