# PrivaPDF — llms-full.txt # https://privapdf.net # Spec: https://llmstxt.org/ # This file contains inlined page content for AI assistants and answer engines. # For a lightweight link-only version see: https://privapdf.net/llms.txt --- ## About PrivaPDF PrivaPDF is a browser-based PDF converter and document toolkit. Every file is processed 100% on the user's device using WebAssembly (Wasm). No file is ever uploaded to a server. All conversions, merges, splits, compression, OCR, signatures, and redactions run entirely inside the browser tab. PrivaPDF is available as a Progressive Web App (PWA) — it can be installed to the desktop or home screen and used offline with no internet connection. **Website:** https://privapdf.net **Contact:** support@privapdf.net **Privacy policy:** https://privapdf.net/privacy **Terms:** https://privapdf.net/terms --- ## Plans & Pricing - **Free** — 5 conversions/day, 5 PDF tool uses/day, OCR free forever. No account required. - **Pro** — $9/month. Unlimited conversions, batch processing, page range selection, Excel (.xlsx), PowerPoint (.pptx), Markdown, HTML output, PDF lock, PDF sign, compare, table CSV export. - **Business** — $29/month. Everything in Pro plus redaction, privilege log, watermark removal, watermark add, Bates numbering, encrypted export, form field extraction, bulk redaction. Payments are processed by LemonSqueezy. Plans activate instantly after checkout. Plans are stored locally in the browser — no account creation required. --- ## Core Features ### PDF Conversion (PDF → other formats) - PDF to Word (.docx) - PDF to Excel (.xlsx) — Pro/Business - PDF to PowerPoint (.pptx) — Pro/Business - PDF to Text (.txt) - PDF to Markdown (.md) — Pro/Business - PDF to HTML — Pro/Business ### Document Creation (other formats → PDF) - Word to PDF (.docx → .pdf) ### PDF Tools - **Merge PDF** — Combine multiple PDFs into one. Drag-to-reorder. Free: up to 5 files/session. Pro: unlimited. - **Split PDF** — Extract specific pages or page ranges from a PDF. - **Compress PDF** — Reduce file size by downsampling images and optimising the PDF stream. - **Unlock PDF** — Remove password protection from a PDF (requires the password to unlock). - **Lock PDF** — Add password protection to any PDF. Pro feature. - **Sign PDF** — Draw, type, or upload a signature image and place it on any PDF page. Pro feature. - **Redact PDF** — Permanently black out sensitive text, numbers, or regions. Business feature. - **OCR** — Extract text from scanned PDFs or images. Free for all users. - **Compare PDFs** — Highlight differences between two PDF versions. Pro/Business. - **Watermark** — Add or remove watermarks. Business feature. - **Bates Numbering** — Add sequential Bates stamps to legal documents. Business feature. - **Form Extraction** — Extract filled form field data as CSV. Business feature. - **Bulk Redact** — Apply redaction patterns across a batch of PDFs. Business feature. ### Privacy & Security Architecture - All processing happens client-side using WebAssembly. The PDF engine (based on MuPDF compiled to Wasm) runs in a Web Worker, keeping the UI thread responsive. - Zero network requests are made during file processing. You can verify this by opening Chrome DevTools → Network tab before dropping a file. - No analytics trackers have access to file contents. Files are never persisted to any server, database, or cloud storage. - PrivaPDF is suitable for HIPAA-sensitive documents, GDPR-covered personal data, attorney-client privileged files, and confidential financial records — because the data never leaves the device. --- ## How-To Guides (full content) ### How to Merge PDF Files **URL:** https://privapdf.net/guides/how-to-merge-pdf **Read time:** 3 min Merging (combining) PDFs means taking two or more separate PDF files and joining them into one continuous document. Use cases include assembling a report from separate chapters, combining scanned pages, or attaching appendices to a contract. **Steps:** 1. Go to privapdf.net/tools and click "Merge PDFs". No account or sign-in needed. 