Expert Guide

The Best Free PDF Compressors in 2026

Nine free compressors compared on file-size caps, daily limits, sign-up and upload, with vendor pages read on 10 October 2026.

Louis CorneloupFounder, Dupple · 930,000+ readers · Updated Oct 2026

Product links may be affiliate links. How we rate 9 tools compared

TL;DR

Short answer: PDFgear is the free pick for a large file, because its desktop app lists no file-size limit and works offline. Apple Preview does the same on a Mac at no cost. The best free browser tool with no stated limit is PDF24, but the file goes to its server. Pay only if a free cap stops you: iLovePDF Premium is $60 a year.

Caps decide this more than price. Sejda allows 3 tasks an hour on files up to 100 MB, and Soda PDF allows 2 files a day up to 3 MB each. Adobe publishes a 2 GB ceiling but no count for its free use. Read the cap before you start, because each free tier stops at a different point.

Key facts9 tools compared: PDFgear, Apple Preview, PDF24, Foxit, Adobe Acrobat online, iLovePDF, Sejda…

Updated: October 14, 2026
Top pick: PDFgear (best for: Anyone who wants no size cap and no upload, on Windows or Mac)
Top pick price as of October 14, 2026: PDFgear: Free on desktop with no file-size limit; the online tool caps a file at 100 MB and needs no sign-up.

9 tools compared: PDFgear, Apple Preview, PDF24, Foxit, Adobe Acrobat online, iLovePDF, Sejda, Soda PDF, Smallpdf
Apple Preview (best for: Mac users who want a local compress with no account and no upload): Free with a Mac: File, Export, then the Reduce File Size Quartz filter. Apple's guide states no size limit.
PDF24 (best for: Anyone who wants a browser tool with no stated limit and an offline option from the same brand): Free and paid for by ads; the online tool's page says no limits, and PDF24 Creator runs offline.
Foxit (best for: Teams that send oversized PDFs by email and need one file under 150 MB with no sign-up): Free online compressor, 150 MB per file, no account; the page prints no daily count.

The best free PDF compressor in 2026 depends on what stops your job first: a file-size cap, a daily or hourly count, an account, or an upload you do not want to make. PDFgear passes the most of those tests at once, which is why it ranks first.

Apple Preview is second for a Mac user who wants a no-cost compress with no upload, and PDF24 is third for the stated absence of limits on its online tool.

Toolradar data: as of 10 October 2026 the directory tracks 11,051 tools in 343 categories, and the nine compressors below were read on each vendor's own page that day.

Shrinking a file is a different job from changing its text, so the free PDF editors guide scores several of these tools on different criteria.

Methodology: we ranked the nine by how far the free tier carries an ordinary compression job before a cap, an account or an upload stops it.

Each limit is the figure printed on the vendor's own page, and a figure a page does not print is marked as not stated.

Top Picks

Based on features, real-world fit, and value for money.

Best Free PDF Compressors in 2026: File Size and Daily Caps Compared: 9 tools compared, updated Oct 2026
Tool	Pricing	Best for
PDFgear	Free on desktop with no file-size limit; the online tool caps a file at 100 MB and needs no sign-up.	Anyone who wants no size cap and no upload, on Windows or Mac.
Apple Preview	Free with a Mac: File, Export, then the Reduce File Size Quartz filter. Apple's guide states no size limit.	Mac users who want a local compress with no account and no upload.
PDF24	Free and paid for by ads; the online tool's page says no limits, and PDF24 Creator runs offline.	Anyone who wants a browser tool with no stated limit and an offline option from the same brand.
Foxit	Free online compressor, 150 MB per file, no account; the page prints no daily count.	Teams that send oversized PDFs by email and need one file under 150 MB with no sign-up.
Adobe Acrobat online	Free with limited use and no count published; Acrobat Pro is $19.99 a month on an annual plan billed monthly.	Recipients who test files in Acrobat and want the Adobe engine on a large file.
iLovePDF	Free: 200 MB per task and 2 files per batch; Premium is $60 a year, with 4 GB and 10 files per batch.	Occasional users who will pay for Premium once the free batch of 2 files is too small.
Sejda	Free up to 100 MB or 200 pages and 3 tasks an hour; web Week Pass $5 for 7 days; Desktop+Web $63 a year.	Someone who compresses a few files an hour and can wait for the hourly reset.
Soda PDF	Free: 2 files a day, up to 3 MB each, no account; the plans page prints no USD price.	Small email attachments sent a few times a week, by someone who wants no account.
Smallpdf	Free Basic compression with usage limits not published; Moderate and Strong are Pro features.	People who need basic compression and accept an unstated usage limit.

