# Compress PDF - Make PDF Smaller — user reviews > 51 indexed App Store user reviews of Compress PDF by Cometdocs.com Inc., rated 3.40/5 from 443 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/compress-pdf-make-pdf-smaller/id1172431294/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/compress-pdf-make-pdf-smaller/id1172431294.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 179 · 4★ 93 · 3★ 40 · 2★ 10 · 1★ 121 ## What do users think of Compress PDF? Overall sentiment: negative **Pros** - ✅ Effective file compression capability - 💰 Free option available for users - 👍 Simple and easy to use interface - 🎯 Achieves significant file size reduction - ⏱️ Free compression works reasonably fast (5-10 minutes typical) - 📧 Solves email attachment size problems **Cons** - ⏳ Free version requires 60-90 minute wait times - 💸 Requires paid upgrade ($4.99-$9.99) for reasonable speed - 📉 Severe quality degradation after compression - 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezes - 🔌 Unreliable file upload/processing - ❌ Poor Google authentication support - 🚫 Doesn't work with local files consistently - ⚙️ No compression quality or DPI settings available - 💳 Unclear subscription/payment cancellation process - 📱 Compatibility issues with certain file types **Commonly reported bugs** - App crashes on launch or during compression - Files disappear after compression without clear location - Payment recognition requires multiple app refreshes - Google sign-in authentication failures - Local file compression doesn't work - Google Drive integration errors - Compressed files become unreadable/blurry - App hangs indefinitely during processing - No status updates during compression **Most requested features** - Adjustable compression quality settings - DPI/quality slider for user control - Local processing option (no server upload) - Faster free tier processing - Clear subscription management and cancellation options - Photo file compression support - Status indicators for ongoing compression - Better Google Drive integration ## Newest reviews (13 of 51) ### 3/5 — Quality *2020-01-14, version 3.1* It compressed alright but the quality is not all that good and it takes too much time to compressed if you’re using basic plan. ### 1/5 — Garbage *2019-10-26, version 3.1* Paid for the premium after saying I wouldn’t have to wait. It’s been 2 hours for one document and I still haven’t been able to open it. Now when I open the app it automatically crashes it time. What a waste for $10. ### 1/5 — Can I please get a refund? *2019-09-20, version 3.1* It shrinks the file too small that makes my legal documents unreadable. I didn’t think it was going to shrink it down that much to make it unreadable. ### 1/5 — Blackmail - Ransomware *2019-08-19, version 3.1* Use this app and you’ll be presented with a message telling you that your pdf will take 60-90 minutes, but if you agree to pay ($9.99) it’ll happen straight away. This is ransomware. They don’t tell you this in the app description, which they should. The proposition that it saves me CPU time is dishonest: if it used my CPU I wouldn’t need their server time. In the description, devs claim compression won’t degrade quality: yet it does. Images are frequently so compressed they become jaggies. Frustrating lack of control. Better still, Apple should provide image compression options in its “print to pdf” function so that we don’t create massive pdf’s that need this app. ### 1/5 — Did not work for local file *2019-07-05, version 3.1* Followed instructions for how to compress a file saved locally on the phone, the app reacted by doing nothing ### 1/5 — Complete waste of time *2019-06-26, version 3.1* Took hours and the file turned out in very bad quality. Deleting ASAP. ### 1/5 — NOT FREE!!! *2019-02-21, version 3.1* Not free and now I don’t know how to cancel it! Says it’s free for a month, then auto renew. But before it will show you your compressed document, you have to give them your credit card. I’m not doing that! But there’s s no “cancel” in iPhone’s settings, not a settings in the app itself! Hopefully they don’t try to charge me! ### 1/5 — Useless app *2019-02-14, version 3.1* Did not even convert the first document, crashes! How do I get my $9:99 back. Just like any product, I should be able to get a refund especially after 10 minutes of purchase ### 1/5 — Don't buy it *2018-08-13, version 3.1* I tried to compress a PDF file 25Mb, it seems quickly uploaded but then take forever to get a compressed file. Should buy me back a cup of coffee so I don't fall asleep when waiting for your app processing!! ### 1/5 — Bad App *2018-07-14, version 3.1* Horrible app. Keeps freezing. I followed all their directions to compress the pdf and then I could not even see where my file went. ### 1/5 — Horrible *2018-06-02, version 3.1* This is the utmost worst app I ever encountered in the App Store it takes tremendously long periods of time and it does nothing I tried it fully and I wanted to believe but I gave it a 1kbite pdf only to have 1- i file with 1kilo bite size 2-the file was effectively empty 3-the amount of wait and ads is inhuman for the user ### 1/5 — Don’t do it!! *2018-05-22, version 3.1* Paid $4.99 only to have an app that crashes right after opening!! Want my money back! ### 1/5 — Doesn’t work *2018-04-28, version 3.1* I downloaded it and tried clicking on the Drive button to pull a file from there, and it comes to an error message. Boo. