Described is a compacting device (1) for compacting articles, preferably containers, comprising a compacting unit (10) in turn comprising a first operating member (20) associated with a first rotating shaft (21) and a second operating member (30) associated with a second rotating shaft (31), wherein the first operating member (20) comprises at least four protruding compaction elements (22a, 22b, 22c, 22d) arranged successively, or consecutively, along a circumferential direction of said first rotating shaft (21). Subsequent or consecutive protruding compaction elements of said at least four protruding compaction elements (22a, 22b, 22c, 22d) of said first operating member (20) are alternated in said circumferential direction of said first rotating shaft (21) by a depression or recess (23a, 23b, 23c, 23d) of said first operating member (20). The second operating member (30) comprises at least four protruding compaction elements (32a, 32b, 32c, 32d) arranged successively, or consecutively, along a circumferential direction of the second rotating shaft (31), wherein successive, or consecutive, protruding compaction elements, of said at least four protruding compaction elements (32a, 32b, 32c, 32d) of said second operating member (30) are alternated in said circumferential direction of said second rotating shaft (31) by a depression or recess (33a, 33b, 33c, 33d) of said second operating member (30). Each protruding compaction element (22a, 22b, 22c, 22d) of said at least four compaction protruding elements (22a, 22b, 22c, 22d) of said first operating member (20) extends radially from said first rotating shaft (21) so as to operate in conjunction, in use, with a depression or recess (33a, 33b, 33c, 33d) of the second operating member (30) in order to compact an article, while each protruding compaction element (32a, 32b, 32c, 32d) of said at least four protruding compaction elements (32a, 32b, 32c, 32d) of said second operating member (30) extends radially from said second rotating shaft (31) so as to operate in conjunction, in use, with a depression or recess (23a, 23b, 23c, 23d) of the first operating member (20) in order to compact an article. In at least a first operating configuration, one of the four protruding compaction elements (22a, 22b, 22c, 22d) of the first operating member (20) is received in a corresponding depression or recess of the four depressions or recesses (33a, 33b, 33c, 33d) of the second operating member (30) and in at least a second operating configuration one of the four successive, or consecutive, protruding compaction elements (32a, 32b, 32c, 32d) of the second operating member (30) is received in a corresponding depression or recess of the four depressions or recess (23a, 23b, 23c, 23d) of the first operating member (20). The invention further relates to a method for compacting an article, preferably a container.