PDF Tools

Merging, splitting, compressing, and format conversion — the most common things people need to do with PDF files, all in one place. Everything runs in your browser, your files are never uploaded to a server.

What's in this category?

The PDF tools cover four kinds of work. For page layout, Merge PDF, Split PDF and the PDF Rotator rearrange a document's pages. For conversion, JPG to PDF turns images into a document, while PDF to JPG, PDF to Text, PDF to Word and PDF to Excel move a PDF into other formats. The PDF Compressor usually comes last, right before you share the file.

For protection and document info there are PDF Password Protect, PDF Password Remove, PDF Watermark and the PDF Metadata Editor. Finally, two maintenance tools: PDF Compare shows text differences between two versions page by page, and PDF Repair tries to rescue a file that won't open. As the page intro says, everything runs in your browser and your files are not uploaded to a server.

Which tool for which job?

  • If an application wants your ID, diploma and resume in a single file, convert the phone photos with JPG to PDF and combine everything with Merge PDF.
  • To send only the appendix pages of a long contract, use Split PDF.
  • To get bank statement entries into a spreadsheet, use PDF to Excel. To edit the text of a report, use PDF to Word.
  • Stamp "DRAFT" across a proposal with PDF Watermark before sending it to a client. Protect a payslip or other personal document with PDF Password Protect before emailing it.
  • When a contract comes back from the other side, PDF Compare shows which sentences changed.
  • If a presentation is over the email attachment limit, run it through the PDF Compressor first.

Things to keep in mind

  • Scanned PDFs are just pictures of pages and contain no selectable text. PDF to Text, Word and Excel may return empty or partial results for them.
  • PDF to Word and PDF to Excel carry over the text. The original layout, fonts and table borders may not survive exactly.
  • PDF Password Remove needs the current password. If you forget the password on a file you protected, there is no easy way back, so store it somewhere safe.
  • PDF Compare looks at text only. It will not flag changes to logos, signatures or images.

Newly added tools