Compress PDF to 500KB
500 KB leaves room for a few scanned pages in good quality. That suits bank statements, payslips, contracts and rental or loan applications that ask for documents less than 500 KB, or half a megabyte.
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How to use Compress PDF to 500KB
- Choose your PDF, or drop it into the box. The target is set to 500 KB for you.
- Click "Compress PDF". The gentlest setting that fits is used, so quality stays as high as possible.
- Look at the new size and, if you are happy, click "Download PDF".
- Still over 500 KB? Try the suggestions under the result, or the steps further down this page.
How to compress a scanned PDF to 500 KB
Each scanned A4 page usually needs about 150 to 200 KB at the Recommended setting, or around 100 KB at Strong. So two or three scanned pages fit in 500 KB at good quality, and about five at the strongest readable setting.
Longer text-only scans, such as a ten-page statement, fit easily in Black and white. PDFHive suggests it when colour can't reach 500 KB, but never switches without asking.
How to fit a long scanned document into 500 KB
500 KB is a common limit for bank statements, payslips and certificates of several pages. In our tests, a multi-page scanned bank statement went from 1.8 MB to under 300 KB on the Strong setting.
- If the result is still too big, choose Strong, the smallest setting that keeps text clearly readable.
- For a black-and-white document, choose Black and white for an even smaller file.
- Remove pages the form doesn't need, such as blank backs or terms and conditions, with Delete PDF pages.
- If the form accepts more than one file, split a long statement into two uploads with Split PDF.
Frequently asked questions
How many scanned pages fit in 500 KB?
Two or three in good colour quality, or about five at the strongest setting that keeps text easy to read. Text-only scans in black and white fit many more pages. Documents made on a computer, rather than scanned, usually fit easily.
Will my bank statement keep its restrictions?
Yes. Many bank statements restrict editing or copying. PDFHive compresses them and the smaller file keeps exactly the same restrictions. Statements that need a password to open can't be compressed.
Will the text still be selectable?
Yes, in PDFs made on a computer. Only images are re-saved, so text, links and form fields stay as they were. In a scan, the text is part of the picture, as it was before.
What if it's still over 500 KB?
PDFHive shows the smallest size it could reach and suggests Black and white for scanned text, or Split PDF to keep only the pages you need.
Can I do this on my phone?
Yes. The tool runs in your phone's browser and saves the smaller PDF to your Downloads or the Files app.
Helpful guides
- Are online PDF tools safe? Upload sites vs in-browser tools
What happens to your file on upload sites and in-browser tools, and how to check where it really goes.
- Bank statement PDF won't print, merge or compress? Permissions explained
Why statements open fine but refuse to print or merge, what PDF permissions are, and what to do about them.
- How to reduce PDF size for job, university and visa portals
Combine, trim and compress your documents in the right order so they fit the portal's upload limits.
- How to turn phone photos of documents into one clean PDF
Photograph documents so they look scanned, then crop, combine and shrink them into one tidy PDF.
- Online form file limits: KB, MB, pixels and cm explained
What "under 50 KB", "200 × 230 pixels" and "3.5 × 4.5 cm" really mean, and how to meet each one.
- Why is my PDF so large, and how do I make it smaller?
What really takes up space in a PDF, and the quickest way to shrink each kind of file.
Related tools
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