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Waited for 1hr 45 min…nothing *2023-12-02* This app is a waste of time. It said it would take 60-90 min to compress my file (! Unless I paid for the paid version) So I waited over 1hr 45 min before giving up and using a different app. ### 1/5 — Useless app *2022-06-09, version 3.1* Please watch out. This appears is be fake. I uploaded one document and after hours nothing happened, it does not show any status. I don’t know if it’s is even doing something or just keeping my document. ### 1/5 — Doesn't work *2021-11-19, version 3.1* Tried to use it, but it doesn't work and google apparently isn't supported ### 1/5 — Google cannot sign you in *2021-02-26, version 3.1* I don’t know what that means either, except the app won’t work. ### 1/5 — Rubbing *2020-10-20, version 3.1* Doesn’t work When you copy file to ap from Phone ### 1/5 — That’s Funny... *2020-09-07, version 3.1* I thot this app just didn’t flat out work, till I read a review about down load time, funny. The developer should have clarified this. 4.99 might be reasonable, but this turn off sent me to PDF compress that has ads, but compresses on the spot. Delete. ### 1/5 — Waste of time! *2020-08-11, version 3.1* This app is trash i waited more than 60 minutes for my file to compress and nothing happened after waiting for over an hour for zero results. I do not recommend ### 1/5 — Worst app ever *2020-01-05, version 3.1* I downloaded the payed version app to convert a PDF version of my CV and it is been lagging on compressing for three days. I have sent four emails to customer support but no answer. So my money has gone to waste! ### 1/5 — Compress Documents too much *2019-12-15, version 3.1* Glitchy app. That did not update my payment I had to refresh app 5 times for it t recognize payment. The one reason I needed the app was to compress a 55 page document which it did eventually but the words were so blurry it could not be used. I wish i could get my money back on this one. ### 1/5 — Didn’t work *2019-12-14, version 3.1* Tried compressing a 1 page file and it simply never finished ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Works as advertised. No issues. *2021-08-16, version 3.1* Simple and easy to use. No problems. ### 5/5 — Helpful *2021-04-28, version 3.1* Did a good job compressing. Free option does take an hour but it warns you regarding the time it will take and does give you upgrade option to compress within minutes. ### 5/5 — Worked for me *2020-05-03, version 3.1* I was able to compress 4.7MB PDF to 431KB and uploaded to the website. It was time consuming and took 60-90 minutes, but it worth it. ### 5/5 — Great *2019-07-24, version 3.1* Great worth buying ### 5/5 — Wow! Looks good *2019-07-10, version 3.1* I did the slow compression and the file looks really good. I’d recommend it! ### 5/5 — Just what I needed *2019-06-15, version 3.1* Perfect ### 5/5 — A much used and much loved app for free non-rush pdf file compressions. *2018-07-27, version 3.1* From what I read, it appears most negative reviews are from a) those compressing PHOTO files, and b) those complaining about the time constraint for FREE compression. As for "a)": I only use this app for pdf files and it has been wonderful in reducing a multitude of files both for emailing and for reducing file storage space on my iPad. I have no experience with photos on this app. As for the "b)" people, you have a choice; wait for free or pay for faster so why complain when you choose "free". I always utilize the free service and simply do other things while waiting for compression to complete (leaving app open in background). It has never taken nearly as long as the warning the app gives of the possibility of 40 minutes. I frequently compress some pretty large files and it is usually between five and ten minutes for them. So if you have a ton of files to do and need them fast, pay for a file compression service. But for a free service for non-rush compressions, this app is great. As for me, at any point I download a large file, I immediately open it in this app for free compression, leave app open while I go check mail, read news story, etc. and then check back to confirm compression complete and delete the larger file. If I have a lot of files to compress, I simply select each one for free compression at bedtime or while I will be doing other things and they'll be done when I return. Don't rate an app poorly doing what it says it will do. It has worked flawlessly for me in compressing numerous large pdf files at zero hassle and zero cost. ### 5/5 — Free to convert a file if you can wait 30 min to hour *2017-10-26, version 3.1* Although you have to wait 30-60 min to compress a file if you don’t pay the app, it still does a great job compressing the file. I had such a hard time to email a large pdf file until this app compressed it for me. I don’t mind the wait. Thank you ### 5/5 — Works great *2017-09-26, version 3.1* Just compressed my first file. It turned out perfect. I will definitely be paying the $4.99 to upgrade. ### 5/5 — Perfect *2017-09-19, version 3.1* I needed to compress a large file down small enough to mail myself to get it on an older iPod Touch. It dropped the original from about 38mb to under 2. What more could I ask. Thanks! --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-10.*