Compress PDF to 5 MB
Recommended compression is pre-selected to hit this limit.
The 10-second test: switch off your Wi-Fi (or turn on airplane mode) and use this tool anyway. It keeps working — because there is no server doing the work.
The technical check: open your browser's developer tools, go to the Network tab, and run the tool. Your file is never sent anywhere.
Measured live on this page — files transmitted: 0 · file data sent: 0 bytes
This counter hooks the browser's own networking functions, so it would rise the instant any file data left this page. The only thing this site ever transmits is the contact form, if you choose to send one.
Select PDF files
or drag & drop — pasting works too (Ctrl+V)
Working…
Your file is ready!
Processed on your device — 0 bytes uploaded
Thanks — feedback received!
How to compress a PDF to 5 MB
5 MB is the gentlest of the common limits. Recommended compression is pre-selected and is normally more than enough — you are shrinking a very large file, not squeezing a small one.
The email attachment threshold
Most mail systems accept attachments up to 20 or 25 MB, but plenty of corporate mail servers are configured far lower, and 5 MB is a frequent internal cap. It is also the point at which recipients on slow connections start noticing.
For genuinely huge documents
If a file is still over 5 MB afterwards it is likely a several-hundred-page scan. Split it with Split PDF, or extract just the section the recipient needs with Extract Pages. Smaller targets: 2 MB · 1 MB
Need a different size limit?
Frequently asked questions
Is 5 MB small enough to email?
For most providers, yes. Some corporate mail servers cap lower, so check with the recipient if it bounces.
Does this work on a 200-page document?
It will try. Very large documents take longer because your own device does the work, and the progress bar shows where it is up to.