Frequently asked questions

No, SaferPDF does not upload your files to any server. The entire compression and merging process runs in your web browser using a Ghostscript engine compiled to WebAssembly. Your files never leave your computer. We have no server that could see them, store them, or process them.

You can verify this in three ways. First, open your browser’s Network tab in DevTools before compressing a file. You will see no upload request. Second, disconnect from the internet, then compress a PDF. It will still work. Third, our compression engine is open source on GitHub. Inspect the code yourself at github.com/laurentmmeyer/ghostscript-pdf-compress.wasm.

Your PDF files are stored only on your own device, never on our servers. When you compress a PDF with SaferPDF, the file stays in your browser’s memory during processing, then writes back to your device. We do not have access to your files at any point. For Pro customers, we store your email address and Stripe customer ID for billing and support purposes. That’s the only personal data we hold.

Yes, SaferPDF is GDPR compliant. Because file processing happens entirely in your browser, no personal data leaves your device during compression. We adhere to the EU General Data Protection Regulation and the Australian Privacy Principles. Our full data handling practices are documented in our Privacy Policy.

Yes, SaferPDF is safe for confidential business documents. Law firms, healthcare clinics, accounting practices, and financial advisors use SaferPDF specifically because files never leave the device. This eliminates the compliance risk that comes with uploading client files to third-party servers like SmallPDF, ILovePDF, or Adobe. For teams of 5 or more, our Enterprise plan includes custom onboarding and compliance documentation.

Yes, SaferPDF works offline after the first page load. The WebAssembly compression engine caches in your browser the first time you use SaferPDF. After that, you can disconnect from the internet and SaferPDF will continue to compress and merge PDFs. This is one of the practical proofs that we do not need a server.

Yes, SaferPDF is free for up to 10 documents per day. No registration, no credit card, no watermarks. There is no file size limit on the free tier. Most casual users never hit the daily limit.

Yes, SaferPDF Pro is a one-time payment with lifetime access. There is no recurring billing, no auto-renewal, and we do not keep your card on file after the purchase. You pay once and have access forever.

Pro adds unlimited daily usage, batch processing, and priority support. The free tier allows 10 documents per day. Pro removes the daily limit, lets you process multiple files at once, and gives you faster email support. Pro also includes early access to upcoming features. See the full breakdown on our pricing page.

Yes, we offer a 30-day money-back guarantee on SaferPDF Pro. Email contact@saferpdf.com within 30 days of your purchase and we will refund you, no questions asked. We might ask why, but only because we want to improve.

Yes. SaferPDF Enterprise can be purchased once for unlimited users. It includes custom onboarding, dedicated email support, and compliance documentation suitable for law firms, healthcare clinics, and other regulated industries. Contact us to discuss your team’s needs.

No, SaferPDF has no file size limits on either the free tier or Pro tier. Because compression runs in your browser, the only practical limit is your device’s available memory. Most modern devices can handle PDFs of 500 MB or larger without issue.

The SaferPDF free tier allows 10 documents per day. This resets every 24 hours. You can compress them one at a time or drag and drop all 10 at once. For unlimited daily usage, upgrade to SaferPDF Pro.

Yes. SaferPDF supports batch compression of multiple PDFs in a single drop. On the free tier, batches count toward your daily 10-document limit. With Pro, batch processing is unlimited and significantly faster than single-file mode.

SaferPDF offers three compression levels. Recommended balances size and quality for everyday use. High Quality keeps images and text crisp for documents intended for print. Extreme prioritises maximum file size reduction, suitable for email attachments where size limits matter most.

Yes. The SaferPDF Merge tool combines multiple PDFs into one. You can drag and drop PDFs in your preferred order, then optionally apply compression to the combined output. Merge is free for 10 documents per day and unlimited with Pro.

WebAssembly, or WASM, is a technology that lets compiled programs run inside web browsers at near-native speed. SaferPDF uses WebAssembly to run the Ghostscript PDF compression engine directly in your browser, without needing a server. This is what makes browser-only, privacy-preserving PDF processing possible. WebAssembly is supported by every modern browser since 2017.

SaferPDF works in all modern browsers including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Brave, and Arc. We support the current version and the two previous major versions of each browser. Internet Explorer is not supported and will not be.

Yes, the SaferPDF compression engine is open source on GitHub. You can inspect the code, fork it, or self-host your own version at github.com/laurentmmeyer/ghostscript-pdf-compress.wasm. The engine is built on Ghostscript, a battle-tested open-source PDF library. The website and brand layer are proprietary, but the part that touches your files is fully auditable.

Yes, SaferPDF works on mobile browsers including iOS Safari and Chrome for Android. The interface is fully responsive. For best performance with larger files, we recommend a desktop browser, but mobile is supported.

SaferPDF runs in your browser and SmallPDF uploads your files to its servers. SaferPDF is free for 10 documents per day or a one-time payment for unlimited use. SmallPDF costs 15 dollars per month, or 180 dollars per year, and uploads every file to its cloud. For users handling confidential documents, SaferPDF’s browser-only architecture is the practical difference.

SaferPDF Pro is a one-time purchase. Adobe Acrobat Pro is 31.99 dollars per month. Two months of Adobe costs more than SaferPDF Pro forever. Adobe Acrobat is a comprehensive PDF suite with editing and signing features SaferPDF does not offer. If you only need compression, merging, and privacy, SaferPDF is dramatically cheaper and faster to use.

SaferPDF processes files locally and ILovePDF uploads them to its servers. ILovePDF costs 7 dollars per month, or 84 dollars per year. The SaferPDF Pro lifetime licence is a one-time purchase, which works out cheaper than ILovePDF after about 8 months of use. ILovePDF has more tools such as split, watermark, and OCR, but uploads everything, which is a compliance concern for confidential documents.

Email contact@saferpdf.com for any support questions. A real person from the SaferPDF team will reply, usually within one business day. Paying customers receive priority support. For non-urgent feedback or feature ideas, our contact page also includes a Google Form for quick submissions.

Email bug reports to contact@saferpdf.com. Please include your browser version, the file you tried to compress if it can be shared safely, and a description of what went wrong. For bugs in the open-source compression engine, you can also open a GitHub issue.