PDF tools / Compress PDF10 tools
Best tools to compress a PDF
Make a PDF smaller without ruining it. Facts come from each tool's own pages, and every score says where it comes from. How we rank
- Tools
- 10
- Researched
- 10
- Free option
- 10
- Only listed
- 0
Made by agathox · free, no sign-up, runs in your browser
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We build this tool, so it is labelled. It is scored with the same tests as the rest, and this box never changes the ranking below.
Quick answer
- No signup needed: agathox PDF tools, PDF24 Tools, Sejda PDF, PDFgear
- Files stay on your device: agathox PDF tools
Based on what each tool's own pages say. A tool is left out when its pages say it varies or do not say. Details are listed under each tool.
Want two of these head to head? Compare tools side by side.
Details and sources
- Free tier
- Free to use. No paid plan and no limits on how many files you process.
- Paid plan
- There is no paid plan.
- Signup
- No account or sign-up is needed.
- Watermark
- Nothing is added to your files.
- Where files go
- Runs in your browser, so files are not uploaded. HTML to PDF asks our server only to fetch the web page you enter.
From the tool's own pages, checked 2026-11-10. Sources: Privacy page. Prices and limits change; check the tool before you rely on them.
5 of 6 criteria tested
- Output correctness5 / 5 (tested)The file opened with all 2 pages and was 93% smaller (2.5 MB to 0.2 MB). Tested 2026-11-01.
- Limits3 / 5 (tested)The largest of our test files it accepted was 12.6 MB; it refused the 26.4 MB file. Tested 2026-11-01.
- Ease of use5 / 5 (tested)3 actions from opening the page to downloading. Tested 2026-11-01.
- Privacy and security3 / 5 (tested)The file was uploaded to the tool's server; the tool says it deletes it right after use (we cannot check that). Tested 2026-11-01.
- Free-tier restrictions4 / 5 (tested)The first use worked with no account, payment or prompt. Daily caps and watermarks were not checked. Tested 2026-11-01.
Details and sources
- Free tier
- Limited access to basic features of 21 tools, with up to 2 conversions a day. The same limit applies with or without a free account. File-size and page limits are not stated.
- Paid plan
- Pro adds unlimited use of all tools, OCR, batch conversion, no ads and the desktop and mobile apps. The price is not shown on the official pages we could read.
- Signup
- Not required for most tools. Sign needs a free account.
- Watermark
- Says it adds no watermark, even on the free plan.
- Where files go
- Cloud-based: files are uploaded and deleted automatically after one hour for most tools. Its servers are in Ireland.
From the tool's own pages, checked 2026-10-31. Sources: Support, Pricing, Merge PDF. Prices and limits change; check the tool before you rely on them.
Details and sources
- Free tier
- Says all tools are free without restrictions and that there are no artificial limits. File-size limits are not stated.
- Paid plan
- No paid plan found. It says the service is funded by advertising.
- Signup
- No registration required.
- Watermark
- Not stated.
- Where files go
- Files are uploaded to PDF24's servers in EU data centres and usually deleted within one hour. The free PDF24 Creator desktop app works offline.
From the tool's own pages, checked 2026-10-31. Sources: Home, FAQ, Privacy policy. Prices and limits change; check the tool before you rely on them.
Details and sources
- Free tier
- Free tools with limits per tool, for example merge up to 100 files and 1,500 pages, split up to 1 GB and 1,500 pages, Word to PDF up to 100 MB, compress up to 2 GB with limited use. PDF to Word has a daily limit whose number is not stated.
- Paid plan
- Acrobat Standard from US$14.99 a month on an annual plan billed monthly, US$179.88 a year prepaid, or US$24.99 month to month.
- Signup
- Depends on the tool. Merge and compress say no signup; split, OCR and edit ask you to sign in to download; Fill & Sign requires it.
- Watermark
- Merge and PDF to JPG say no watermark. Not stated for the other tools.
- Where files go
- Files are uploaded to Adobe's cloud servers and deleted unless you sign in and save them. No retention time is stated.
