What happens to the file
Compress runs on the server with Ghostscript. The original and the smaller file are deleted after 60 minutes. They are not used for ads or to train models.
Merge, sign, redact, and statement-to-Excel stay in the browser. Compress is one of the jobs that has to upload, because the size reduction is done with Ghostscript.
Quality and size targets
High quality keeps more detail. Extreme compression makes the smallest file and can soften images. There is no watermark on any plan.
Pages for 1 MB, 2 MB, 5 MB, email, and Gmail use the same compressor with a target in mind. A target is not a guarantee. A scan that is already small, or a file that is mostly images, may not reach the number you typed.
When a day pass is enough
Five compress jobs a day and files up to 25 MB are free. If you are clearing a folder for one afternoon, a $5 day pass is 100 jobs and 200 MB files for 24 hours. Pro is $9 a month or $69 a year if you compress every week.
Questions
Will compress add a watermark?
No. Output files are not watermarked on the free plan or on a paid plan.
Can I force the PDF to be exactly 1 MB?
No. The 1 MB, 2 MB, and 5 MB pages are targets. Download the result and check the size.
How long is the file kept?
Uploaded copies are deleted automatically after 60 minutes.