Edit, sign and compress PDFs without uploading them.
17 PDF tools and a full editor that run in this browser tab. Your file isn’t uploaded unless you save it to My documents.
Free · No account needed · Or drop a PDF anywhere on this page
Each tool works on the file in this tab
Nothing to install. Download the result, or pass it straight to the next tool.
Edit & review
Organize
Convert & compress
Security
What runs where
Every feature, and what it sends off your device.
Merge PDF, Split PDF, Organize pages, Add page numbers, Watermark
- Runs in
- This browser tab
- Leaves
- Nothing
Bates numbering, Batch process
- Runs in
- This browser tab
- Leaves
- Nothing
Compress PDF, PDF to Word, Images to PDF, PDF to images
- Runs in
- This browser tab
- Leaves
- Nothing
Redact PDF, Sanitize PDF, Compare PDFs
- Runs in
- This browser tab
- Leaves
- Nothing
OCR PDF (26 languages)
- Runs in
- This browser tab
- Leaves
- Nothing. The engine and the English model load from this site; other languages download a model from the jsDelivr CDN on first use.
Protect PDF, Unlock PDF
- Runs in
- This browser tab
- Leaves
- Nothing. The password stays in the tab.
Edit, comment, fill forms and sign
- Runs in
- This browser tab
- Leaves
- Nothing. Saved signatures, custom stamps, the name on your comments and your details for forms stay in this browser.
My documents
- Runs in
- Your account’s storage on our servers
- Leaves
- The files you save there
| Feature | Runs in | Leaves your device |
|---|---|---|
| Merge PDF, Split PDF, Organize pages, Add page numbers, Watermark | This browser tab | Nothing |
| Bates numbering, Batch process | This browser tab | Nothing |
| Compress PDF, PDF to Word, Images to PDF, PDF to images | This browser tab | Nothing |
| Redact PDF, Sanitize PDF, Compare PDFs | This browser tab | Nothing |
| OCR PDF (26 languages) | This browser tab | Nothing. The engine and the English model load from this site; other languages download a model from the jsDelivr CDN on first use. |
| Protect PDF, Unlock PDF | This browser tab | Nothing. The password stays in the tab. |
| Edit, comment, fill forms and sign | This browser tab | Nothing. Saved signatures, custom stamps, the name on your comments and your details for forms stay in this browser. |
| My documents | Your account’s storage on our servers | The files you save there |
Not yet: Office files to PDF, certificate-based (PAdES) signatures, and sending documents to others for signature. Details in our privacy policy and security overview.
Compared with Adobe Acrobat
Acrobat facts come from Adobe’s own pages, checked on November 2, 2026.
Where the file is processed
- DocumentCloud.ai
- In this browser tab. My documents stores the files you save.
- Adobe Acrobat
- Acrobat online tools upload it to Adobe’s cloud storage [1]
Free use
- DocumentCloud.ai
- No account needed, and no usage cap on the tools that run in your browser.
- Adobe Acrobat
- One task without an account. Signed in: fill, sign and comment, plus one premium task every 30 days [1]
Comments
- DocumentCloud.ai
- Free, in your browser. Notes with replies, highlights and stamps are saved as standard PDF comments, not drawn into the page.
- Adobe Acrobat
- Free in Acrobat Reader: sticky notes, highlight, underline, strikethrough and drawing [2]
Redact, sanitize and compare
- DocumentCloud.ai
- Free, in your browser.
Bates numbering and batch processing
- DocumentCloud.ai
- Free, in your browser. Batch process has no OCR or conversion step.
| Topic | DocumentCloud.ai | Adobe Acrobat |
|---|---|---|
| Where the file is processed | In this browser tab. My documents stores the files you save. | Acrobat online tools upload it to Adobe’s cloud storage [1] |
| Free use | No account needed, and no usage cap on the tools that run in your browser. | One task without an account. Signed in: fill, sign and comment, plus one premium task every 30 days [1] |
| Comments | Free, in your browser. Notes with replies, highlights and stamps are saved as standard PDF comments, not drawn into the page. | Free in Acrobat Reader: sticky notes, highlight, underline, strikethrough and drawing [2] |
| Redact, sanitize and compare | Free, in your browser. | Included in Acrobat Pro [3][4] |
| Bates numbering and batch processing | Free, in your browser. Batch process has no OCR or conversion step. | Included in Acrobat Pro: Bates numbering [5] and the Action Wizard, which runs a sequence of tasks on many files [3] |
Acrobat still does more: desktop apps, Office-to-PDF conversion, certificate-based signatures and signature requests.
Common questions
Something else? Email us.
Do my files get uploaded?
Not by the tools or the editor. Merging, splitting, compressing, OCR, redaction, removing hidden data, comparison, conversion, watermarks, Bates numbers, batch runs, encryption, editing, comments, finding form fields and signing all run in your browser tab. A file is uploaded only when you save it to My documents.
Do comments stay editable in other PDF apps?
By default, highlights, underlines, strikethroughs, sticky notes with replies, shapes, drawings and stamps download as standard PDF comments with your name and the date. We've checked that pdf.js, the viewer in Firefox, and Apple's PDFKit, which Preview is built on, read them as comments with their author and text. We haven't tested them in Acrobat yet. Comments already in a PDF you open are listed with yours. Choose Flatten to draw them into the page instead. Signatures, images and edited text are always drawn into the page.
What does it cost?
The tools and the editor are free, with no account and no usage cap. A Pro plan is planned, with no price or date yet.
Do I need an account?
Not for the tools or the editor. A free account adds My documents, where you can save PDFs and open them on another device.
Are electronic signatures legally binding?
Electronic signatures are accepted for many everyday agreements, including under ESIGN and UETA in the US and eIDAS in the EU. DocumentCloud.ai places an image of your signature on the page. It doesn’t add a certificate, an audit trail or an identity check. If a contract needs those, use a dedicated e-signature service.
Is there a file size limit?
The tools that run in your browser are limited by your device’s memory, not by us. Very large scans can take a while to OCR on older devices.
Try it on a real file
Drop a PDF anywhere on this page. It’s read in this tab, and you’ll see which tools fit it: OCR for a scan, Fill & sign for a form, Compress for a large file.