Local Fast Batch Target Size Privacy

PDF tools that
stay on your Mac.

Compress, merge, split, convert, and clean PDFs — entirely on your machine. No uploads, no accounts, no cloud. Specify a target file size and fastPDF calibrates until it lands.

Download for Mac
fastPDF
Annual_Report_2025.pdf 14.2 MB · 86 pages
MB
Analyzing0.3s
Optimizing1.8s
Calibrating0.9s
Verifying0.2s
Annual_Report_2025_compressed.pdf
1.94 MB ✓ Under 2 MB
Chapter_1.pdf2.1 MB · 24 pages
Chapter_2.pdf3.4 MB · 31 pages
Chapter_3.pdf1.8 MB · 19 pages
Reading files0.2s
Merging pages0.8s
Rebuilding bookmarks0.3s
Writing output0.4s
Merged_Document.pdf
7.1 MB ✓ 74 pages
Design_Assets_Bundle.pdf 48.6 MB · 320 pages
MB
Scanning page sizes0.5s
Computing split points0.2s
Extracting parts2.1s
Writing files0.6s
Design_Assets_Bundle_part{1-5}.pdf
5 files ✓ Each ≤ 10 MB

Eight tools. One app. Zero servers.

Everything runs on your Mac. Drop in files, pick a tool, get results.

Compress

Shrink PDFs with quality presets or set a target size — fastPDF iterates until the file fits.

Merge

Combine multiple PDFs into one. Drag to reorder pages, preserve bookmarks and metadata.

Split

Extract pages or split by page count, file size, or bookmarks. Get numbered output files.

Organize

Rearrange, rotate, or delete pages visually. See thumbnails and drag to reorder.

Convert

Images to PDF, PDF to images. Batch-convert folders of files in one pass.

Privacy Clean

Strip metadata, hidden layers, form data, and creation history before sharing.

Protect

Add password encryption with user and owner passwords. Set print and edit permissions.

Batch

Apply any tool to hundreds of files. Drop a folder, set options once, process all.

Hit your target size.

Tell fastPDF the maximum file size you need. It compresses, measures, and recalibrates until the output fits — or tells you honestly when it can't.

1

Reference Pass

Compress at the chosen quality preset. Measure the result. This establishes a baseline size-to-quality ratio for your specific document.

2

Size Model

Build a per-document model: image density, font embedding, page count, and color complexity. Predict which levers to pull next.

3

Adaptive Calibration

Iteratively adjust image DPI, font subsetting, and stream recompression. Each pass checks the output against the target. Hard ceiling: result ≤ target × 1.02.

Honest caveat: Target Size is best-effort with a hard ceiling: the output never exceeds target × 1.02. In practice the result lands within roughly ±15% of the target on typical documents — closer when there is image data to trade off. Text-heavy PDFs with embedded fonts have a floor set by the font data; when a target is below that floor, fastPDF outputs its best-effort result and tells you the minimum achievable size rather than silently overshooting.

Built for real workflows.

Bid submissions under 10 MB

Government and enterprise portals often cap attachments at 10 MB. Drop your 50 MB proposal in, set the target, and fastPDF compresses it to fit — without making images look terrible.

Scan bundles into one volume

Merge a stack of scanned receipts, contracts, or letters into a single PDF. Reorder pages by dragging, then compress for email or archival.

Split oversized PDFs

When a 200 MB manual needs to fit on a shared drive with a 25 MB limit, split it into parts by target size. fastPDF finds clean break points at page boundaries.

Images to PDF

Convert folders of photos, screenshots, or scans into PDF documents. Set page size, margins, and orientation. Batch-convert entire folders.

Clean metadata before sharing

PDFs can contain author names, software versions, edit history, and hidden layers. Strip all of it before sending a document to external parties.

Script it from the terminal.

