How YourPDF.tools Protects Your Privacy
Every PDF tool runs entirely in your browser. Your files never touch our servers.
Zero Upload Architecture
When you use YourPDF.tools, your PDF file is read directly from your device into your browser's memory. JavaScript processes the file locally, and the result is saved back to your device. At no point is any data sent to any server.
Your Device
You select a PDF file from your device
Browser (JavaScript)
Processing happens locally in your browser
Browser (JavaScript)
Processing happens locally in your browser
Your Device
The processed file is saved back to your device
No internet connection required after the page loads
The Technology
We use trusted, open-source JavaScript libraries to process your files entirely in the browser.
pdf-lib
Creates, modifies, and manipulates PDF documents. Handles compression, merging, splitting, watermarks, form filling, and more.
PDF.js (pdfjs-dist)
Mozilla's PDF rendering engine. Reads and displays PDF content for tools like PDF to Image, text extraction, and OCR preprocessing.
Tesseract.js
Open-source OCR engine. Extracts text from scanned documents. Note: Downloads a language model (~15MB) once — but your PDF data never leaves your device.
Other Libraries
docx (Word conversion), mammoth (Word parsing), ExcelJS (spreadsheet creation), PptxGenJS (presentation creation) — all running locally in your browser.
Verify It Yourself
Don't just take our word for it. Here's how you can prove that your files stay on your device.
- 1
Open your browser's Developer Tools (F12)
- 2
Go to the Network tab
- 3
Use any PDF tool on this site
- 4
Watch the network activity — you'll see zero file uploads
Bonus: For absolute certainty, disconnect your WiFi after the page loads. Every tool still works.
How We Compare
See how our local-first approach stacks up against cloud-based PDF services.
| Feature | YourPDF.tools | Cloud-based tools (Smallpdf, iLovePDF) |
|---|---|---|
| File upload required | No | Yes |
| Works offline | Yes | No |
| Account required | No | Often |
| File size limit | Device memory only | Varies (often 15-100MB) |
| Data privacy | Complete | Files on their servers |
| Processing speed | Instant (local) | Depends on connection |
| Cost | 100% free | Freemium |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the source code open?
The PDF processing libraries we use (pdf-lib, PDF.js, Tesseract.js) are all open-source and auditable on GitHub. You can inspect our client-side code directly in your browser's Developer Tools.
Does the OCR tool upload my files?
No. The OCR tool downloads a language model (~15MB) from a CDN to enable text recognition, but your actual PDF data stays entirely on your device.
What happens to my files after processing?
Nothing — because we never had them. Your files exist only in your browser's memory during processing. Once you close the tab or navigate away, the data is gone.
Can I use these tools on mobile?
Yes. All tools work on mobile browsers (Chrome, Safari, Firefox). Since processing happens locally, performance depends on your device.