An offline, private alternative to Smallpdf
Last updated September 2026
Smallpdf is a polished online PDF toolkit. Its free tier limits how many tasks you can run, and like most online converters it processes your files on its servers. PDFHub runs in your browser: open a PDF, do the job, save the result — without the file leaving your computer and without a task counter.
All-in-one offline PDF editor. Merge, split, OCR, redact, sign, password protect, and convert PDFs - all processing happens locally in your browser.
Open PDFHub →Remove passwords from protected PDF files instantly. Unlock encrypted PDFs without uploading to any server.
Open PDF Unlocker →Why pick ours
- No upload: processing happens locally in your browser tab.
- No free-tier task limit or forced signup.
- Keeps working offline after the first load.
- OCR, redaction and signing are included, not paywalled.
Where Smallpdf is better
- Smallpdf has more tools, including PDF compression and conversion to and from Office formats.
- Its e-signature workflow can request signatures from other people by email; ours only signs your own copy.
- It syncs documents across devices and offers mobile apps.
- Its interface is very refined and has team features.
Which should you use?
Use PDFHub for quick private edits on sensitive files. Use Smallpdf if you need to send documents out for signature or convert to Word.
FAQ
Does PDFHub compress PDFs like Smallpdf?
Not at the moment. PDFHub focuses on merge, split, OCR, sign, redact, password protection and image conversion.
Can I sign a PDF without uploading it?
Yes. PDFHub lets you draw or place a signature on the page locally and download the signed file.
Is it really free?
Yes. There is no signup and no daily task limit.
Does it work on mobile?
It runs in modern mobile browsers, but large documents are more comfortable on a laptop because of memory limits.
Smallpdf is a trademark of its respective owner. This page is an independent comparison and is not affiliated with or endorsed by them. Feature details reflect our understanding at the time of writing.