2. Click "Add files" or drag and drop your PDFs onto the tool. 3. Drag the file list to set the order you want in the final merged PDF. 4. Click "Merge PDFs". The merged file is generated in your browser and downloaded automatically. **Tips:** - If your PDFs have different page sizes (A4 vs Letter), the merged file preserves each page's original size. - Password-protected PDFs must be unlocked first using the Unlock tool. - Very large PDFs (over 100 MB each) may take a few seconds on older devices because processing runs in the browser. **FAQ:** - Q: Is there a limit on how many PDFs I can merge? A: Free users can merge up to 5 files per session. Pro users get unlimited merges. - Q: Does the merged PDF preserve bookmarks and hyperlinks? A: Internal bookmarks and hyperlinks within document content are preserved. Complex interactive forms may lose interactivity. - Q: Can I merge a PDF with a Word document? A: Convert the Word file to PDF first, then merge the resulting PDFs. --- ### How to Convert PDF to Word **URL:** https://privapdf.net/guides/how-to-convert-pdf-to-word **Read time:** 4 min Converting a PDF to Word (.docx) lets you edit the document's text, reformat paragraphs, and integrate the content into other workflows. PrivaPDF does this entirely in your browser — no file upload, no cloud processing. **Steps:** 1. Go to privapdf.net/convert. 2. Drop your PDF onto the upload zone or click to select a file. 3. Choose "Word (.docx)" as the output format. 4. Click Convert. The .docx file downloads to your device in seconds. **What to expect:** - Text-based PDFs convert with high fidelity — paragraphs, headings, bold/italic formatting, and tables are preserved. - Scanned PDFs (image-only PDFs) require OCR first. Enable OCR before converting to extract text from scanned pages. - Complex multi-column layouts may require manual cleanup in Word after conversion. **FAQ:** - Q: Why does my converted Word document look different from the PDF? A: PDFs use fixed-page layouts; Word uses reflow-based layouts. Fonts, spacing, and multi-column layouts may need adjustment. - Q: Can I convert a password-protected PDF to Word? A: Unlock the PDF first, then convert. - Q: Is there a file size limit? A: There's no enforced size limit, but very large PDFs (100+ MB) may be slow in the browser. --- ### How to Compress a PDF **URL:** https://privapdf.net/guides/how-to-compress-pdf **Read time:** 3 min Compressing a PDF reduces its file size by downsampling embedded images and optimising the internal PDF structure. This is useful for emailing large files, uploading to file-size-limited portals, or reducing storage use. **Steps:** 1. Go to privapdf.net/tools and click "Compress PDF". 2. Drop your PDF onto the tool. 3. Choose a compression level (low / medium / high). 4. Click Compress. The smaller PDF downloads automatically. **Tips:** - Image-heavy PDFs (scans, brochures) compress much more than text-only PDFs. - High compression will visibly reduce image quality; use medium for a good balance. - Compression cannot reduce the file below the minimum size of the text and vector content. --- ### How to Password-Protect a PDF **URL:** https://privapdf.net/guides/how-to-password-protect-pdf **Read time:** 3 min Adding a password to a PDF prevents anyone without the password from opening or editing it. This is a Pro feature on PrivaPDF. **Steps:** 1. Go to privapdf.net/tools and click "Lock PDF". 2. Drop your PDF onto the tool. 3. Enter a strong password (minimum 8 characters recommended). 4. Click Lock. The password-protected PDF downloads to your device. **Tips:** - Use a password manager to store the password — there is no recovery option if lost. - For maximum security, use AES-256 encryption (selected by default). - The password is applied entirely in your browser; it is never transmitted to any server. --- ### How to Sign a PDF **URL:** https://privapdf.net/guides/how-to-sign-pdf **Read time:** 3 min Signing a PDF with PrivaPDF lets you add a drawn, typed, or image-based signature to any page. This is a Pro feature. **Steps:** 1. Go to privapdf.net/tools and click "Sign PDF" (or go to privapdf.net/sign-pdf). 