Every tool is available as a CLI command. Pipe it into shell scripts, cron jobs, or Automator workflows.

zsh
$ fastpdf compress report.pdf --under 10MB
Analyzing... Optimizing... Calibrating... Verifying...
report_compressed.pdf 9.82 MB ✓ under target
zsh
$ fastpdf merge ch1.pdf ch2.pdf ch3.pdf -o book.pdf
Merging 3 files... 74 pages total
book.pdf 7.1 MB
zsh
$ fastpdf split manual.pdf --by-size 25MB
Splitting into parts at page boundaries...
manual_part1.pdf 24.1 MB (pages 1–180)
manual_part2.pdf 23.7 MB (pages 181–348)
manual_part3.pdf 11.2 MB (pages 349–420)
zsh
$ fastpdf compress ./scans/*.pdf -t balanced
Batch-compressing 47 files...
Done. Output written alongside each source.

Your files never leave your Mac.

100% Local Processing

Every byte of every PDF is processed on your machine. fastPDF has no network client for file data. There is no upload path in the code.

No Account Required

Download, open, use. No sign-up, no email, no license server check. The app works offline from first launch.

Minimal History

The task history stores only metadata: file name, tool used, output size, and timestamp. No file content is retained. Clear it with one click.

Analytics Off by Default

Anonymous usage statistics (tool counts, no file names) are disabled by default. Opt-in is a single toggle in Preferences — and you can opt out at any time.

Frequently asked questions.

Is fastPDF really free?

The core app is free and fully functional. A Pro tier ($19.99 one-time purchase) is planned for the future, adding batch automation presets, CLI advanced options, and priority support. The free version will remain capable for everyday use.

How does Target Size compression work?

fastPDF runs a reference compression pass, builds a size model for your document, then iteratively adjusts image quality, font subsetting, and stream compression. The output has a hard ceiling of target × 1.02 and, in practice, typically lands within roughly ±15% of the target — tighter when there is image data to optimize. If a target is unreachable, fastPDF returns its best-effort result and reports the minimum achievable size rather than overshooting.

Can it compress a 50 MB PDF to exactly 500 KB?

It depends on the content. A 50 MB PDF that's mostly high-resolution images can usually be brought down significantly. A text-heavy PDF with embedded fonts has a floor below which it can't shrink. fastPDF will report the minimum size honestly rather than producing a broken file.

Does fastPDF send any data to the internet?

No. The app contains no code path for uploading file data. The only network activity (when explicitly enabled) is a version check that sends no identifiers. Analytics, if opted in, send only aggregate tool-use counts with no file names or content.

What macOS versions are supported?

fastPDF targets macOS 13 (Ventura) and later. The current downloadable build is for Apple Silicon (arm64). An Intel / universal build is planned — until then, Intel Macs can build from source.

Is there a command-line interface?

Yes. Every tool is available via the fastpdf CLI. Install it from the app's Preferences with one click, or build from source. See the CLI section above for examples.

What's on the roadmap?

Planned features include OCR for scanned documents (targeting v0.3), Workflow/Watch Folder automation (v1.0), and a Pro tier with batch presets and advanced CLI options. All roadmap items are plans, not promises — timelines depend on development progress.

Get fastPDF.

Download the app and run it entirely on your Mac. No account, no upload, no cloud.

Download for Mac

fastPDF 0.2.0 · macOS 13+ · Apple Silicon (arm64) · 1.6 MB

Download fastPDF-0.2.0.dmg

Before you install

  • This build is ad-hoc signed and not notarized by Apple. On first launch, right-click the app in Applications and choose Open, then confirm.
  • Current build is Apple Silicon (arm64). An Intel / universal build is on the roadmap.
  • Open-source — you can also build from source:
$ git clone <your-fastpdf-repo> && cd fastpdf
$ ./scripts/build-app.sh release
✔ Built build/fastPDF.app

Roadmap

  • Current v0.2 — Core tools (Compress, Merge, Split, Organize, Convert, Privacy, Protect, Batch) + CLI
  • Planned v0.3 — OCR for scanned documents
  • Planned v1.0 — Workflow / Watch Folder automation
  • Planned Pro tier — $19.99 one-time purchase