Reduce 21 mb Excel File to 15 mb For Free

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Last updated on Dec 29, 2025

Reduce 21 mb Excel File to 15 mb with pdfFiller

How can you reduce a 21 mb Excel file to 15 mb?

To reduce a 21 mb Excel file to 15 mb, you can use pdfFiller's online compression tool, which allows you to effectively manage your document size. Simply upload your Excel file, choose the compression level, and download the optimized version.

What is an Excel file?

An Excel file is a spreadsheet file created with Microsoft Excel or similar applications used for organizing, formatting, and calculating data. These files often contain a dataset in rows and columns, facilitating various data analysis tasks. They are commonly used in business environments for financial calculations, inventory tracking, and data reporting.

Why is reducing a 21 mb Excel file to 15 mb essential for document management?

Reducing an Excel file from 21 mb to 15 mb is crucial for several reasons including improved sharing capabilities, quicker upload times to cloud services, and reduced storage space usage. Smaller files are more manageable, making collaboration easier, especially when working with email attachments or shared networks.

What are the key features for reducing a large Excel file?

pdfFiller offers several key features for reducing large Excel files, including simple drag-and-drop file uploads, customizable compression settings, and batch processing capabilities. These features ensure users can efficiently manage numerous files without compromising quality.

What file formats does pdfFiller support for reduction?

pdfFiller supports a variety of file formats for size reduction, including XLS, XLSX (Excel), PDF, DOC, DOCX (Word), and more. This versatility allows users to work with multiple file types while ensuring compatibility across different platforms.

What compression levels and customization options are available?

When using pdfFiller, users can choose from different compression levels, ranging from low to high. This allows for a balance between file size reduction and document quality preservation. Additionally, users can customize settings for the degree of optimization required based on their specific needs.

How can you handle batch processing for large volume reductions?

To efficiently reduce multiple files, pdfFiller offers a batch processing feature that lets users upload and compress several Excel files simultaneously. This feature streamlines the process, especially for teams managing large datasets, saving time and effort.

How to use pdfFiller to reduce a 21 mb Excel file to 15 mb: step-by-step guide

Follow these steps to reduce your Excel file size using pdfFiller:

  • Visit the pdfFiller website and log into your account.
  • Upload the 21 mb Excel file you wish to reduce.
  • Select the 'Compress' option and choose your desired compression level.
  • Click on 'Run Compression' to begin the process.
  • Download the resulting 15 mb file once the compression is complete.

What are the benefits of reducing an Excel file via pdfFiller?

Using pdfFiller to reduce Excel files offers several benefits, such as simplified document management, enhanced collaboration capabilities, and improved file transfer speeds. Additionally, retaining high-quality document integrity while achieving size reduction is essential for professional presentations and reports.

What industries and use-cases benefit from file reduction?

Various industries can benefit from Excel file reduction including finance (for budget forecasting), education (for student data management), and logistics (for inventory control). Teams frequently require compressed files to facilitate collaboration and efficient communication across projects.

How does pdfFiller compare to alternatives for file reduction?

While there are alternative tools available for reducing file sizes, pdfFiller stands out due to its seamless integration of additional functionality like document editing, e-signatures, and advanced collaboration tools, all in one platform.

What are the key takeaways regarding file size reduction?

Reducing a 21 mb Excel file to 15 mb using pdfFiller is an efficient way to optimize document management. By leveraging pdfFiller’s strong capabilities, users can effortlessly reduce file sizes without sacrificing quality, making it a smart choice for individuals and teams.

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Merge
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Rearrange pages in a PDF document.
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Compress PDFs to reduce their size.
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Convert PDFs into Word, Excel, JPG, or PPT files and vice versa.
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Compress, edit, sign, and manage documents from a single solution

Compress and edit PDFs in one place

Edit your PDF and compress it directly within the editor. Choose from high, medium, or low compression levels to balance quality and file size according to your needs.
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Equip yourself with powerful PDF tools

Edit PDFs online almost as easily as Word documents. Add text, adjust formatting, replace content, insert images, and more. pdfFiller has all you need to get your documents done from start to finish.
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eSign and send documents

Sign documents on your own or send them to others for signatures, whether a single recipient or an entire group. You can assign roles, manage the signing order, set reminders, and request additional authentication.
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Annotate and collaborate

Highlight important data, redact sensitive details, add sticky notes, and exchange comments in your PDFs. Then, instantly send documents for review or editing. You can also share files and folders with your team to boost collaboration.
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Organize and manage PDFs

Merge, split, rearrange, and convert PDFs into formats like DOCX, XLSX, JPEG, PNG, and PPTX. Secure your documents by locking them with a password or placing them in an encrypted folder.
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Secure files in the cloud

Organize your documents and templates in secure cloud storage and access them from anywhere. pdfFiller follows strict security regulations such as GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS, SOC 2 Type II, and others to help safeguard your data.
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How to compress your PDF?

