About PDFER
PDFER is a free toolkit of 43 PDF tools that run entirely in your browser — merge, split, compress, convert, edit, sign, redact, and OCR PDFs without ever uploading a file. Everything is processed on your own device with WebAssembly and JavaScript, so your documents stay private, and there is no account, watermark, or usage limit.
The facts
- What it is
- A free toolkit of 43 PDF tools
- Where it runs
- 100% in your browser — files never uploaded
- Cost
- Free — no account, no watermarks, no daily limits
- Privacy
- A strict Content-Security-Policy blocks all cross-origin requests
- Engines
- pdf-lib, pdf.js, qpdf-wasm, Tesseract, transformers.js (WebAssembly)
- Offline
- Works offline after the page loads; installable as a PWA
How PDFER compares to typical online PDF tools
Most online PDF tools upload your file to a server to process it. PDFER does the work locally instead. Here is how that differs in practice.
| Capability | PDFER | Typical server-based tool |
|---|---|---|
| Files stay on your device | Yes | Most upload to a server |
| Works without an account | Yes | Many gate features behind sign-up |
| No watermarks on output | Yes | Free tiers often add them |
| No per-day/task limits | Yes | Free tiers cap usage |
| Works offline after load | Yes | Server tools need a round-trip |
| Free | Yes | Usually |
Frequently asked
- Is PDFER really free?
- Yes. All 43 core tools are free with no account, no watermarks, and no daily caps. Because processing happens on your own device, there is no per-file server cost.
- Are my files uploaded to a server?
- No. PDFER runs entirely in your browser using WebAssembly and JavaScript. Files are read into memory on your device, processed locally, and erased when you leave the page — a strict Content-Security-Policy blocks any cross-origin request, so uploads are technically impossible.
- Who makes PDFER?
- PDFER is built by Kiril Urbonas. It is an independent, privacy-first project — not affiliated with Adobe or other PDF vendors.
Explore all 45 tools or read the PDF guides. Learn more about our privacy policy and security.