pdfdots vs PDF24: which free PDF toolbox suits you
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PDF24 is a rare thing in this market: a genuinely free PDF toolbox with a long list of tools, funded by advertising rather than subscriptions. It also offers a Windows desktop application, the PDF24 Creator, that many offices install to work with PDFs offline. If you are happy with it, there may be little reason to switch.
People who look for an alternative usually want one of two things: an experience without ads, or a clearer picture of where each file is processed. pdfdots offers both, with the trade-off that you need a free account. Here is how the two compare, and when we would recommend PDF24 over our own tools.
pdfdots vs PDF24 at a glance
| Feature | pdfdots | PDF24 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free plan (3 tasks a day); optional paid plans from $2.99/month | Free, according to their site |
| Account | Free account required | No account needed for online tools |
| Funding | No ads, no data selling | Advertising on the website |
| Where files are processed | Most tools run in your browser; Office conversions, PDF/A, grayscale and HTML to PDF run on our server in Germany and are deleted right after | Online tools mostly process on their servers; some tools and the desktop app work locally |
| File size | Files up to 10 MB on the free plan, larger on paid plans | Generous limits for a free service |
| Number of tools | 37 tools | A very large set of tools |
| Desktop app | No desktop app; works in any modern browser | PDF24 Creator for Windows |
| Mobile app | PDF Dots app with the same account | Mainly web on mobile |
Two free models, two trade-offs
PDF24 is free because advertising pays for it, and you do not need to sign in. pdfdots has a free plan of 3 tasks a day, funded by optional paid plans instead of ads, and we ask for an account so we can prevent abuse and give you storage. Neither model is wrong; they simply suit different people.
If you process files on a shared or public computer, not having to sign in is a real advantage for PDF24. PDF24 is also more generous for heavy free use. If you want a clean interface, files synced between the website and a phone app, and no ads, pdfdots is closer to what you want.
When PDF24 is the better choice
PDF24 is the better pick if you work on Windows and want an offline desktop tool, if you need a niche tool we do not offer, or if you want to use a tool once without creating any account. Its virtual PDF printer is also handy for creating PDFs from any Windows program.
Moving your PDF24 routine to pdfdots
The overlap between the two toolboxes is large. Merge PDF, Split PDF, Compress PDF, Rotate PDF and Add Page Numbers work almost the same way, but in pdfdots they run inside your browser. For creating PDFs from other programs, Word to PDF, Excel to PDF and PowerPoint to PDF handle Office files on our server in Germany, and HTML to PDF turns a web page into a document.
Phone scans are a common PDF24 use case. In pdfdots, Scan to PDF and JPG to PDF turn photos into a single document, and the PDF Dots mobile app does the same directly from the camera.
- Page layout jobs: N-up PDF puts several pages on one sheet for printing.
- Print-friendly files: Grayscale PDF removes colour to save ink.
- Damaged files: Repair PDF tries to rebuild a broken document.
Privacy in practice
With pdfdots you can tell exactly where each file goes. Browser tools never leave your device. Server tools are listed in our privacy policy, run in Hetzner's data centre in Nuremberg, and delete the temporary folder immediately after the response. Files you choose to keep in My files are encrypted with AES-256-GCM, with 100 MB on the free plan and more on paid plans.
Which pdfdots plan matches your PDF24 habits
Because PDF24 asks for nothing, it is easy to lose track of how much you really use it. Before switching, think about a normal week and pick the plan that fits it, rather than starting on the free plan and hitting the counter on a busy Monday.
- A few files a week, such as a signed form or a merged invoice: the free plan, with 3 tasks a day, 10 MB files and 100 MB of storage, is enough.
- Daily office paperwork: Bronze, at $2.99 a month or $23.99 a year, raises that to 20 tasks a day and 25 MB files.
- Batch days where you merge, split and compress dozens of documents: Silver, at $5.99 a month, has no daily cap and accepts 100 MB files.
- Large scanned archives: Gold, at $11.99 a month, has no daily cap and accepts 250 MB, though Word to PDF and other server conversions stay limited to 50 MB per file.
- Printing from any Windows program: we have no virtual printer like PDF24 Creator, so keep using it for that, or export to Word first and run Word to PDF.
Tools to try instead
Frequently asked questions
PDF24 is already free. Why use pdfdots?
Mainly for the absence of ads, local processing for most tools, and the shared account with the PDF Dots mobile app and encrypted storage. If you run many tasks a day for free, or none of these matter to you, PDF24 is a perfectly good choice.
Does pdfdots have a desktop app like PDF24 Creator?
No. pdfdots works in any modern browser on Windows, macOS and Linux, and there is a mobile app for iOS and Android.
Why does pdfdots need an account when PDF24 does not?
The account lets us rate-limit the server tools, offer private storage and count the free daily allowance without advertising. It takes a few seconds with Google or an e-mail address.
Can I use pdfdots offline?
The tools need the page to load, but for browser tools the actual processing happens on your device, not on our server.
Is there a PDF24 alternative without ads that works on a Mac?
Yes. pdfdots runs in any modern browser on macOS, Windows, Linux and ChromeOS, shows no ads, and has the PDF Dots app for iPhone and Android with the same account. You need a free account, and the free plan covers 3 tasks a day.