PDF compressor apps for iPhone, compared by price, purchases and privacy
Disclosure: we make PDF Tools Pro. Everything below about other apps comes from their public US App Store pages, checked on October 30, 2026. Prices, ratings and labels change, so check the listing before you download.
If you only need to shrink a PDF now and then, you may not need a new app at all. Apple's Preview app can export a smaller PDF (see the free option below). If you do want a dedicated app, the big differences are how you pay and what the privacy label says.
How we compared
- Store: US App Store, checked October 30, 2026.
- Price: the download price on the listing.
- In-app purchases: the "In-App Purchases" section. Apple shows up to 10 items, so an app may sell more.
- Ratings: rating count and average on the listing.
- Privacy: the headings on the App Privacy label, as reported by the developer.
We didn't measure compression results. They depend heavily on the file.
The comparison
| App | Download | In-app purchases listed | Ratings (avg) | App Privacy label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acrobat Reader: PDF Editor | Free | 10 items, $6.99–$69.99 (weekly, monthly, yearly plans and add-ons) | 663,810 (4.6) | Data Used to Track You · Data Linked to You |
| PDF Expert: Editor & Reader | Free | 10 items, $9.99–$79.99 | 216,401 (4.7) | Data Linked to You · Data Not Linked to You |
| iLovePDF - PDF Editor & Scan | Free | 4 items: Premium Monthly $5.49, Premium Yearly $44.99 | 52,234 (4.8) | Data Linked to You · Data Not Linked to You |
| Smallpdf: Scanner & PDF Editor | Free | 10 items, $7.99–$119.99 (monthly and yearly plans) | 6,896 (4.8) | Data Used to Track You · Data Linked to You · Data Not Linked to You |
| PDF Compressor : Compress PDF | Free | None listed | 862 (4.6) | Data Used to Track You · Data Not Linked to You |
| PDF Tools Pro: Scan & OCR | Free | 1 item: Lifetime Pro, $7.99 (one-time) | Not enough ratings yet | Data Not Collected |
What the table tells you
- All of these are free to download. Most of the larger apps sell subscriptions (monthly or yearly plans). PDF Tools Pro sells a single one-time unlock.
- The established apps have far more ratings. PDF Tools Pro is new and doesn't have enough ratings to show an average yet.
- Privacy labels differ. PDF Tools Pro's label says "Data Not Collected", and its listing says documents are processed on your device and not uploaded to the developer.
The free option: Preview (built into iPhone)
Apple's support guide for Preview on iPhone describes an export option that makes PDFs smaller:
- Open the PDF in the Preview app.
- Tap next to the file name, then Export, and choose PDF.
- Turn on Optimize Images for Screen and/or Save Images as JPEG.
- Save the new copy.
This works well for image-heavy and scanned PDFs. Keep the original until you've checked the smaller copy.
Where PDF Tools Pro fits
PDF Tools Pro is for people who handle PDFs regularly and don't want another subscription:
- Optimize (compress) scanned PDFs on your iPhone or iPad. Nothing is uploaded to us.
- Merge, split, reorder and extract pages, and convert pages to images.
- Scan paper and make searchable PDFs with on-device OCR.
- Protect or unlock PDFs with a password.
- Annotate on a safe working copy, then save or discard.
- Pricing: core tools are free, every device gets three successful advanced outputs to try, and Lifetime Pro unlocks every advanced tool with one purchase. No subscription, no account.
Download on the App Store
Free core tools. Three advanced outputs to try on each device, then Lifetime Pro is a one-time purchase. No subscription.
FAQ
- Can I compress a PDF on iPhone without an app?
- Yes. Apple's Preview app can export a PDF with Optimize Images for Screen and Save Images as JPEG turned on, which makes a smaller copy. It works best on scanned or image-heavy PDFs.
- Does PDF Tools Pro upload my PDFs?
- No. Documents are processed on your device and are not uploaded to us.
- Is PDF Tools Pro a subscription?
- No. Core tools are free, and Lifetime Pro is a one-time purchase that unlocks every advanced tool. On the US App Store on October 30, 2026, it was listed at $7.99.
- Can I try the advanced tools first?
- Yes. Each device includes three successful advanced outputs, so you can check the results before you buy.
- Do I need an account?
- No. No account is required.
- Which PDF app has the most ratings?
- Of the apps we checked on the US App Store on October 30, 2026, Acrobat Reader: PDF Editor had the most, with 663,810 ratings averaging 4.6.