2. Drop the PDF you need to sign. 3. Choose your signature type: Draw with mouse/finger, Type your name, or Upload a signature image. 4. Drag the signature to the correct position on the page. 5. Click Apply. The signed PDF downloads. **Notes:** - PrivaPDF signatures are visual signatures (appearance only), not cryptographic certificates. For legally binding e-signatures with audit trails, a dedicated e-signature service may be required depending on jurisdiction. - The signature data never leaves your device. --- ### How to Verify a Converter Doesn't Upload Your File **URL:** https://privapdf.net/guides/how-to-verify-no-upload **Read time:** 4 min Many PDF converters claim to be private but actually upload your file to a remote server. You can verify any converter's behaviour using the browser's built-in Network inspector. **Steps (Chrome/Edge):** 1. Open privapdf.net/convert. 2. Press F12 (or Cmd+Option+I on Mac) to open DevTools. 3. Click the "Network" tab. Check "Preserve log". 4. Drop a PDF file and start the conversion. 5. Watch the Network tab. For a truly client-side converter like PrivaPDF, you will see zero POST requests carrying your file data — only requests for static assets (JS, CSS) that were already cached. **What to look for:** - Any POST request to an external domain (e.g., `api.smallpdf.com`, `convert.adobe.com`) indicates an upload. - Requests to the site's own domain that transfer several megabytes during conversion indicate a server-side upload. - PrivaPDF will show no such requests. --- ### Secure PDF Converter — How It Works **URL:** https://privapdf.net/guides/secure-pdf-converter **Read time:** 5 min A secure PDF converter is one that processes your document without exposing it to a third party. PrivaPDF achieves this by running the entire conversion pipeline inside the browser using WebAssembly. **Why browser-based conversion is more secure:** - No transmission risk: your file bytes never travel over a network. - No server-side storage: there is no database, S3 bucket, or temporary folder where your file could be retained. - No breach surface: if a cloud converter's servers are compromised, your previously uploaded files could be exposed. With PrivaPDF, there is nothing to breach. - GDPR/HIPAA: client-side processing avoids the data-processor relationship that cloud services create under privacy regulations. --- ### Offline PDF Converter — How It Works **URL:** https://privapdf.net/guides/offline-pdf-converter **Read time:** 4 min PrivaPDF is a Progressive Web App (PWA). After the first visit, the app and its WebAssembly engine are cached by the browser's service worker. Subsequent use requires no internet connection. **How to use PrivaPDF offline:** 1. Visit privapdf.net once with an internet connection. The service worker caches all assets automatically. 2. Disconnect from the internet (or go to airplane mode). 3. Open privapdf.net in your browser — it loads from cache. 4. Convert, merge, compress or sign PDFs as normal. **Installing as a desktop/mobile app:** - Chrome/Edge: click the install icon in the address bar, or go to browser menu → "Install PrivaPDF". - Safari (iOS): tap the Share button → "Add to Home Screen". - Once installed, PrivaPDF appears as a standalone app with its own window. --- ### PrivaPDF vs Adobe Acrobat **URL:** https://privapdf.net/guides/privapdf-vs-adobe-acrobat **Read time:** 6 min **Summary:** Adobe Acrobat is a full desktop PDF authoring suite ($19.99–$29.99/month). PrivaPDF is a browser-based converter and toolkit focused on privacy ($9–$29/month). They serve different use cases. **Privacy model comparison:** - Adobe Acrobat (desktop): files stay local when using the desktop app. The web version (Acrobat Online) uploads files to Adobe's