Free alternative
A free PDF24 Tools alternative
A set of free online PDF tools from Geek Software GmbH to merge, split, compress, edit, sign, OCR and convert PDFs, with PDF24 Creator as a Windows desktop version that works offline. Anyfile is a free alternative for many of the same jobs: it opens, edits and converts files in your browser, and nothing is uploaded.
PDF24 Tools and Anyfile, side by side
| PDF24 Tools | Anyfile | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | No charge: the terms say the products on the website are currently provided free of charge (the separate PDF24 Fax service is excluded), and that users have no entitlement to free provision in future. No paid plan for the tools is listed on the pages checked. The terms allow private and commercial use, provided that processing documents is not itself the core of the user’s commercial activity. Source | Free, funded by optional donations |
| Free version | Yes. PDF24 says all its tools are free of charge and without any restrictions, with the cost covered by some advertising on its web pages. Source | Everything is free |
| Free limits | PDF24 says there are no artificial limits, helped by a scalable infrastructure. No figure for file size, files per batch or tasks per hour is given on the pages checked. Source | No daily limits; size limits per kind of file (for example 100 MB pictures, 300 MB PDFs) |
| Are files uploaded? | Yes for the online tools: they process files on PDF24’s servers, and file transfers are encrypted. For work that never leaves your computer, PDF24 points to PDF24 Creator, its Windows desktop software, where it says all files remain on your PC. Source | No: files are opened and converted in your browser |
| How long files are kept | Uploaded files and the results are usually deleted one hour after uploading or creating the results; longer storage may be needed if processing takes longer than an hour. It says it does not look at or evaluate the files and does not make backups. The servers that process files are within the EU, except that the optional AI invoice recognition in its e-invoice tool, used only if you agree, sends the PDF to Google’s Gemini API, which may process it outside the EU. Source | Never stored: nothing is uploaded |
| Account needed | Not needed: its tool pages list “No registration required”. Source | No |
| Ads | Yes. PDF24 says the free service is paid for by some advertising on its web pages. Source | None |
| Platforms | Online tools that work in a web browser on Windows, Linux, Mac and smartphones; PDF24 Creator, desktop software for Windows that works offline; a Chrome extension; and an option to install PDF24 as an app. Source | Any current browser on a computer, tablet or phone; installable as an app |
| Formats | To PDF from Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Publisher, OpenDocument (ODT, ODS, ODP, ODG), RTF, text, EPUB, Markdown and images (JPG, PNG, WEBP, HEIC, SVG, TIFF). From PDF to Word, PowerPoint, Excel, OpenDocument, RTF, text, EPUB, HTML, Markdown, PDF/A and images (JPG, PNG, SVG, TIFF). It also converts HEIC and WEBP images to JPG or PNG. Source | 202 file extensions in 17 editors, with 639 one-click conversions |
Facts about PDF24 Tools come from its own pages, checked on 2026-10-22. Prices and limits change, so follow each source for today’s.
When PDF24 Tools is the better choice
PDF24 is the better choice if you need OCR for scanned PDFs, PDF comparison, redaction or e-invoices, or want its full set of PDF tools offline in the Windows desktop software, which also includes a PDF printer. Anyfile suits quick PDF jobs where the file should stay on your device, on any platform.