About pdf.sh
Privacy-focused PDF tools — 100% free, forever.
What We Do
pdf.sh provides 10 free PDF tools with a privacy-first approach. Most tools process files entirely in your browser — your documents never leave your device. All tools are 100% free, forever. No premium tiers, no hidden fees.
How We Process Your Files
100% Client-Side (7 Tools)
Files never leave your device. Processed using pdf-lib or pdf.js in your browser:
- Merge PDF
- Split PDF
- Rotate PDF
- PDF to Image
- Images to PDF
- Watermark PDF
- Sign PDF
Client-Side with Server Fallback (1 Tool)
Compress PDF uses Ghostscript WebAssembly in your browser by default. Server processing is only used when:
- Your browser doesn't support WebAssembly
- Your browser doesn't support Web Workers
- Your device runs out of memory (large files)
Server-Side Processing (2 Tools)
These tools require server processing due to technical requirements:
- Office to PDF — Requires LibreOffice for conversion
- Protect PDF — Requires server-side encryption (qpdf)
Files are encrypted in transit, processed on secure AWS infrastructure, and automatically deleted within 1 hour.
100% Free, Forever
All pdf.sh tools are completely free — no premium tiers, no subscriptions, no hidden fees. Guest users can compress up to 5 PDFs; creating a free account removes this limit entirely.
The guest limit exists only to prevent automated abuse of our service, not as a paywall. Sign up takes seconds and unlocks unlimited free use forever.
Open Source & Licensing
This application uses Ghostscript, which is licensed under the GNU Affero General Public License (AGPL) v3.0.
WASM Distribution Disclosure
In compliance with the AGPL license, we disclose that this application distributes Ghostscript as a WebAssembly (WASM) binary. Under AGPL Section 13, users who interact with this software over a network are entitled to receive the corresponding source code.
The Ghostscript WASM binary used in this application is compiled from the official Ghostscript source code without modifications. The source code is available at:
https://github.com/ArtifexSoftware/ghostpdlThe AGPL requires that any modifications to Ghostscript, as well as the source code of this application when used as a network service, be made available to users. We are committed to full compliance with these terms.
Data Processing & Subprocessors
By default, all PDF processing happens locally in your browser. However, when server-side processing is used (for large files or unsupported browsers), the following subprocessors may handle your data:
| Subprocessor | Purpose | Data Processed | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWS Lambda | Server-side PDF compression | PDF file contents (temporary) | US East (N. Virginia) |
| AWS S3 | Temporary file storage | PDF files (auto-deleted after 1 hour) | US East (N. Virginia) |
| Vercel | Web application hosting | Standard web traffic logs | Global CDN |
| Sentry | Error monitoring & performance | Error traces, performance metrics, session replays | EU (Frankfurt) |
| Clerk | Authentication provider | Email, account data (if signed in) | US |
| AWS DynamoDB | Guest quota tracking | Anonymous usage count (no personal data) | US East (N. Virginia) |
Data Retention
- Client-side processing: Files are never uploaded — all processing happens in your browser memory and is cleared when you close the tab.
- Server-side processing: Uploaded files are automatically deleted within 1 hour of processing. We do not retain copies of your documents.
- Logs: Standard web server logs (IP addresses, timestamps) may be retained for up to 30 days for security and debugging purposes.