Mac
Compress a PDF on Mac
Preview's Quartz filter shrinks a PDF but often wrecks the images doing it. The tool above runs in Safari or Chrome on your Mac, keeps text sharp and never uploads the document.
Compress a PDF right here
Processed in our secure workspace — your file stays private.
Drag a PDF here, or choose one from your files
What you get
No Quartz filters
You do not have to install or tweak a Quartz filter to get a usable result.
No app install
Nothing goes into Applications and nothing runs in the background.
Apple Silicon friendly
It is just your workspace session, so M-series Macs are as happy as Intel ones.
Private
The PDF never leaves your Mac.
How to compress a PDF on a Mac
- 1
Open this page on your Mac
Safari, Chrome, Firefox and Edge all work — no app to download from the App Store.
- 2
Drag the PDF from Finder
Drop it straight from Finder onto the tool at the top.
- 3
Compress and save
Download the result to your Downloads folder and check the new size in Finder.
Common questions
Why does Preview make my PDF look bad?
Preview's built-in Reduce File Size filter downsamples images aggressively with no control. A secure compressor gives a more balanced result.
Do I need Adobe Acrobat on a Mac?
No. For compressing, merging, splitting, rotating and organising, the secure tools here cover the same ground for free.
Does it work in Safari?
Yes — Safari, Chrome, Firefox and Edge are all supported.
Where does the compressed file go?
To your normal download location, usually the Downloads folder.