Pricing read from each vendor's own published pricing page, checked Oct 2026. Every vendor here publishes a price.

PDFgear

Top Pick

Best for: Anyone who wants no size cap and no upload, on Windows or Mac.

PricingFree on desktop with no file-size limit; the online tool caps a file at 100 MB and needs no sign-up.

+The desktop app lists no file-size limit and runs without an internet connection, so the file never leaves the machine.

+The online tool offers Low, Medium and Strong levels, and its page says Low and Medium keep the quality of the original.

+The page says free exports carry no watermark, so the output can go straight to a client.

−The online compressor sends files to AWS servers in the US, and its page gives more than one deletion rule.

−Strong compression can reduce image quality, so Low or Medium is the safer choice for a contract.

Visit PDFgear →

Apple Preview

Best for: Mac users who want a local compress with no account and no upload.

PricingFree with a Mac: File, Export, then the Reduce File Size Quartz filter. Apple's guide states no size limit.

+The work stays on the Mac, so a confidential file never reaches a vendor server.

+There is nothing extra to buy, because the steps use the Preview app that Apple's guide describes.

−It only works on a Mac, so a Windows colleague needs PDFgear or PDF24 Creator instead.

−The export options decide the quality, and a scanned file should be checked before it goes out.

Visit Apple Preview →

PDF24

Best for: Anyone who wants a browser tool with no stated limit and an offline option from the same brand.

PricingFree and paid for by ads; the online tool's page says no limits, and PDF24 Creator runs offline.

+The page says there are no subscription traps or forced premium versions.

+Compression modes range from a normal mode that reduces images to a lossless mode, so you choose how far the quality drops.

+Files are deleted from its server after one hour, a window the page states.

−The free tool runs on advertising, and the page says so, so expect ads on every visit.

−The online tool uploads the file, so a confidential PDF should go to the offline Creator.

Visit PDF24 →

Foxit

Best for: Teams that send oversized PDFs by email and need one file under 150 MB with no sign-up.

PricingFree online compressor, 150 MB per file, no account; the page prints no daily count.

+No account and no software to install, so a one-off file needs no setup.

+The upload box prints its 150 MB limit, so the cap is known before the file goes in.

−The page gives no daily or hourly count, so a heavy week has no stated ceiling to plan around.

−Files are handled by Foxit's cloud servers, and the page states no deletion window.

Visit Foxit →

Adobe Acrobat online

Best for: Recipients who test files in Acrobat and want the Adobe engine on a large file.

PricingFree with limited use and no count published; Acrobat Pro is $19.99 a month on an annual plan billed monthly.

+The 2 GB ceiling sits above every free file-size cap that the other browser tools print, so a large scan goes through without a split.

+High, Medium and Low let you choose the trade-off, and the output is the file a counterparty opens in Acrobat.

−Adobe calls the free use limited but publishes no number, so a busy day can stop without warning.

−Unlimited compression, batch processing and advanced settings need a paid Acrobat plan.

Visit Adobe Acrobat online →

iLovePDF

Best for: Occasional users who will pay for Premium once the free batch of 2 files is too small.

PricingFree: 200 MB per task and 2 files per batch; Premium is $60 a year, with 4 GB and 10 files per batch.

+Premium is the lowest annual price printed for a paid compression plan on the pages we read.

+Premium is ad-free and adds regional file processing, which the free plan does not offer.

−The free plan's processing is described only as limited, with no daily count printed.

−The compress page states no deletion window, so a contract should not go through it.

Visit iLovePDF →

Sejda

Best for: Someone who compresses a few files an hour and can wait for the hourly reset.

PricingFree up to 100 MB or 200 pages and 3 tasks an hour; web Week Pass $5 for 7 days; Desktop+Web $63 a year.

+Files are deleted after 2 hours, a window the compress page states.

+The Week Pass is a one-time charge that does not renew, so it suits one busy week.

+Team discounts run 10% for 2 to 4 members and reach 60% at 50 or more.

−The free tier takes one file per task, so a batch needs several separate tasks in the same hour.

−Three tasks an hour is a tight cap when a batch of scans arrives at once.

Visit Sejda →

Soda PDF

Best for: Small email attachments sent a few times a week, by someone who wants no account.

PricingFree: 2 files a day, up to 3 MB each, no account; the plans page prints no USD price.

+The page says no logos or watermarks are added to the result.

+Two levels: regular, which the page estimates at 40 percent smaller, and high, up to 85 percent smaller.

+Files are deleted from its servers within 24 hours, a window the page states.

