Official PDF Compressor Options With Different Compression Levels: Adobe Acrobat Online, Smallpdf, iLovePDF, PDF24, and Sejda

To compress PDF files with different compression levels, use Adobe Acrobat’s online tool, which offers High, Medium, and Low levels to balance quality and size. Adobe says it can handle files up to 2GB, reduces image resolution, flattens interactive layers, and removes unused metadata, and it deletes unsaved files.

This article is for anyone who needs a service with different compression levels to balance PDF file size and quality.

Compress PDF With Extreme, Recommended, or Less Compression: iLovePDF’s Levels

Services with different compression levels include iLovePDF with Extreme, Recommended, and Less compression, Smallpdf with Basic, Moderate, and Strong, Adobe Acrobat online with High, Medium, and Low, PDF24 with DPI and image quality settings, and Sejda with image quality and PPI choices. iLovePDF’s compress page describes Extreme as less quality with high compression, Recommended as good quality with good compression, and Less as high quality with less compression. Test a level on a copy before you share it, and keep your original file.

Platform	Best For	Key Details
Adobe Acrobat online	Large files and a simple three level choice	Adobe says you can choose High, Medium, or Low, and files can be up to 2GB
Smallpdf	A quality first free level, with stronger options on Pro	Smallpdf says Basic is free, while Moderate and Strong are Pro features
iLovePDF	Picking a size versus quality tradeoff by name	iLovePDF says it offers Extreme, Recommended, and Less compression
PDF24	Setting your own numbers	PDF24 says you can adjust a DPI parameter and an image quality percentage
Sejda	Fine control of image quality and resolution	Sejda says image quality can be Medium, Good, or Best, with resolution choices from 72 to 720 PPI

iLovePDF default: iLovePDF’s size guide says to start with Recommended compression, check the new file size, and move to Extreme only if you need to.
iLovePDF checking: iLovePDF’s size guide says to check the result at 100% zoom when you need a very small file.
iLovePDF sources: iLovePDF’s compression guide says you can select a file from your device, Google Drive, or Dropbox.
PDF24 settings: PDF24’s compress page says it reduces image size by the DPI parameter and image quality by the quality parameter, and offers a modern image compression option.
PDF24 lossless: PDF24’s compress page says lossless compression is possible, but you cannot expect a big reduction in file size.
PDF24 defaults: PDF24’s support forum says its online tool used 144 DPI by default, and that lower DPI and lower JPG quality values give smaller files.
Sejda defaults: Sejda’s compress page says standard settings optimize images to 72 PPI and a JPEG image quality of 65%.
Sejda options: Sejda’s compress page lists image quality, image resolution, grayscale conversion, and options for multimedia files.
Vendor claims: these details come from each vendor’s own pages, so confirm current features and limits before you rely on them.

Compress PDF With Basic or Strong Compression: Smallpdf’s Levels

Smallpdf’s compress tool offers Basic compression for free, with Moderate and Strong compression as Pro features. Smallpdf’s compress page says you drag in a file, choose Basic, Moderate (Pro), or Strong (Pro), and compress, and that usage limits may apply. Smallpdf’s blog says Basic keeps a file visually identical to the original in most cases, while Strong may slightly affect image-heavy documents. Start with Basic, compare the result with your size limit, then step up if the file is still too large.

Strong: Smallpdf’s blog says Strong compression is a Pro feature that can reach smaller file sizes, with small quality losses.
Stacking: Smallpdf’s blog says you can apply Basic first, then upload the result and use Strong to shrink it further.
Pro trial: Smallpdf’s blog says a 7 day Pro trial includes unlimited compressions, batch processing, and advanced compression options.
Other files: Smallpdf’s compress page says it can also compress Microsoft Office files and images such as JPG, PNG, GIF, and TIFF.
Scans: Smallpdf’s compress page says its tool is built for image-heavy documents, such as scans.
Estimate: Smallpdf’s blog says selecting Basic shows an estimated compression rate.

Acrobat Online Compress PDF: Choosing a Compression Level of High, Medium, or Low

In Acrobat online, you choose a High, Medium, or Low compression level after you upload a PDF, balancing quality against file size. Adobe’s compress page says the tool reduces image resolution, flattens interactive layers, and removes unused metadata, and that it works in your browser with no install. It says files can be up to 2GB. Its FAQ says Acrobat preserves hyperlinks, form fields, and digital signatures when it compresses a file. Adobe’s FAQ says basic compression needs no sign-up, credit card, or subscription. Check the result before you send it.

Steps: Adobe’s compress page says you upload the file, select the compression level, and then download the result or sign in to share it.
Presets: Adobe’s FAQ also describes compression presets for screen viewing, standard print, and high-quality print, so check what the tool shows.
Results: Adobe’s FAQ says the reduction depends on how image-heavy the file is, and text-heavy files compress less dramatically.
Free use: Adobe’s FAQ says the online tool is free with limited use, and that unlimited compression, batch processing, and advanced setting controls need a paid plan.
Protected files: Adobe’s FAQ says password-protected PDFs need the password entered first.
Privacy: Adobe’s compress page says your file is deleted from Adobe servers unless you sign in to save it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which compression level should I try first?

Start in the middle, then adjust. iLovePDF’s size guide says to try Recommended first, and Extreme only if the file is still too large. Smallpdf’s blog suggests Basic first, then Strong on Pro. Adobe offers High, Medium, and Low in its online tool. Open the compressed file, zoom in on images and small text, and keep the original in case the quality is too low.

Will compression change my text and links?

It mainly changes images and extra data. Adobe’s FAQ says Acrobat preserves hyperlinks, form fields, and digital signatures. PDF24’s compress page says compression reduces image size and quality, and Sejda’s compress page says it optimizes images and removes unused fonts and images. Compare the result with the original, especially for forms and signed files, before you send it.

What limits do the free versions have?

They differ. Sejda’s compress page says its free service covers documents up to 200 pages or 100 MB and 3 tasks per hour. Smallpdf’s compress page says usage limits may apply, and Adobe’s FAQ says its online tool is free with limited use. PDF24’s compress page claims no limits and no watermarks. Check each page for current limits before you start a large batch.

How long do these services keep my file?

Adobe’s compress page says your file is deleted from its servers unless you sign in to save it. Sejda’s compress page says files stay private and are deleted automatically after 2 hours, and iLovePDF’s Excel guide says uploaded documents are deleted after 2 hours. Check Smallpdf’s and PDF24’s privacy pages for their terms. For confidential files, use a local tool or delete the file yourself.

For different compression levels, use Adobe Acrobat online’s High, Medium, and Low options, or compare the named levels and quality settings of Smallpdf, iLovePDF, PDF24, and Sejda.