PDF24 is a generous free PDF toolkit with a huge range of features and a desktop app. Privatool offers a focused set of PDF tools that all run client-side in your browser. Both are free — the real difference is where your documents are processed.
Side-by-side comparison
| Feature | Privatool | PDF24 |
|---|---|---|
| Merge / split / compress PDF | ✅ Client-side | ⚠️ Server-side (web) |
| Rotate / delete / reorder pages | ✅ Client-side | ⚠️ Server-side (web) |
| PDF to image | ✅ Client-side | ✅ |
| OCR / PDF-to-Word | ❌ | ✅ Server-side |
| Files uploaded to server (web) | ❌ Never | ✅ Yes |
| Fully offline option | ✅ In-browser | ✅ Desktop app only |
| Account required | ❌ Never | ❌ |
| Price | Free | Free |
The web vs. desktop distinction
PDF24 is genuinely private if you install their Windows desktop application, which processes files locally. But the popular web version (tools.pdf24.org) uploads your PDF to their servers like any other online tool.
Privatool gives you that local-processing privacy on the web, with nothing to install. Open the page, drop in your PDF, and every operation happens in the browser tab. It works the same on macOS, Linux, Chromebooks, and phones — no desktop download required.
When to choose PDF24
- You need OCR or PDF-to-Word/Excel conversion (Privatool doesn't do these)
- You're on Windows and happy to install the desktop app for local processing
- You want the widest possible feature list in one place
When to choose Privatool
- You want local, on-device privacy without installing anything
- You're not on Windows (Mac/Linux/Chromebook/mobile)
- Your PDFs contain sensitive or confidential information
- You need the tool to work offline straight from the browser
Bottom line
PDF24 is excellent, but its privacy depends on using the desktop app. Privatool delivers the same client-side privacy through any modern browser, with no install — ideal for sensitive documents on any device.
Verifying the claim yourself
You do not have to take either side's word for where files are processed. The test takes fifteen seconds and works on any online tool:
- Open DevTools (
F12orCmd+Option+I) and select the Network tab. - Tick Preserve log so nothing is cleared by a page transition.
- Load your PDF and run the operation.
- Sort by size, or filter to
Fetch/XHR.
If a request appears whose payload is roughly the size of your PDF, the file was uploaded. If the largest transfers are the page's own scripts and WebAssembly modules — which download once and are then cached — processing happened locally.
Run this on tools.pdf24.org and on Privatool and the difference is visible in the log. This is worth doing on any tool that claims privacy, including this one.
The install trade-off, honestly
PDF24's desktop application is a genuinely good answer to the privacy problem, and on Windows it may be the better choice. Local processing, no upload, a very wide feature set, and no browser memory ceiling.
The costs are the ones that come with any installed software: it is Windows-only, so Mac, Linux, ChromeOS, and mobile are excluded; many workplaces restrict installing software on managed machines; and an installer is a larger trust decision than a web page, because a native application has filesystem access that a browser tab does not.
So the honest framing is not "PDF24 uploads your files". It is that PDF24 offers privacy or cross-platform web convenience, and you pick one. Privatool's narrower feature set is what allows both at once.
Feature gaps, stated plainly
Privatool cannot do OCR or PDF-to-Word, and this is architectural rather than a roadmap gap. Both require either a large trained model or a licensed layout engine. Shipping either into a browser tab would mean a download measured in hundreds of megabytes, and doing it server-side would break the one guarantee the site is built on.
If your work depends on OCR, PDF24 is the correct tool and this comparison should end there.
Frequently asked questions
Is the browser version of PDF24 unsafe?
No. It is a normal, reputable online tool with standard practices. The distinction is architectural, not a security judgement: the web version uploads, the desktop version does not. Many people assume the privacy of the desktop app carries over to the website, and it does not.
Why does the first load feel slower on Privatool?
Because the processing engine downloads to your browser instead of running on a server. A tool like PDF compression pulls a WebAssembly build of Ghostscript on first use. After that it is cached, subsequent uses start immediately, and there is no upload wait — which usually makes it faster overall on large files.
Can Privatool handle very large PDFs?
It is limited by your device's memory rather than a server upload cap. A desktop machine handles large files comfortably; an older phone may struggle with a very large scanned document, where a server-based tool has the advantage of borrowing someone else's RAM.
Does either store my files after processing?
Privatool never receives them. PDF24's web version stores uploads temporarily and deletes them on a schedule; the desktop app keeps everything local.
Which is better for a team?
If the team is on mixed operating systems or managed laptops where installs are restricted, Privatool works everywhere with nothing to deploy. If everyone is on Windows and you need OCR, PDF24's desktop app is the stronger fit.