Free tool · Nova Forms

Compress a PDF to 1 MB

Choose a PDF, and Nova Forms makes it smaller than 1 MB. Scanned pages are made lighter as little as needed, so they stay easy to read. Your PDF is never uploaded.

Make a PDF under 1 MB →No account needed. No watermark.

Other limits

Compress PDF to 100 KBMake a PDF under 100 KB.Compress PDF to 200 KBMake a PDF under 200 KB.Compress PDF to 500 KBMake a PDF under 500 KB.

How to make a PDF under 1 MB

  1. Choose your PDF

    Pick a PDF from your phone or computer. Up to 25 pages are opened.

  2. Check the limit

    The limit is already set to under 1 MB. You can pick another one, or type your own.

  3. Take out pages (if you like)

    Remove the pages you do not need, turn a page that is on its side, or move a page up or down. Fewer pages make a smaller file.

  4. Make it smaller and save

    Tap Make my PDF smaller. You see the new size, and the old one, before you tap Save file.

Why use this tool

Under 1 MB

The file is made to fit under 1 MB. If that is not possible, you are told, and shown the smallest it can be.

Scans stay readable

Pages are made lighter step by step, and only as much as needed. The Document look turns paper white and writing dark, so a small file is still easy to read.

Text stays text when it can

A PDF that is already under 1 MB is kept as it is. If the pages you keep fit as they are, they are copied without change.

Take pages out, turn them

Remove pages, turn them or change their order before you make the file.

Private

The PDF is read and made in your browser, on your device. It is not sent to a server.

No watermark, no account

Your PDF is clean, and you do not need to sign in.

Tips for a PDF under 1 MB

Questions

How do I compress a PDF to 1 MB?
Open the tool, choose your PDF, and tap Under 1 MB (or type the number). Then tap Make my PDF smaller and Save file.
Will my PDF look blurry?
A scan of paper is made into lighter pictures, step by step and only as much as needed. Small limits on many pages can look soft. The Document look makes writing darker and paper whiter, which helps.
Can I still select the text afterwards?
If your PDF is already small enough, or the pages you keep fit as they are, the text stays text. If the pages have to be made into pictures to fit, the text is part of the picture and cannot be selected.
What if it does not fit under the limit?
You are told, and shown the smallest file it can make. Take out some pages, try the Document look, or choose a bigger limit.
Can I take out pages?
Yes. Remove any page before you make the file. The pages you keep make the new PDF.
My PDF has a password. What do I do?
Open it, take the password off with the program that made it, save it, and try again. Nova Forms cannot read a locked PDF.
Is my PDF uploaded?
No. The PDF is read and made in your browser, on your own device. Nothing is sent to a server.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes. It is made for phones, with big buttons. Chrome, Edge and Safari all work.

More free tools

Compress PDFMake a PDF smaller so it fits the KB limit of a form, and take out the pages you do not need.Merge PDFJoin PDF files and photos into one PDF, in the order you choose, under the KB limit a form allows.Image to PDFPut photos of your papers into one PDF, and keep it under the KB limit a form allows.Photo resizer for formsResize a photo to the exact pixels and KB an exam or job form asks for, with a frame for your face.Signature resizerClean a photo of your signature and save it at the exact size and KB a form asks for.All free toolsSee the full list
Want more than one job?
Nova Clip edits video, Nova Studio edits photos, Nova Animate makes cartoons and Nova Audio cuts sound and Nova Forms gets photos ready for online forms. All free, in your browser.
See Nova Studio →