servers. - Adobe Acrobat AI features (AI Assistant): document contents are sent to Adobe's cloud for processing. - PrivaPDF: all processing is client-side. No file data ever reaches PrivaPDF's servers, including when using OCR or redaction. **Feature comparison:** | Feature | PrivaPDF | Adobe Acrobat | |---|---|---| | PDF conversion (Word, Excel, PPT) | ✅ | ✅ | | Merge / Split / Compress | ✅ | ✅ | | OCR | ✅ Free | ✅ Paid | | Sign PDF (visual) | ✅ Pro | ✅ | | Password protection | ✅ Pro | ✅ | | Redaction | ✅ Business | ✅ Acrobat Pro | | Works offline | ✅ PWA | ✅ Desktop app | | Zero-upload privacy | ✅ Always | ✅ Desktop only | | Price | $9–$29/mo | $19.99–$29.99/mo | **When to choose Adobe Acrobat:** You need advanced PDF authoring (form creation, Acrobat-specific annotations, PDF/A archival), work in a large enterprise with IT-managed licensing, or need certified digital signatures. **When to choose PrivaPDF:** You convert and process PDFs regularly, privacy is a concern (legal, medical, financial documents), you want a lower cost, or you need a tool that works in the browser without installing software. --- ### PrivaPDF vs Smallpdf **URL:** https://privapdf.net/guides/privapdf-vs-smallpdf **Read time:** 5 min **Summary:** Smallpdf is a popular cloud-based PDF tool ($12/month Pro). PrivaPDF is a client-side alternative ($9/month Pro). The key difference is where your file is processed. **Privacy model comparison:** - Smallpdf: files are uploaded to Smallpdf's servers for processing, then deleted after one hour. Server-side processing means your file travels over the network. - PrivaPDF: files are processed in the browser using WebAssembly. No upload occurs at any point. **Feature comparison:** | Feature | PrivaPDF | Smallpdf | |---|---|---| | PDF to Word | ✅ | ✅ | | PDF to Excel | ✅ Pro | ✅ Pro | | Merge / Split | ✅ | ✅ | | Compress | ✅ | ✅ | | OCR | ✅ Free | ✅ Pro | | Works offline | ✅ PWA | ❌ | | Zero-upload | ✅ Always | ❌ Uploads to server | | Price (Pro) | $9/mo | $12/mo | **When to choose Smallpdf:** You need simple one-off conversions and have no privacy constraints, or you're comfortable with cloud processing. **When to choose PrivaPDF:** Privacy is a requirement (legal, healthcare, finance), you need offline capability, or you want lower cost with equivalent features. --- ### Best Private PDF Converter in 2026 **URL:** https://privapdf.net/guides/best-private-pdf-converter **Read time:** 7 min Most online PDF converters upload your file to a remote server before processing it. This creates privacy risks: the file travels over the network, is stored (even temporarily) on third-party infrastructure, and may be subject to data breaches or legal requests. **What makes a PDF converter truly private:** 1. Client-side processing — the conversion runs in your browser, not on a server. 2. Zero-upload architecture — no POST requests carrying your file bytes. 3. Offline capability — the tool works without an internet connection (PWA). 4. Verifiable — you can confirm the behaviour using browser DevTools. **Top options in 2026:** - **PrivaPDF** (privapdf.net) — Browser-based, WebAssembly, PWA, zero-upload. Full toolkit (convert, merge, OCR, sign, redact). Free tier + paid plans. - **PDF24** (pdf24.org) — Desktop app option available. Online version uploads to servers. Free. - **LibreOffice** (libreoffice.org) — Open-source desktop app. Completely local. Free. Limited PDF editing. - **Adobe Acrobat** (desktop app) — Local processing in desktop app only. Expensive. **PrivaPDF is the only fully browser-based option** that combines zero-upload privacy, offline support, OCR, redaction, and a modern UI. --- ### Private PDF Tools Overview **URL:** https://privapdf.net/guides/private-pdf-tools **Read time:** 5 min Private PDF tools are document processing applications that handle your files locally — either on your device as a desktop app, or in your browser as a client-side web app. PrivaPDF falls in the latter category. **Why privacy matters