Every "free PDF tool" search ends the same way: a page full of ads, an upload spinner, and your file on a server you know nothing about. For a merge of two contracts or a quick signature on page three, that trade makes no sense - the work is page manipulation, and your own machine can do it.

We build small browser tools, so we built the PDF toolkit we wanted to exist. Disclosure up front: this is our tool, linked at the end, free with one visible limit.

The jobs it covers

The tabs map to what actually comes up during a work week:

  • Merge - quote, terms and cover letter into one file, in the order you pick.
  • Split and extract - pull a page range out of a 200-page document instead of sending the whole thing.
  • Reorder and rotate - visual thumbnails, drag pages around, fix the sideways scan.
  • Sign - place a signature image, typed text or a date on a page. (This is an image placement, not a certificate-based digital signature - fine for most everyday paperwork, check with the other party when it matters.)
  • Watermark - DRAFT or CONFIDENTIAL across every page before a file goes out.
  • Compress - rebuilds pages as images to shrink scans; if the result is not smaller than the original, the tool tells you and keeps the original. The trade: text stops being selectable.
  • Metadata - clear the document-info fields before sharing.
  • Images and back - photos to one PDF, or PDF pages to JPGs.
  • Unlock and protect - remove a password you know, or add one.

Why "runs in the page" matters

Files are read and changed by code running in the tab. Nothing is sent anywhere, which you can verify with the crudest test available: load the page, pull the network cable, and keep working. Contracts, ID scans and bank statements are exactly the files that should never sit in someone else's storage "temporarily".

There is also no queue and no daily cap. The one free limit is 100 pages in a single output file.

The offline pack

For people who live in PDFs - accountants, property managers, anyone on planes or locked-down networks - there is a $19 one-time pack: one folder you keep, index.html opened in any modern browser, no page limit, no install, no account, no subscription. The hosted page stays free.

Links: PDF Toolkit and the offline pack. What is the PDF job you still open a heavy desktop app for?