Table of content

Share this article

  • Home
  • /
  • Blog
  • /
  • How to Compress PDF Offline on Windows and Mac [Paid & Free]

How to Compress PDF Offline on Windows and Mac [Paid & Free]

  • By Lena
  • |
  • Follow
  • twitter
  • |
  • Updated on January 30, 2026
Introduction:
Many users choose to compress PDF offline to safeguard privacy, bypass upload restrictions, and work without an internet connection. This guide explains how offline tools help reduce PDF file size while preserving quality, ensuring security, and offering adjustable compression settings.
summary

Professional Way to Compress PDF Offline on Windows

For Windows users, professional desktop software is the most dependable way to compress PDF offline while maintaining quality and efficient file size reduction. Among desktop options, SwifDoo PDF stands out as a powerful yet easy-to-use offline PDF editor, offering strong features at a more affordable cost than premium tools.

  • SwifDoo PDF

    Click to Download

  • Clean & Safe

    100%

Why Choose SwifDoo PDF App As the Best Offline PDF Compressor

SwifDoo PDF capabilities: SwifDoo PDF is a reliable, fully functional PDF editor for Windows with built-in compression. Many users view it as a budget-friendly, easy-to-use alternative to Adobe Acrobat.

Compression technology: Users can choose from multiple compression levels to reduce file size while maintaining clear images and readable content. This approach is typical of professional PDF optimization tools.

Offline and security features: SwifDoo PDF works entirely offline, processing files locally to protect data privacy and keep sensitive documents secure. It also includes security features like password protection and encryption. 

Efficiency: SwifDoo PDF includes features like batch compress PDF, allowing users to process multiple files at once and save significant time when managing large document collections. This feature is ideal for offices, students, and freelancers who frequently handle large numbers of PDF files.

Step-by-step guide to reducing PDF size with SwifDoo PDF

Step 1: Download, install, and open SwifDoo PDF on your computer.

  • SwifDoo PDF

    Click to Download

  • Clean & Safe

    100%

Step 2: Open SwifDoo PDF, then choose Compress PDF to begin reducing your file size.

Compress PDF

Step 3: Click the Add Files button to import as many PDF files as you need. After that, select the compression level you prefer: Low, Medium, or High.

Adjust Compression Settings

Step 4: Press the Start button. Once the PDF files are compressed, you can download them onto your computer.

SwifDoo PDF not only enables you to compress PDF files on Windows 10/11 systems, but also offers a variety of other functions such as editing, annotation, merging, splitting, signing, and more. If you need a comprehensive PDF tool, SwifDoo PDF is a great choice. Give it a try now!

  • SwifDoo PDF

    Click to Download

  • Clean & Safe

    100%

Compress PDF Offline with Adobe Acrobat

Known for its PDF expertise, Adobe Acrobat offers a reliable offline compression solution for Windows and Mac users. It provides advanced optimization settings that allow users to control how images, fonts, and embedded elements are handled during compression.

Steps to Compress PDF Offline With Adobe Acrobat:

This is a step-by-step look at ways to reduce PDF file size without losing quality with Adobe Acrobat on your computer:

Step 1: Launch Adobe Acrobat Pro directly, or in Finder, right-click your PDF, choose Open With, and select Adobe Acrobat Pro.

Step 2: Go to the Tools tab at the top-left of the Acrobat interface.

Step 3: Move down the list to locate Optimize PDF and select Open.

Optimize PDF

Step 4: Click Reduce File Size in the top toolbar.

Reduce File Size

Step 5: From the dialog box, select your preferred file version compatibility—usually Retain Existing—and click OK.

Step 6: Select where you want to save the file, name the PDF, and click Save to finish compressing it.

Compress PDF Offline for Free on Mac [Free]

For straightforward PDF jobs, Preview enables exporting at a lower image quality. Fast and free with no additional software required, this method offers limited control and may not handle large or image-heavy PDFs well. Let's learn how to compress a PDF on Mac.

Steps to Compress PDF Offline on Mac in Preview:

Step 1:  Launch Preview and open the PDF file you want to make smaller.

Step 2: Click File in the menu bar and select Export to proceed.

Export

Step 3: In the Export window, give the file a new name and select a save location for the compressed PDF.

Step 4: In the Export window, locate Quartz Filter and click the drop-down menu next to it.

Step 5: Click Reduce File Size to make the PDF smaller using Preview.

Step 6: Press Save to keep the newly compressed PDF file.

Preview Reduce File Size

Conclusion

Users who value security and reliability will benefit most from offline PDF compression tools, as keeping files on their computers reduces the risk of uploading them online. You can choose the method based on your system. Anyhow, a professional PDF compressor, like SwifDoo PDF, is a good choice if you care about quality. Hope this guide is helpful.

  • SwifDoo PDF

    Click to Download

  • Clean & Safe

    100%

FAQs

  • Q:How to compress a PDF locally?
    Install an offline PDF editor or compression software on your computer to compress a PDF locally. Open the PDF, choose the compression option, adjust the settings as needed, and save the optimized file directly to your device—no internet connection or file upload required.
  • Q:How do I reduce the MB size of a PDF file?
    You can reduce the size of a PDF by lowering image resolution, removing unused fonts, deleting unnecessary metadata, or applying balanced compression settings with desktop PDF software such as Adobe Acrobat, SwifDoo PDF, or Foxit PDF Editor.
  • Q:What is the free offline PDF compression tool?
    Several free desktop applications allow you to compress PDFs offline with basic features. Suitable for simple PDF compression, these tools fall short when you need advanced settings, more control, or higher-quality results, which paid programs like SwifDoo PDF, Nitro PDF Pro, or PDF Expert can provide.
  • Q:Is it better to zip or compress a PDF?
    Compressing a PDF is generally more effective than zipping it because compression permanently reduces the file size while keeping the document ready to open immediately. In contrast, zipping only packages the file, which must be extracted before it can be viewed.

Lena has been in the editing industry for 8 years. She is familiar with a variety of products that can make things easier, such as PDF tools, video recording software, iOS location changer, etc. She enjoys sharing her knowledge with users to help them solve problems in their work and life. In her spare time, she likes to play with her cat.

Related Articles