Comparison

PDFOptim vs PDF Compress

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

PDFOptim

Easily compress and optimize PDF files on your iPhone and iPad. Reduce the size of large documents, saving storage space and transmission time. Offers both automatic and manual compression modes with advanced settings for image and vector graphics.

Highlights
  • Compress PDF documents
  • Optimize PDF files
  • Automatic compression mode
  • Manual compression mode
  • Adjust image resolution and quality
  • Optimize vector graphics
  • Support for password-protected PDFs
Features
Read full description

PDFOptim is a simple and intuitive way to compress, optimize and reduce PDF documents on iPhones and iPads. PDFOptim provides easy and effective ways to compress large image and graphics heavy PDF files. Inbuilt side-by-side preview to compare original and compressed PDF. * * * PDFOptim for Mac is also available on the Mac App Store. * * * Compressed PDF documents requires less disk space for storage and faster uploads and downloads saves transmission time and cost. PDFOptim rewrites the entire PDF documents using selected compression options as efficiently as possible without compromising the document's integrity. If your PDF documents are in another app (For Example Mail, DropBox or SkyDrive etc.) that uses the Open In… button, tap the button to open the PDF document in PDFOptim. You can also transfer PDF documents from your desktop computer via iTunes into PDFOptim application on your iPhone or iPad. KEY FEATURES: AUTO COMPRESSION MODE - PDFOptim analyze document’s contents and apply algorithm to generate a smallest possible PDF by maintaining the document’s visual quality. Choose one of the four predefined Auto compression methods and let the app do the hard work for you. No further user interaction required to provide technical compression options. MANUAL COMPRESSION MODE - Change compression options manually to generate optimum sized PDF of your need. You can choose compression options to set from Image Color Model, Image Resolution, JPEG Image Quality, Optimise vector graphics level and Advance option. - Image color model to choose from RGB, Gray and Mono. Selecting Monochrome color model option converts raster PDF contents into black and white which helps reduces PDF file size to greater extent. It is very helpful when compressing scanned books mainly containing text. - Image resolution ppi (pixels/inch) control to resize raster image contents. Downsampling at lower resolution decrease the file size dramatically. - Quality control. Set quality from lossless to least for resampling all raster images into PDF. It allows you to control compressed PDF size and viewing quality. -Advance options to remove PDF content properties like alternate images, page thumbnails, documents structure hierarchy and output intent. - Optimize vector graphics option removes superfluous information to reduce vector graphics heavy PDF. Increase in optimize vector from 'Level 1' to 'Level 5' reduces output PDF file size less to more respectively. This option is very useful when PDF content mainly consist of high precision vector graphics, Usually PDF drawing, note-taking and PDF markup apps creates large vector graphics heavy PDF files which can be compressed by this option efficiently. - Password protected PDF documents supported for compression using correct password. - Single or multiple compressed PDFs can be shared as single ZIP (*.zip) file. - Allows Compressed PDFs to Open In… another application, Mail, Message, Print, share PDFs to nearby iOS devices via AirDrop. - Use Copy to iTunes to save and share compressed PDFs on your desktop computer. PDF VIEWER: - Inbuilt PDF viewer with fully selectable and searchable text contents. Select and copy text to clipboard for further use. - Pinch out and Pinch in to ZoomIn and ZoomOut view and search feature to find a character, word and sentence. - Scroll through your document by thumbnail view or Go to page feature. Note: PDFOptim is standalone application running natively to compress PDF documents securely on your iOS device. You can refer User Manual for any assistance Or Contact Support. *The free version has limitation to export one compressed PDF per week. Get Premium to remove all restrictions and start exporting an unlimited number of compressed PDFs. Privacy Policy: http://rootrisetech.com/pdfoptim-privacy-policy Terms of Use(EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