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1. Upload your document

Upload a document from your device, cloud storage, email, or URL.
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2. Open a document in the editor

Edit your document and click the Compress button in the top menu panel.
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3. Set compression parameters

Select the file format, destination, and compression level, then hit Save.
Upload your document

Who needs this?

Explore how professionals across industries use pdfFiller to compress PDFs
Education
Real Estate
Healthcare
Finance
Sales
Insurance
Education

Education

Teachers and administrators can reduce file sizes for effortless sharing with pdfFiller’s compress feature, and enhance collaboration between students and educators with pdfFiller's tools designed for seamless collaboration.
  • Lesson plans
  • Student enrollment forms
  • Class schedules
  • Permission slips
Real estate

Real Estate

Real estate agents and brokers compress PDFs to quickly share documents with clients and colleagues via email attachments or a link. They also use pdfFiller to customize templates, ensuring everything is consistent and error-free.
  • Property listing brochures
  • Lease agreements
  • Sales contracts
  • Property management forms
Healthcare

Healthcare

Healthcare professionals use pdfFiller to create, fill out, and compress PDFs for secure document sharing and faster uploads to patient portals. Sending forms via links or embedding them on websites simplifies data collection and improves the patient experience.
  • Patient intake forms
  • Appointment schedules
  • Prescription forms
  • Consent forms
Finance

Finance

Financial analysts and accountants use pdfFiller to create, customize, and share financial documents. With the PDF compress feature, finance professionals can quickly convert documents in the right format, share and conveniently store them in the cloud.
  • Financial statements
  • Tax forms
  • Invoices
  • Expense reports
Sales

Sales

Sales teams use pdfFiller’s compress feature to easily share proposals and contracts with clients. Sharing documents via link or email helps speed up communication, close deals faster, and boost productivity.
  • Sales proposals
  • Quotation forms
  • Order forms
  • Customer feedback surveys
Insurance

Insurance

Insurance agents use pdfFiller to edit and compress documents like policy files, claims forms, and client onboarding materials for easy sharing and secure storage. With pdfFiller, they can share insurance documents via link or email to get them signed in seconds.
  • Insurance policy documents
  • Claim forms
  • Risk assessment reports
  • Client onboarding documents

Why compress documents with pdfFiller?

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PCI
HIPAA
CCPA

Optimize quality at the right file size

pdfFiller offers three compression settings and shows the estimated file size. Need a smaller file? Simply bump up the compression level.

Convert & compress in one go

Convert your PDFs to Word, Excel, PPT, JPEG, or PNG and compress them in one step. This lets you get documents in the right format and size without juggling multiple tools.

Export & share with ease

Download your compressed file, send it directly to cloud storage, or share it with others in seconds. With pdfFiller, you don't have to manually move files whenever you need to compress or convert a document.

Compress documents with a trusted solution

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Watch our PDF compress in action

Check out a quick video tutorial that shows how to compress any file into an editable PDF in three easy steps.

FAQs

If you can't find what you're looking for, please contact us anytime!
With your file open in your Microsoft Office application, select the picture or pictures that you want to compress. Under Picture Tools, on the Format tab, in the Adjust group, click Compress Pictures.
You can reduce your file size by saving your spreadsheet as a binary workbook (.xslb) instead of the default format (.xslx). The default format is XML based, which is important if you're using your data with third-party programs because XML is an open standard.
You can reduce your file size by saving your spreadsheet as a binary workbook (.xslb) instead of the default format (.xslx). The default format is XML based, which is important if you're using your data with third-party programs because XML is an open standard.
This can be done by right-clicking the Excel file and choosing “Compressed (zipped) folder” under the “Send to” tab.
50 megabytes (MB) default. 2 gigabytes (GB) maximum (2)

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