−A 3 MB cap rules out most scanned documents before any compression starts.

−Paid plans show no USD figure on the plans page, so a budget cannot be set from it alone.

Visit Soda PDF →

Smallpdf

Best for: People who need basic compression and accept an unstated usage limit.

PricingFree Basic compression with usage limits not published; Moderate and Strong are Pro features.

+The browser tool runs on any device, with mobile apps for iOS and Android.

+Files are deleted automatically after one hour, a window the page states.

−The free tier publishes no daily download count, and its FAQ says usage limits may apply.

−The pricing page shows Pro with a monthly and a yearly option but no dollar figure in its copy, so budget from the checkout.

Visit Smallpdf →

What it is

A free PDF compressor shrinks a file by re-encoding its images and removing redundant structure, without a paid plan. Scanned PDFs shrink the most, because most of a scan is page images. A tool only counts as free here if an ordinary file goes through with no watermark and no paid step to download the result.

Two questions separate the tools.

First, does the file leave your machine? Smallpdf describes its tools as cloud-based, and PDF24 and PDFgear's online tool both process the file on servers, while PDFgear's desktop app and Apple's Preview keep it local.

Second, how far does the free tier go before a cap stops you? If the paid step looks likely, read our Acrobat pricing guide and the Adobe Acrobat review before you buy.

Why it matters

The cap ends a free job, and each vendor prints it in a different unit. If the file also needs its text changed, the best PDF editors guide covers the paid tools for that.

PDFgear's desktop app lists no file limit, while its online compressor takes 100 MB. iLovePDF's free plan takes 200 MB per task but only 2 files per batch. Sejda's compress page states 200 pages or 100 MB and 3 tasks an hour. Foxit takes 150 MB per file.

Soda PDF takes 3 MB and two files a day, which rules out most scans before any compression starts.

Run a normal working day through the list: five PDFs of 40 MB each. Soda PDF fails on the first file, because its free tier stops at 3 MB.

Sejda takes all five, but it needs two hours, since it allows three tasks an hour and one file per task. iLovePDF takes them in three batches of two. PDFgear's desktop app takes them with no ceiling at all.

If the end goal is a Word file rather than a smaller PDF, the free PDF to Word converters page covers the caps on that job.

The second cost is the upload. A contract sent through a browser tool sits on a vendor server for a while.

Smallpdf and PDF24 state a one-hour deletion window, Sejda states two hours and Soda PDF states 24 hours.

PDFgear's online page gives more than one rule, from 20 minutes after you leave the site to immediately after the download, and Foxit says only that files are handled by its cloud servers. iLovePDF's compress page does not state a window, so a confidential file belongs on a desktop app.

Key features to look for

File-size cap

The largest file the free tier takes, printed in MB or GB, which decides whether a scan goes through at all.

Daily or hourly count

Files per day or tasks per hour. Soda PDF and Sejda print one; Adobe and Smallpdf print none.

Account and upload

Whether you need a sign-up, and whether the file goes to a server or stays on your machine.

Compression level

Which levels the free tier includes, from Low and Medium through High or Strong.

Deletion window

How long the vendor says it keeps the file after compression, where its page states one.

Pricing

Prices below were read on each vendor's own page on 10 October 2026. Sejda, iLovePDF and Adobe print dollar prices for their paid plans.

Soda PDF and Smallpdf print no dollar figure for their paid plans on the pages we checked, so this page quotes none.

Sejda's upgrade page lists the Web Week Pass at $5 per user for 7 days as a one-time payment, Web Monthly at $7.50 per user a month on recurring billing, and Desktop+Web Annual at $63 per user a year with a year of Desktop access.

Its team discount runs 10% for 2 to 4 members.

iLovePDF's pricing page sets Premium at $60 a year on annual billing, or $9 a month billed monthly. The free plan keeps 200 MB per task and 2 files per batch, and Premium lifts those to 4 GB and 10 files.

Adobe's Acrobat page lists Pro for individuals at $19.99 a month on an annual plan billed monthly, $29.99 a month on a monthly plan, and $239.88 a year prepaid.

For a single week of spikes, Sejda's $5 Week Pass costs the least.

For a full year, iLovePDF Premium is the lowest annual dollar price printed on the pages we read. Adobe's prepaid year costs about four times that, and the difference buys the unlimited compression and the Acrobat engine.

