Compress a PDF on Mac
Shrink PDFs on your Mac with real control: pick a strength or an exact target size, and see the result before downloading.
How to reduce PDF file size on Mac
Drop the PDF from Finder
Drag one or several PDFs onto this page.
Pick how small
Light keeps text selectable; Balanced suits most scans; or set a target such as 2 MB.
Download
Compare sizes and save the smaller file to Downloads.
The built-in way: Preview’s Quartz filter
macOS has a compression option in Preview:
- Open the PDF in Preview and choose File → Export.
- Set Quartz Filter to Reduce File Size.
- Click Save.
It’s quick, but you get no control: the filter often makes images very blurry, and sometimes the file barely shrinks. Use this page when you need a specific size for an upload form, or want readable results.
Why people use Compress PDF on Mac
“Mail Drop or a smaller file?”
Get scans small enough to attach normally.
“My scanner made a 60 MB PDF.”
Scanned documents typically shrink by 70–90% in Balanced mode.
“Maximum 2 MB.”
Set the target and get a file that fits.
Better than “Reduce File Size”
Preview’s filter applies one fixed, aggressive setting to every file. Here you can see the before and after size, choose the strength, or set an exact target — and if a result would be bigger than the original, we keep the original. All processing happens on your Mac.
Target size
Get under 1 MB, 2 MB or any limit.
Readable results
Quality is lowered only as much as needed.
Batch
Compress a folder’s worth of PDFs and download a ZIP.
No upload
Your files stay on your Mac.
Frequently asked questions
Why does Preview make my PDF blurry?
The “Reduce File Size” Quartz filter downsamples images heavily, whatever the file. Choosing Balanced or a target size here keeps more detail.
Why did Preview make my PDF bigger?
Re-saving can rewrite already-efficient content less efficiently. Our tool never gives you a result larger than the original.
Does it work offline?
Yes. Once this page has loaded, you can turn off Wi-Fi and it keeps working.
Are my files uploaded anywhere?
No. Your files are opened and processed by code running in this browser tab. Nothing is sent to a server — you can confirm it in your browser’s Network panel, or by turning off Wi-Fi after the page loads.
Is it really free?
Yes. No daily limits, no sign-up and no watermark. Because the work happens on your device, it costs us nothing to run — the site is supported by unobtrusive ads.