A data transfer device includes a calculation unit and a compression processing unit. The calculation unit determines, from a plurality of compression techniques, a combination of a first compression technique and a second compression technique for optimizing effective throughput based at least on compression performance parameters related to the plurality of compression techniques and a transfer performance parameter related to transfer processing, the first compression technique being a technique in which a speed of compression processing serves as a constraint in a data transfer as compared with a speed of transfer processing, the second compression technique being a technique in which a speed of transfer processing serves as a constraint in a data transfer as compared with a speed of compression processing. The compression processing unit compresses target data using at least one of the first compression technique and the second compression technique.