Plan	Price	Best for
PDFgear desktop	Free	No file-size limit, works offline, exports with no watermark
PDFgear online	Free	100 MB per file, no sign-up, processed on AWS servers in the US
Apple Preview (Mac)	Free	Reduce File Size filter in File, Export; runs on the Mac
PDF24 online	Free	No limits stated, ad-funded, file deleted after one hour
PDF24 Creator	Free	Offline program from PDF24, no upload
Foxit online	Free	150 MB per file, no account, no daily count printed
Adobe Acrobat online	Free	Limited use, up to 2 GB, High, Medium and Low levels
iLovePDF free	Free	200 MB per task, 2 files per batch
iLovePDF Premium	$60 a year	4 GB per file, 10 files per batch, ad-free
Sejda free	Free	100 MB or 200 pages, 3 tasks an hour, one file per task
Sejda Week Pass	$5 for 7 days	One-time payment, web only, no Desktop access
Sejda Desktop+Web	$63 a year	Per user, with a year of Desktop access
Soda PDF free	Free	2 files a day, 3 MB per file, no account
Smallpdf Basic	Free	Basic compression; Moderate and Strong need Pro
Acrobat Pro	$239.88 a year	Prepaid; unlimited compression and batch processing

Mistakes to avoid

×Trusting a no-limits claim without reading the upload rule, because PDF24's page says no limits while sending the file to its server.

×Compressing a confidential contract in a browser tool, when PDFgear's desktop app or Apple Preview keeps the file on the machine.

×Using Soda PDF's free tier for a scan, when its 3 MB cap rules out most scans before compression starts.

×Choosing Strong compression by default, when PDFgear's own page says Strong can reduce image quality and Low or Medium do not.

Expert tips

→Run a Low or Medium pass first, and move up a level only if the file is still too big for the email. A client copy belongs in the store your team already trusts, and the <a href="/reviews/best-cloud-storage-for-business">cloud storage for business</a> guide compares the options.

→Put the desktop app on the machines that handle client files, and keep browser tools for public documents.

→Count the pages before you upload, because Sejda's free tier stops at 200 pages and three tasks an hour.

The bottom line

Start with PDFgear for a large or confidential file, because the desktop app has no size limit and keeps the file on your machine. Use Apple Preview if you work on a Mac and want the same result with nothing extra to install.

Use PDF24 online when you need a browser tool with no stated limit and the file can go to a server.

Skip Soda PDF for scans, because its 3 MB free cap stops most of them. Pay for iLovePDF Premium only when the free batch of 2 files is the limit that keeps stopping you.

The free cloud storage guide covers where the finished copy should live. Adobe is the right tool when the recipient needs the Acrobat engine, and the wrong default for a team that only shrinks files.

A contract that needs a signature after compression belongs in an e-signature tool.

Cite this: Techpresso, "Best Free PDF Compressors in 2026", October 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best free PDF compressor in 2026?

PDFgear's desktop app, for a large file you do not want to upload. Its page lists no file-size limit, and the app works offline. On a Mac, Apple Preview's Reduce File Size filter does the same at no cost. PDF24's online tool is the best free browser option, because its page states no limits, but the file goes to its server.

Is there a free PDF compressor with no file size limit?

On the desktop, yes. PDFgear's desktop app lists no file limit, and Apple's guide to Preview states none. Online, PDF24's page states no limit, but the file goes to its server. The other free ceilings we read were 100 MB on PDFgear, 150 MB on Foxit, 200 MB per task on iLovePDF, 2 GB on Adobe, and 100 MB or 200 pages on Sejda.

Which free PDF compressors do not upload my file?

The desktop options: PDFgear's desktop app, Apple Preview on a Mac, and PDF24 Creator, the offline program from PDF24. Every browser tool on this list sends the file to a server, and the deletion windows they state run from 20 minutes to 24 hours.

How much does Adobe Acrobat cost to compress PDFs?

The online compressor is free with limited use, and Adobe publishes no count for that free use. Acrobat Pro for individuals is $19.99 a month on an annual plan billed monthly, $29.99 a month on a monthly plan, or $239.88 a year prepaid. Unlimited compression and batch processing need that paid plan.

Does compressing a PDF reduce its quality?

It can, because the compression level trades quality for size. PDFgear says its Low and Medium modes keep the quality of the original, while Strong may reduce image quality. Soda PDF's high level can cut a file by up to 85 percent and notes that images blur when they are compressed hard.

Is Soda PDF's free compressor enough for a team?

Rarely. Its free tier allows two files a day up to 3 MB each, with no account required. Soda's plans page prints no USD price, so a team budget needs a quote from the vendor. A scan above 3 MB does not get through the free tier at all.

Sources

Prices and plan details come from each vendor's own pricing page, re-checked by the Toolradar pricing tracker.