for PDF tools:** - Legal documents: attorney-client privilege may be compromised if a file passes through a third-party server. - Medical records: HIPAA requires that PHI (protected health information) not be disclosed to unauthorised parties. - Financial documents: tax returns, bank statements, and contracts often contain sensitive PII. - Business confidentiality: NDAs, M&A documents, and HR files should not leave corporate control. **PrivaPDF's private tool suite:** All tools listed at privapdf.net/tools run entirely in the browser. The list includes: Merge, Split, Compress, Unlock, Lock, Sign, Redact, OCR, Compare, Watermark, Bates Numbering, Form Extraction, and Bulk Redact. --- ## Glossary **Client-side PDF conversion** — Transforming documents to or from PDF format entirely within the user's web browser, without sending any data to a remote server. The conversion logic runs on the local device using JavaScript or WebAssembly. **WebAssembly (Wasm)** — A binary instruction format that lets browsers run near-native-speed code compiled from languages like C, C++, and Rust. PrivaPDF uses WebAssembly to run its MuPDF-based PDF engine in the browser. **Progressive Web App (PWA)** — A website that can be installed on a device and used like a native app, with offline support via service workers. PrivaPDF is a PWA, allowing offline PDF conversion. **Zero-upload converter** — A document processing tool that performs all operations locally, transmitting no file data over the network. Verifiable by monitoring the browser's Network tab in DevTools during conversion. **OCR (Optical Character Recognition)** — Technology that extracts text from scanned PDFs or images. PrivaPDF's OCR runs in the browser using Tesseract.js compiled to WebAssembly. Free for all users. **Redaction** — The permanent removal or blackout of sensitive content from a document. In PrivaPDF, redaction is a Business-tier feature that irreversibly removes the underlying text (not just covers it visually). **Bates Numbering** — A sequential numbering system used in legal and medical document management to label every page of a document set. PrivaPDF supports Bates stamping as a Business feature. **PDF/A** — An ISO-standardised version of the PDF format designed for long-term archiving. Embeds all required fonts and colour profiles. **AES-256 encryption** — The Advanced Encryption Standard with a 256-bit key, the strongest symmetric encryption algorithm in widespread use. PrivaPDF applies AES-256 when password-protecting PDFs. --- ## FAQ (from the home page) Q: Does my file actually stay on my device? A: Yes. PrivaPDF processes every file entirely in your browser using WebAssembly. No file data is ever transmitted to any server. You can verify this yourself in Chrome DevTools → Network tab. Q: How is this different from Smallpdf or Adobe? A: Smallpdf uploads your file to their servers for cloud processing. Adobe Acrobat Online also uploads files. PrivaPDF is the only major tool that converts entirely in your browser with zero uploads. Q: Can I use this for confidential documents? A: Yes. Because files never leave your device, PrivaPDF is safe for HIPAA-covered medical records, attorney-client privileged legal documents, financial records, and other sensitive files. Q: Is it safe to convert PDF to Word online? A: Only if the converter processes files locally. Most online converters upload your file. PrivaPDF does not — conversion happens in WebAssembly inside your browser tab. Q: How do I convert a PDF without uploading it? A: Use PrivaPDF. Drop your file on privapdf.net/convert, select an output format, and click Convert. No upload occurs — the conversion runs in your browser. Q: Does PrivaPDF work without internet? A: Yes. After the first visit, PrivaPDF is cached as a PWA by the browser's service worker. You can convert PDFs offline on a plane, in areas with no connectivity, or in air-gapped environments. Q: What is the best private PDF converter? A: PrivaPDF is the