PDF Compress

Features
Read full description

PDF Compress PDF Compress is your ultimate tool for compressing PDF documents directly on your iPhone or iPad. Effortlessly reduce the size of your PDF files while maintaining excellent quality. Whether you're looking to save storage space, speed up email attachments, or optimize document sharing, PDF Compress offers a seamless solution. Choose from multiple compression levels to tailor the file size reduction to your needs. Ideal for professionals, students, and anyone who deals with PDFs regularly. Key Features Compress PDF Files Without Compromising Quality: Reduce the size of your PDFs while maintaining clarity and readability. Perfect for minimizing storage usage and improving document handling. Select from Small, Medium, or Large Compression Options: Choose the compression level that best fits your needs. Whether you need a slight reduction or significant size savings, we have the option for you. Easy-to-Use Interface for Quick Compression: Our user-friendly design makes it simple to compress files with just a few taps. No technical knowledge is required. Perfect for Saving Space and Improving File Sharing Efficiency: Compressed PDFs take up less space and are easier to share via email or other platforms. Additional Benefits Preview Compressed PDFs Before Saving or Sharing: Ensure the quality and size meet your expectations before finalizing your documents. Secure and Privacy-Focused: No online uploads or data sharing. All compression is done locally on your device, keeping your information safe and secure. Seamlessly Integrates with iOS Files App for Easy Management: Access and manage your compressed PDFs directly within the iOS Files app. Why Choose PDF Compress? Efficient PDF Management: PDF Compress makes it easy to handle large PDF files, ensuring they are optimized for storage and sharing. Ideal for Various Use Cases: Whether you are a professional dealing with business documents, a student managing study materials, or anyone who frequently works with PDFs, this app is designed to meet your needs. Regular Updates: We continuously improve our app to ensure it meets your expectations and stays ahead of your needs. Expect regular updates with new features and enhancements. Dedicated Support: Our support team is always ready to assist you with any questions or issues. Experience prompt and helpful customer service whenever you need it. How to Use PDF Compress Import: Open PDF Compress and import the PDF document you want to compress. You can easily select files from your device or iCloud. Select Compression Level: Choose from small, medium, or large compression options based on your requirements. Compress: Tap the compress button and let the app do the rest. Preview the compressed file to ensure it meets your needs. Save or Share: Once satisfied, save the compressed PDF to your device or share it via email, messaging apps, or any other preferred method. Download PDF Compress Now! Experience the convenience of managing PDFs efficiently on your iOS device. Save storage space, optimize document sharing, and enjoy a user-friendly interface designed for quick and effective compression. Download PDF Compress now and take control of your PDF files with ease!

Screenshots

PDFOptim4 screens
PDF Compress3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PDF Compress at none against PDFOptim's 3. PDF Compress also leads on update cadence (every 11 days vs every 5 months). PDFOptim's advantage is iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.4). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. PDFOptim sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. PDF Compress asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PDFOptim ships an update every 5 months, PDF Compress every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
PDFOptim versus PDF Compress: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPDFOptimPDF Compress
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (292 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews75.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings292 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 11 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better17.4
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRootRise Technologies Pvt. Ltd.Shivang Mishra

Bugs and requests

PDFOptim

Reported bugs

11 issues
  • App not launching on iOS 18.0.1
  • App freezes during launch
  • App won't take purchases
  • Cannot optimize certain PDFs
  • Compression not effective on marked-up PDFs
Show 6 more
  • App no longer works after updates
  • File compressed to a slightly smaller size with no significant reduction
  • Graphics become unreadable or highly degraded
  • App crashes
  • Multitasking, drag and drop not working
  • Doesn't use full screen on new iPads

Requested features

6 requests
  • Support for iOS shortcuts
  • macOS version integration/cross-platform compatibility
  • Improved handling of specific file types like GoodNotes
  • Better optimization for handwritten notes within PDFs
  • Cloud storage for compressed documents (iCloud)
Show 1 more
  • Update for latest OS versions and multitasking features

PDF Compress

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

PDFOptim

Subscriptions2
  • Premium : Monthly Access$0.991 Month
  • Premium : Yearly Access3 Days trial$2.991 Year
One-time1
  • Premium : Lifetime Access$4.99
None

PDF Compress

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PDFOptim free?
PDFOptim is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PDF Compress free?
PDF Compress is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do PDFOptim or PDF Compress have ads?
Neither PDFOptim nor PDF Compress shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PDFOptim or PDF Compress?
PDFOptim ships an update every 5 months, and PDF Compress every 11 days. Most recently, PDFOptim was updated on September 21, 2026 and PDF Compress on September 10, 2026.

Other comparisons