From the tool's own pages, checked 2026-10-31. Sources: Online tools, Merge PDF, Pricing, PDF to Word. Prices and limits change; check the tool before you rely on them.
Details and sources
- Free tier
- PDF Candy offers free online PDF tools, but paid plans remove hourly limits and increase file size limits to 500 MB. The page says: “Access to PDF Candy Web. No hourly limits. Increase file size per task up to 500 MB. High priority processing (No queue).”
- Paid plan
- Not stated.
- Signup
- The site provides options to sign in with Google, Apple, or email. The page says: “Sign in to continue. Sign in with Google Sign in with Apple . or . Sign in using Email . Email Please check your email.”
- Watermark
- Not stated.
- Where files go
- Files are processed and stored on the company's servers for a maximum of two hours. The page says: “We are committed to protecting your privacy and keep your files on our servers for no longer than two hours , in full compliance with GDPR regulations.”
From the tool's own pages, checked 2026-11-04. Sources: Home. Prices and limits change; check the tool before you rely on them.
Read automatically by a program, not by a person. Each fact quotes the sentence it came from, and a fact is shown only if that sentence is on the page. Where a page did not say, it reads “Not stated.”
Details and sources
- Free tier
- Free for documents up to 50 pages or 50 MB, and 3 tasks an hour. Some tools are tighter: one file per task, 20 pages per conversion, 10 pages per OCR task.
- Paid plan
- A 7-day pass for $5 (one-time) and a yearly plan for $63 that includes Sejda Desktop. Paid removes the page and hourly limits and allows files up to 500 MB. We could not verify the monthly price.
- Signup
- No signup required.
- Watermark
- Not stated.
- Where files go
- Web tools upload files to Sejda's servers and delete them automatically after 2 hours, with encryption in transit and at rest. Sejda Desktop processes files on your computer.
From the tool's own pages, checked 2026-10-31. Sources: Merge PDF, Pricing, Privacy, Security. Prices and limits change; check the tool before you rely on them.
Details and sources
- Free tier
- A free plan with limited document processing. The exact free limits are not stated on the pricing page; the terms say it may apply reasonable technical limits on file size and processing.
- Paid plan
- Premium: unlimited document processing, no ads, priority support. Prices vary by country; the page we read showed 242 INR a month billed yearly or 500 INR billed monthly. Check the current price where you live.
- Signup
- Not stated.
- Watermark
- Not stated.
- Where files go
- Files are uploaded to iLovePDF's servers and deleted automatically within 2 hours of processing.
From the tool's own pages, checked 2026-10-31. Sources: Pricing, FAQ, Terms. Prices and limits change; check the tool before you rely on them.
Details and sources
- Free tier
- The site describes the service as free. Conversion is capped at 500 pages without OCR and 100 pages with OCR. Other limits (file size, number of files) are not stated on the pages read.
- Paid plan
- Not stated. No pricing page was found; the home page links only to a donation page and a features page.
- Signup
- Not stated.
- Watermark
- Not stated.
- Where files go
- Files are uploaded to Online2PDF servers and converted there. The privacy page says uploaded files are deleted right after conversion, and converted files may stay available for download up to 90 seconds. Server location is not stated.
From the tool's own pages, checked 2026-11-01. Sources: Home page, Privacy. Prices and limits change; check the tool before you rely on them.
Details and sources
- Free tier
- The home page describes the site as 44 permanently free online PDF tools, including PDF to Word and Compress PDF, but does not explain limits.
- Paid plan
- Not stated.
- Signup
- Not stated.
- Watermark
- Not stated.
- Where files go
- Files are processed on CleverPDF's servers. Input and output files are deleted 30 minutes after processing, or instantly if the user asks. Not shared with third parties and not backed up. Server location not stated.
From the tool's own pages, checked 2026-11-01. Sources: Home page, Privacy. Prices and limits change; check the tool before you rely on them.
Answers come from each tool's own pages (“Unclear” means they do not say). Tick “Compare” on two to four tools to read them side by side.
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