only browser-based PDF converter that combines zero-upload processing, offline PWA support, OCR, redaction, and a full toolkit (merge, split, compress, sign) in a single tool. Q: Can I convert scanned PDFs to Word? A: Yes. Enable OCR before converting to extract text from scanned pages, then convert to Word. Q: Do I need to create an account? A: No. PrivaPDF works without an account. Pro and Business plans are activated by a license key stored locally in your browser after purchase. Q: What file formats does PrivaPDF support? A: Input: PDF, DOCX. Output: DOCX, XLSX, PPTX, TXT, MD, HTML, PDF. OCR adds text extraction from image-based PDFs. Q: Is there a file size limit? A: There is no enforced limit. Very large files (100+ MB) may be slow because processing runs in the browser. Paid plans offer no additional limit — the constraint is device memory. Q: How does PrivaPDF handle HIPAA or GDPR compliance? A: Because no file data leaves the user's device, PrivaPDF does not act as a data processor under GDPR or a business associate under HIPAA. There is no data processing agreement needed. Q: Can I install PrivaPDF as a desktop app? A: Yes. Click the install icon in your browser's address bar (Chrome/Edge) or use Share → Add to Home Screen (Safari/iOS) to install PrivaPDF as a PWA. Q: Is PrivaPDF open source? A: The core PDF engine is based on MuPDF (open source, AGPL). The PrivaPDF application itself is proprietary. Q: How do I verify that no data is uploaded? A: Open Chrome DevTools → Network tab → check "Preserve log" → drop a file and convert. You will see zero POST requests carrying file data. All network activity is limited to loading static assets. Q: Can I merge multiple PDFs into one? A: Yes. Go to privapdf.net/tools → Merge PDFs. Drop your files, reorder by dragging, and click Merge. The merged PDF downloads to your device instantly. --- ## Technical Details (for developers and AI assistants) - **PDF engine:** MuPDF compiled to WebAssembly via Emscripten. - **OCR engine:** Tesseract.js (Wasm build). - **Framework:** Next.js (App Router), TypeScript, React. - **Deployment:** Vercel (edge network). - **PWA:** Service worker pre-caches all Wasm assets on first load. - **Worker architecture:** PDF processing runs in a dedicated Web Worker to avoid blocking the main thread. - **Storage:** No server-side storage. Free-tier usage counts stored in `localStorage`. Plan tier stored in `localStorage` after purchase verification. - **Payments:** LemonSqueezy. Checkout hosted on LemonSqueezy; redirect back to privapdf.net/success with a session token. --- ## Sitemap summary - https://privapdf.net/ — Home / main app - https://privapdf.net/convert — PDF converter - https://privapdf.net/tools — PDF toolkit - https://privapdf.net/pdf-to-word — PDF to Word landing - https://privapdf.net/word-to-pdf — Word to PDF landing - https://privapdf.net/merge-pdf — Merge PDF landing - https://privapdf.net/compress-pdf — Compress PDF landing - https://privapdf.net/sign-pdf — Sign PDF landing - https://privapdf.net/secure-pdf-converter — Secure converter landing - https://privapdf.net/offline-pdf-converter — Offline converter landing - https://privapdf.net/about — About PrivaPDF (E-E-A-T) - https://privapdf.net/glossary — PDF & privacy glossary - https://privapdf.net/guides — All guides index - https://privapdf.net/guides/how-to-merge-pdf - https://privapdf.net/guides/how-to-convert-pdf-to-word - https://privapdf.net/guides/how-to-compress-pdf - https://privapdf.net/guides/how-to-password-protect-pdf - https://privapdf.net/guides/how-to-sign-pdf - https://privapdf.net/guides/how-to-verify-no-upload - https://privapdf.net/guides/secure-pdf-converter - https://privapdf.net/guides/offline-pdf-converter - https://privapdf.net/guides/private-pdf-tools - https://privapdf.net/guides/best-private-pdf-converter - https://privapdf.net/guides/privapdf-vs-adobe-acrobat - https://privapdf.net/guides/privapdf-vs-smallpdf - https://privapdf.net/support — Support / contact