Will my PDF be exactly 500 KB?

It will be under 500 KB, at the highest quality that fits. We count 500 KB as 500,000 bytes, so the file passes whether a form counts a kilobyte as 1,000 or 1,024 bytes.

Will the text still be selectable?

Almost always. We shrink the images inside the PDF and leave text and fonts as they are. Only if that still can't get under 500 KB are pages turned into images, which makes the text unselectable, and the tool tells you when it does.

What if it can't get under 500 KB?

You get the smallest version we can make and a note saying it's still over. Remove pages the form doesn't need with the PDF Page Remover, then try again.

No. Everything happens in your browser, so documents never leave your device.

Compress PDF to 500 KB

Shrink one or many PDFs to under 500 KB, in your browser.

Choose PDF files

or drag and drop them here

Select up to 20 PDF files

Processed entirely in your browser, nothing is uploaded, stored or seen by us.

Something not working, or a feature missing?Report a problem or suggest a tool

How to Use

1Drop in one or more PDF files.
2The target is already set to 500 KB. Change it if your form asks for a different size.
3Download each PDF on its own, or all of them as a ZIP.

Features

Gets every PDF under 500 KB automatically
Best quality that fits, picked for each file
Files already under the limit are kept unchanged
Up to 20 PDFs at once, download individually or as a ZIP
No upload, 100% in-browser

Compress PDF to 500 KB gets each PDF under 500 KB at the best quality that fits. Files already under the limit are kept exactly as they are, and nothing is ever uploaded.

When you need a PDF under 500 KB

CVs and resumes for job portals with a 500 KB attachment limit
Application packs with several scanned pages

Every portal sets its own limits. Check the instructions for the exact file size and number of pages before you upload.

What fits in 500 KB

500 KB is roughly enough for five to eight scanned pages, or a designed CV with photos. A CV exported straight from Word or Google Docs is often already under 500 KB, in which case you get it back unchanged, with its text still selectable.

How it gets your PDF under the limit

If a lossless re-save already brings the PDF under 500 KB, that's what you get, with text still selectable.
Otherwise the images inside are resampled and re-saved, trying stronger and lighter settings to find the best quality that fits. Text and fonts aren't touched.
Only if that can't get there are the pages turned into images, the last resort for very image-heavy files.
If even the strongest setting is too big, you get the smallest version and a note saying so.

Need a different size? Change the number in the box, or use the full Compress PDF tool to pick a compression level yourself.