PDF.co
by Artifex Software, Inc.

What PDF.co is
PDF.co provides low-code REST APIs for automating PDF conversion, editing, extraction, and related document workflows. Its tools compress files with low, medium, high, and aggressive presets, alongside controls for images, fonts, resolution, and quality. The service converts PDFs to and from formats including HTML, Excel, CSV, XML, JSON, and images. Long-running jobs can process asynchronously, with status checks available. Other listed functions include AI invoice parsing, document parsing and classification, form filling, merging, splitting, report generation, barcode tools, and PDF security operations. PDF.co also offers Web API documentation, code samples, tutorials, and a Postman collection. Its integrations include automation platforms and tools such as Zapier, Make, n8n, Microsoft Power Automate, Salesforce, Airtable, and SharePoint. It has no free plan but offers a 30-day trial with 10,000 credits and no credit card requirement. Basic costs $8.99/mo (annual). Subscription credits reset each billing cycle and unused credits do not roll over; usage varies by endpoint and may be charged per page or call.
Who it suits
PDF.co may suit developers and teams automating document workflows through APIs or connected tools. Its listed functions cover PDF conversion, extraction, editing, and compression.
What it does well
- 30-day trial includes 10,000 credits.
- Compression includes four presets and quality controls.
- Long-running jobs support asynchronous status checks.
- Self-hosted processing is listed as an option.
What to know first
- No free plan is available.
- Unused subscription credits do not roll over.
- Credits may be charged per page or API call.
Limits
The trial lasts 30 days and includes 10,000 credits. Paid credits reset each billing cycle, unused credits do not roll over, and endpoint usage may consume credits per page or API call.
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Personal | annually as $299.88 $269.89 · 37,000 credits/month · 60-minute link expiry · full API access · unlimited output · secured data · advanced security | $22.49 a month |
| Business 3 | annually as $3,599.98 $3,239.98 · 483,000 credits/month · 1,440-minute link expiry · full API access · unlimited output · secured data · advanced security | $270 a month |
| Business 1 | annually as $599.88 $539.89 · 80,500 credits/month · 60-minute link expiry · full API access · unlimited output · secured data · advanced security | $44.99 a month |
| Basic | annually as $119.88 $107.89 · 16,500 credits/month · 60-minute link expiry · full API access · unlimited output · secured data · advanced security | $8.99 a month |
| Business 2 | annually as $1,199.88 $1,079.89 · 159,850 credits/month · 1,440-minute link expiry · full API access · unlimited output · secured data · advanced security | $89.99 a month |
| Enterprise | More than 500,000 credits/month · everything in Business 3 · customized advanced features · priority support | On request |
As pdf.co lists them, read 15 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Getting started
- Open PDF.co on the web
- Start the 30-day trial or choose an annual plan
- Create and use the provided API key
- Connect through the REST API or a listed integration
- Select an endpoint and configure its credit-based processing
- Use asynchronous job-status checks for long-running documents
Verdict
PDF.co offers a wide set of PDF operations through a REST API, with integration options and self-hosted processing listed. The trial lasts 30 days; annual-billed Basic pricing is $8.99/mo.
Questions
Does PDF.co have a free plan?
No. It is paid, with a 30-day trial that includes 10,000 credits and does not require a credit card.
What is the starting price?
The Basic plan is $8.99 a month billed annually as $119.88; the page also shows $107.89. Personal is $22.49 a month, Business 1 is 44.99 USD, Business 2 is 89.99 USD, and Business 3 is 270.00 USD, each billed annually with the listed annual totals.
Which platforms are supported?
PDF.co supports web, API, and self-hosted use.
What integrations are available?
Listed integrations include Zapier, Make, n8n, Microsoft Power Automate, Google Apps Script, Salesforce, Pabbly Connect, Airtable, SharePoint, UiPath, Blue Prism, Bubble, and Zoho Flow.
How are credits used?
Credits are charged by API endpoint and may be calculated per page or per API call. Subscription credits reset at the start of each billing cycle and unused credits do not roll over.
Can files stay on customer infrastructure?
Yes. PDF.co says its Ghostscript solution can perform conversion and compression on customer infrastructure so files do not touch a third-party server.
