# PDF24 alternative: an honest comparison

> PDF24 is free, unlimited and funded by ads, with a good offline app for Windows. We're the closest thing to that offline app for people on a Mac, Linux, Chromebook or phone.

Facts checked 22 October 2026

PDF24 deserves credit. It's made by a German company, it's free without limits, it doesn't push a subscription, and its online servers are in the EU. If your question is "is there a free iLovePDF without caps", PDF24 is a fair answer.

## The short answer

### Choose PDF24 if

- You're on Windows and want a free offline desktop app: PDF24 Creator is excellent.
- You need Office conversions for free.
- You need a tool we don't have; PDF24's catalogue is larger.

### Choose PDFJade if

- You're on a Mac, Linux, a Chromebook or a phone and want processing to stay on your device.
- You can't install software, for example on a work computer, but don't want to upload documents.
- You'd rather not see ads.

## Side by side

| | PDF24 | PDFJade |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Where files are processed | PDF24 Tools online: on PDF24's servers in the EU. PDF24 Creator (Windows): on your computer. | In your browser. The file is never uploaded. |
| How long files are kept | Deleted automatically from the server after one hour | Nothing is kept on a server, because nothing is sent to one. |
| Free limits | None stated: free and without restriction, including for companies | No caps on files, pages or tasks. Your device's memory is the practical limit. |
| Account | Not needed | None |
| Paid plan | None | Free |
| Ads | Yes, the service is funded by advertising | None |
| Office conversions | Yes | Not offered (no PDF to Word, Excel or PowerPoint, no Word to PDF) |
| Offline option | PDF24 Creator, free, Windows only | No app. Works in any current browser, on desktop and phone |

## Online vs offline

PDF24 actually comes in two forms. PDF24 Tools, the website, uploads files over an encrypted connection and deletes them "automatically from the server after one hour". PDF24 Creator is a Windows program that, in PDF24's words, works offline and keeps "all files" on your computer.

PDF24 itself says users of other systems should use the online tools. That's the gap PDFJade fills: the privacy of an offline app, with nothing to install, on whatever device you have.

## Who pays for it

PDF24 is open about being funded by "discreet advertising". We don't show ads today. Both models are honest; they just feel different when you're in the middle of a task.

## What PDFJade doesn't do

- Converting PDF to editable Word, Excel or PowerPoint, or Office files to PDF. Doing that well needs heavy server software.
- Editing the existing text of a PDF. You can add text, images and shapes on top in the Studio, not rewrite a paragraph in place.
- Signature requests with an audit trail. You can sign a PDF yourself, but not send it to others to sign and track it.
- Cloud storage, history or team accounts. Nothing is kept, so there is nothing to come back to.
- Very large jobs on weak devices. A 500-page scan on an old phone will be slow, because your phone does the work.

## Questions

### Is PDF24 really free?

Yes. Its FAQ says the online tools and PDF24 Creator are free without limits, financed by advertising.

### Is there a PDF24 Creator for Mac?

PDF24's own FAQ points users of systems other than Windows to the online tools. If you want local processing on a Mac, browser-based tools like ours do the work on your device.

## Sources

- [PDF24 Tools FAQ](https://tools.pdf24.org/en/faq)

Source: https://pdfjade.com/compare/pdf24-alternative