Compress PDF on Mac Without Losing Quality

Introduction:

One of the most efficient and effortless ways to manage large PDF files is to compress PDFs to smaller file sizes. Doing so can reduce the size of PDF files and save much time and storage space when sharing or archiving large PDFs. Additionally, some social media platforms and email services also have size limits. On such occasions, if you have a PDF compressor prepared, all your problems can be well addressed. In this SwifDoo PDF article, we'll walk you through how to compress a PDF on Mac using 5 ways. Let's get started!

Compress PDF on Mac with Preview

For Mac users, there’s a free way to edit and compress PDFs: using Preview. Preview is the built-in PDF reader & editor on all MacBooks, enabling you to freely add comments, shapes, text, etc., to PDF files, spell check PDF text, convert, compress PDF files, and so on. If you’re a casual user who’s running macOS, Preview is your go-to tool for manipulating PDF files.

Here’s how you can compress a PDF on a Mac with Preview for free:

Step 1. Launch the Preview app on your Mac and open the PDF file you want to compress.

Step 2. Click File > Export.

Step 3. Click the Quartz Filter pop-up menu, then choose Reduce File Size.

However, Preview often damages the PDF file quality after compression, making it less ideal. Luckily, we’ve also prepared better alternatives to help you. Just keep reading.

Reduce PDF File Size in Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word is an all-around Word processor that enables you to create, edit, insert styles, print, and compress Word documents. You may wonder why we put Microsoft Word in the PDF compression tool list. The truth is, you can open PDF files in Microsoft Word because this tool helps convert PDF to/from Word automatically. So, you can easily reduce the PDF file size in Microsoft Word.

Note: Before compressing PDFs with Microsoft Word, notice that the converted file may lose formatting and become disordered since MS Word isn’t a specialized PDF compressor software

Check the following instructions to freely compress a PDF on Mac by using Microsoft Word:

Step 1. Launch Microsoft Word and open the PDF file you want to reduce in size.

Step 2. There’s a notification pop-up window when opening a PDF file, warning you that the original formatting may be changed. Tap OK in this window.

Step 3. Click File > Save as. It will open a Save As box. Click Tools > Compress Pictures and select a low resolution.

Step 4. Confirm your option and save the file to your computer.

Adobe Acrobat to Optimize PDFs

Adobe Acrobat is considered one of the best PDF compressors and editors in the market. It offers all the PDF-related tools to help you manipulate PDF files with high quality guaranteed. Adobe Acrobat supports compressing PDF files on a Mac both online and offline. Check the following content:

Adobe Acrobat desktop program:

Step 1. Open a PDF file in Adobe Acrobat Pro DC.

Step 2. Tap Tools and select Optimize PDF. Then click Advanced Optimization in the top navigation bar.

Step 3. In the Quality drop-down menu, select High or Maximum as the compression level. The highest you select means the highest compression level you get.

Step 4. Click OK to compress the PDF on the Mac and save the optimized PDF file to your computer.

Adobe Acrobat online service:

Step 1. Sign in to Acrobat Web at https://documentcloud.adobe.com with your account.

Step 2. In the top navigation bar, click Convert > Compress PDF.

Step 3. Upload the PDF file you need to compress. Batch compression is supported.

Step 4. Tap Compress. The optimized PDF file will be stored in your Adobe Document Cloud account directly. Alternatively, you can download this file on your computer manually.

The 9 Best Adobe Acrobat Alternatives [2025 Updated]

Need an Adobe Acrobat alternative to edit and do more with PDFs? Check the 9 affordable or free alternatives to Adobe Acrobat Reader, Pro, Sign, or Standard.

How to Compress a PDF on Mac with an Online Tool

Online PDF tools offer an easier method for you to edit PDFs because you don't need to spend time or effort downloading desktop programs. In this part, we'll take Xodo PDF as an example and show you how you can compress a PDF on Mac Online. The steps are available below:

Step 1. Open your browser and go to https://xodo.com/compress-pdf.

Step 2. Upload PDF files from your computer or import from cloud services such as Dropbox and Google Drive.

Step 3. Select a compression level. Then click on the Compress button.

Step 4. Download the compressed PDF file and save it to your device.

Bonus Part: A Competitive PDF Editor for Mac

SwifDoo PDF, one of the best Windows and Mac PDF editors, has recently released apps for iOS and Android, offering an excellent alternative for viewing and editing PDFs on your iPhone and Android devices. Admittedly, they are trying hard to make all the features from the Windows app version available on iOS and Android. The SwifDoo PDF for Mac is much more affordable and cost-effective compared to many other similar software. It provides every necessary feature you might need.

Download SwifDoo PDF for Mac

SwifDoo PDF for Mac features:

Various reading modes: zoom in and out, multi-screen, side by side, full screen, etc.
Full set of annotation tools: highlight, strikethrough, underline, Pencil, text adding, Shapes, Sticky Note, attachments, stamp.
Edit original PDF content: Edit original text, images, and hyperlinks in a PDF.
Page organizing: remove, split, rotate, and add pages to a PDF.
Protect PDFs: add or remove passwords from PDFs.

Tips:

Here is a list of top functions supported in SwifDoo PDF for Windows:

View PDFs in five more reading modes, ensuring a great reading experience.
Document Translation helps better understand PDFs in foreign languages.
Reading PDFs makes users listen to PDF files without viewing them carefully.
Convert PDF to/from other editable formats, including Markdown, PDF/A, CAD drawings, etc.
Annotate PDFs with custom shapes, texts, drawings, stamps, stickers, etc.
Manage PDF pages freely by dragging.
Share PDF files to email, Dropbox, and Google Drive with a single click.

The Bottom Line

This post shows you five ways to compress PDFs on a Mac. We’ve introduced each tool thoroughly so that you can optimize your PDF files with a proper method. After reading this article, you can reduce the PDF file size on your MacBook while maintaining high quality. Meanwhile, we've also introduced you to a powerful PDF editor named SwifDoo PDF, which is now available for Windows, iOS, and Android. It's also working on a Mac version. Just download it and handle PDFs without breaking a sweat!