FS = Fast & Simple: free, private PDF compression for Mac and Linux. Drag, drop, done.

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FS PDF Compressor — Fast & Simple PDF Compressor — is a deliberately small, free PDF compressor for Mac and Linux. It compresses PDFs locally with Ghostscript, so you can compress PDF files without uploading them to a website. It is a private, open-source PDF compressor for Apple Silicon Macs and x86_64 Linux, with a self-contained AppImage for Linux users.

Features

Drag and drop one PDF, several PDFs, or a folder.
Balanced compression by default, with two optional quality profiles.
Replaces the original only when the result is smaller.
Optional Keep original mode creates a separate compressed copy.
Processes everything locally: no uploads, accounts, analytics or telemetry.
Includes Ghostscript, so end users do not need Homebrew or a separate install.
macOS distribution is Developer ID signed and notarized by Apple.

Drop Zone

Drop Zone is an optional shortcut for compressing PDFs without reopening the main window. It gives FS PDF Compressor a little personality while keeping the workflow fast: leave the small target on the desktop and drop PDFs onto it whenever they need to be compressed. Double-click it to reopen the main window.

On macOS, choose FS PDF Compressor → Show Drop Zone. The Drop Zone is available in every Space (virtual desktop). Uncheck the same menu item to hide and disable it. Launch at Login in the same menu is optional.
On Linux, choose Application → Show Drop Zone and uncheck it to hide and disable it. X11 desktops can keep it at desktop level. Under Wayland, the compositor controls window placement and stacking, so the app cannot reliably pin it to the desktop layer; it may appear as a normal floating utility. We are investigating better Wayland integration.

The setting and position are remembered. Drop Zone stays idle without polling the filesystem and uses the same local compression engine and selected quality profile as the main window.

Download

macOS 14+ on Apple Silicon: download the signed and notarized DMG.
Linux x86_64: download the self-contained AppImage.

The macOS build is Developer ID signed and Apple-notarized, so it opens normally with Gatekeeper enabled. The Linux AppImage is portable and bundles Ghostscript; make it executable and run it, or use the per-user installer:

curl -fsSLO https://raw.githubusercontent.com/gitlares/fs-pdf-compressor/main/scripts/install_linux_appimage.sh
sh install_linux_appimage.sh

The installer needs no sudo. It verifies the published SHA-256 checksum, adds FS PDF Compressor to the applications menu, and keeps the AppImage in a user-writable location so in-app updates can replace it safely.

Build from source

macOS

Requirements: Apple Silicon Mac, macOS 14+, Homebrew and Python 3.12.

brew install python@3.12 ghostscript
python3.12 -m venv .build-venv
.build-venv/bin/python -m pip install -r requirements-build.txt
.build-venv/bin/python build_macos.py

The app and DMG are written to release/. The build bundles Ghostscript and its non-system dynamic libraries, copies detected license files, and rewrites their Mach-O paths. Local builds use an ad-hoc signature unless a Developer ID identity is supplied; see the release guide for the notarized distribution workflow.

Linux

The Linux edition is developed in this same repository. It uses the same compression engine and profiles, with a Qt interface designed to match the macOS app. The x86_64 AppImage bundles Ghostscript and has an in-app update check; see Linux instructions.

Code structure

The application keeps compression behavior independent from its interfaces:

fs_pdf_compressor/core.py owns PDF discovery, Ghostscript execution and output-file safety.
fs_pdf_compressor/batch.py owns platform-neutral batch summaries.
native_app.py and the macos_* modules provide the AppKit application.
linux_app.py and the linux_* modules provide the Qt application and AppImage update flow.
build_macos.py and build_linux.py package the same source for their respective platforms.

Acknowledgements

The Linux edition is distributed as an AppImage. Thank you to Simon Peter and the AppImage project for a philosophy that fits this application: less software around the task, but a well-made, portable tool that users can simply download and run.

Contributing

Issues, translations, accessibility improvements and focused pull requests are welcome. Read CONTRIBUTING.md before submitting changes. If the app is useful to you, starring and sharing the repository also helps.

Support the project

If FS PDF Compressor saves you time, you can support its continued development with an optional PayPal donation. The app remains free and open source for everyone.

Privacy

PDFs never leave your computer. Network access is limited to documented update delivery and links opened by the user; see the short privacy statement.

License

FS PDF Compressor is released under the GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 or later. The distributed app bundles Ghostscript 10.07.1 under the AGPL and other open-source libraries; see THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md.