Facts from Artifex Software, Inc.'s own pages
- AI invoice parsing
- Its AI Invoice Parser extracts structured invoice data without requiring vendor-specific templates and accepts custom fields. · developer.pdf.co, 15 Oct 2026
- API transport
- The web API is REST-based and requests are transmitted over HTTPS. · pdf.co, 15 Oct 2026
- Company facts
- LinkedIn lists Artifex Software as privately held, founded in 1993, headquartered in San Francisco and employing 11–50 people. · linkedin.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Compliance
- The security documentation states SOC 2 Type 2 compliance and AWS-hosted processing in SOC 1, SOC 2 and ISO 27001 certified data centers. · developer.pdf.co, 15 Oct 2026
- Compression and barcodes
- PDF.co provides PDF compression plus barcode reading and barcode generation APIs. · pdf.co, 15 Oct 2026
- Credit expiration
- Subscription credits reset at the start of each billing cycle and unused credits do not roll over. · support.pdf.co, 8 Oct 2026
- Credit usage
- Credits are charged by API endpoint and may be calculated per page or per API call; the site gives PDF merge as 2 credits per page and AI invoice parsing as 100 credits per call. · support.pdf.co, 8 Oct 2026
- Developer tools
- The Web API is REST-based and the site provides API documentation, source code samples, tutorials, and a Postman collection. · pdf.co, 8 Oct 2026
- Documentation depth
- The developer site contains API reference pages, quickstarts, integrations, webhooks, async jobs, response codes, credit tables, request limits and a knowledge base. · developer.pdf.co, 15 Oct 2026
- Document parsing
- Document Parser extracts fields, tables, values and barcodes from PDFs, JPGs and PNGs using reusable templates. · developer.pdf.co, 15 Oct 2026
- Editing and management
- The product lists PDF editing, form filling, merging, splitting, report generation, compression, barcode tools, and PDF security operations. · pdf.co, 8 Oct 2026
- Extraction and parsing
- Its APIs include AI invoice parsing, PDF conversion, document parsing, and document classification. · pdf.co, 8 Oct 2026
- Free trial
- The homepage advertises a 10,000-credit, one-month free trial without requiring a credit card. · pdf.co, 15 Oct 2026
- Headquarters
- 39 Mesa Street, Suite 108A, San Francisco, CA 94129, United States · pdf.co, 28 Sept 2026
- Infrastructure
- The security documentation says PDF.co is hosted on Amazon AWS and presently uses the us-west-2 Oregon region. · developer.pdf.co, 8 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- Official integrations include Make, Zapier, n8n, SharePoint, Airtable, Salesforce, Power Automate, UiPath, Blue Prism, Bubble and others. · pdf.co, 15 Oct 2026
- Key features
- PDF compression with low, medium, high, and aggressive presets · Advanced image, font, resolution, and quality controls for compression · Asynchronous processing with job-status checking for long-running documents · PDF conversion to and from formats including HTML, Excel, CSV, XML, JSON, and images · Document and PDF data extraction, including OCR and structured parsing · PDF editing, encryption, decryption, and form filling · PDF merging and splitting · Workflow integrations through Zapier, Make, n8n, and other platforms · developer.pdf.co, 19 Sept 2026
- Licence
- The PDF.co MCP server and n8n node repositories are public MIT-licensed projects, while the hosted PDF.co API is a commercial service. · github.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: account and subscription handling
- Trustpilot complaints include difficulty cancelling or accessing an account and one reviewer’s allegation of forced newsletter enrollment. · trustpilot.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: OCR quality and support
- OCR Vendors reports weaker OCR accuracy than Google Document AI or ABBYY, inconsistent documentation and support, and insufficient quality for production processing. · ocrvendors.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: pricing complexity
- G2 reviewers frequently mention confusing credits, unexpected costs, expensive pricing, learning curve and occasional slow performance. · g2.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Maker identity
- PDF.co is maintained by Artifex Software, Inc., which describes the platform as its document extraction and PDF API product. · pdf.co, 15 Oct 2026
- MCP extensibility
- PDF.co publishes an MCP server so AI assistants and copilots can call PDF parsing, conversion and extraction functions. · pdf.co, 15 Oct 2026
- On-premises processing
- The security documentation says its Ghostscript solution can handle conversion and compression on the customer's own infrastructure so files do not touch a third-party server. · developer.pdf.co, 8 Oct 2026
Where PDF.co stands on Freedom251
- OCR API Software#24 of 29
- Screenshot APIs#34 of 40
- HTML to PDF APIs#36 of 41
- PDF API Software#31 of 35
- PDF Compression Software#37 of 39
- PDF compressors#22 of 22
