Compress a PDF to 2 MB

FreeNo uploadNo signupWorks offline

Upload forms that cap PDFs at 2 MB reject anything larger, usually with an unhelpful error. This tool works down to the target on your device: a lossless pass first, then progressively lower page resolutions only if that is not enough - and it tells you which one it used.

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How to use Compress PDF to 2MB

Compress PDF to 2MB – Reduce a PDF to under 2 MB, keeping text selectable where it can. Free, no upload.

Choose your PDF.
Keep the 2 MB target, or set a different one.
Click Reduce size.
Read which method was used, check the result, then download.

Supported formats

Input: PDF
Output: PDF

What fits in 2 MB

A long scanned document, or a presentation exported to PDF with its images intact. Rarely a hard target unless the source is a high-resolution scan.

Getting there without wrecking the document

If a file will not come under 2 MB, it is almost always 600 dpi scanned pages. Rebuilding those at 150 dpi is invisible on screen and cuts the size by most of it.

What the tool actually does, in order

First a lossless rebuild: unused objects are dropped and streams are recompressed, and the text stays selectable and searchable. If that is still over the target, pages are rebuilt as images at descending resolutions (150, 130, 110, 90, 72 and 60 dpi) until one fits. That second path makes the text part of a picture, so it can no longer be selected, copied or found by search - the result tells you which path it took, because most tools do not.

When the target cannot be reached

Some documents will not fit, and the tool says so rather than returning something unusable. A long high-resolution scan has a floor. Splitting the file or removing pages the form does not ask for is the honest fix.

Privacy

Files you choose are read into your browser’s memory and processed on your device; they are not uploaded to a server. Temporary download links are released after use, and the offline cache never stores your documents. More about privacy and limits.

Frequently asked questions

Will the PDF be exactly 2 MB?

It will be at or under 2 MB. If it cannot get there, you are told the smallest size it reached rather than being handed a file that still fails.

Will the text still be selectable?

If the lossless pass reaches the target, yes. If pages had to be rebuilt as images, no - and the result says which happened.

Is the quality visibly worse?

At the higher resolutions the difference is hard to see on screen. At 72 dpi and below, a scan becomes noticeably soft - check it before submitting.

Is my file uploaded anywhere?

No. The file is read into your browser and resized on your device. Nothing is sent to a server, which matters when the file is an ID photo or a signed form.

Is it free?

Yes - free, with no signup, no watermark and no daily limit.