14 free tools · run in your browser
Free PDF tools that never upload your files
Merge, compress, sign, redact and organize PDFs right in your browser. Your documents stay on your device, and there's no account or watermark.
PDF tools
- Merge PDFMerge several PDFs into one, or split a PDF into ranges or single pages, in your browser without uploading.
- Compress PDFReduce PDF file size in your browser with a lossless clean-up or stronger image-based compression, clearly labelled.
- Sign PDFDraw, type or upload a signature and place it on any page of a PDF, with dates, initials and text, in your browser without uploading.
- Rearrange PDF pagesReorder, rotate, delete and extract PDF pages with thumbnails, drag and drop, keyboard shortcuts and undo.
- Add page numbers to PDFAdd page numbers to a PDF in any corner, with formats like "Page 1 of 10", a start number and page ranges, in your browser.
- Add watermark to PDFStamp a text or image watermark on a PDF with your own position, size, angle and opacity, on all or selected pages, in your browser.
- Password protect PDFAdd a password to a PDF with AES-256 encryption and optional printing and copying restrictions, in your browser without uploading.
- Unlock PDFRemove the password and restrictions from a PDF you can open, so you can print, copy and edit it, in your browser without uploading.
- Extract images from PDFPull the original images out of a PDF and download them as PNG or JPG files or a ZIP, in your browser without uploading.
- OCR PDFTurn a scanned PDF into a searchable PDF with selectable text, or copy its text out, using OCR that runs in your browser.
- Redact PDFBlack out text and areas in a PDF and remove them for good by flattening redacted pages, in your browser without uploading.
- Compare PDFCompare the text of two PDFs side by side with added, removed and changed words highlighted, in your browser.
- Overlay PDFPlace the pages of one PDF on top of or behind another, like letterhead or a form background, in your browser.
- JPG to PDFCombine JPG and PNG images into a PDF, or turn PDF pages into JPG or PNG images, in your browser.
Which PDF tool do I need?
- Combine several PDFs, or split one apart: use Merge & Split PDF. You can pick page ranges like
1-3, 5, 8-from each file. - Reorder, rotate or delete pages: the PDF Page Organizer shows thumbnails you can drag around.
- Make a PDF small enough to email: Compress PDF. Start with the lossless clean-up, and only use Strong mode for scans. See how to compress a PDF for email.
- Sign a contract or form: Sign PDF lets you draw, type or upload a signature, then add dates and initials.
- Hide sensitive details before sharing: Redact PDF flattens the redacted pages, so the text under the black boxes is actually gone.
- Turn a scan into searchable text: PDF OCR.
- Lock or unlock a file: Protect PDF adds AES-256 encryption. Unlock PDF removes the password from a file you can already open.
- Turn photos into a PDF, or pages into images: JPG to PDF & PDF to JPG.
Why these PDF tools are different
Most online PDF services upload your document to their server, process it there and send it back. These tools work differently. The processing happens in your browser tab, on your own device, so contracts, bank statements and medical forms are never sent anywhere. Nothing needs installing, and you don't need an account. Output files don't get a watermark, and there's no daily limit.
A few tools fetch extra code the first time you use them. PDF OCR downloads the OCR engine and language data, and these are files, not your document. Very large PDFs are limited by your device's memory, so a phone may struggle with a 500-page scan that a laptop handles easily.
Lossless vs image-based: what changes inside your PDF
A PDF can hold real text, vector drawings and embedded images, and each tool here is careful about which of these it touches. Merging, splitting, reordering, numbering, watermarking and signing keep the text as text, so it stays selectable and searchable. Lossless compression works the same way: it rebuilds the file more compactly and can optionally shrink the JPEG photos inside.
A few jobs have to turn pages into pictures. Strong compression does this, and so does flattening a page for redaction. That is the only way to guarantee hidden text is removed or to squeeze a scan right down, but text on those pages stops being selectable. The tools tell you when this will happen. Keep your original file whenever you choose an image-based option.
Guides
Frequently asked questions
Are these PDF tools really free?+
Yes. There's no sign-up, page limit or watermark. The site is supported by ads.
Are my PDFs uploaded to a server?+
No. Every PDF tool on this page reads and writes your file inside your browser, so your document never leaves your device. PDF OCR downloads its recognition engine and language data the first time, but your PDF stays local.
Can I edit a PDF that has a password?+
If you know the password, open the file in Unlock PDF to remove the password and restrictions, then use the other tools. Unlock PDF can't break a password you don't know.
How do I get a PDF under an email attachment limit?+
Run it through Compress PDF, starting with lossless clean-up. For a scan, try Strong mode at 100 or 150 dpi. If it's still too big, split it with Merge & Split PDF and send it in parts. Our email guide has the details.
Is blacking out text with a shape the same as redacting it?+
No. A black rectangle drawn on top leaves the text underneath, and anyone can copy it out. Redact PDF flattens the redacted pages into images, so the covered content is removed from the file.
Do the tools work on a phone?+
Yes, they run in modern mobile browsers. Very large files can run out of memory on phones, so use a computer for long scanned documents.
How do I combine JPG photos into one PDF?+
Use JPG to PDF. Add your images, put them in order and download a single PDF. To add those pages to an existing PDF, merge the two files afterward with Merge PDF.