PdfZero
What PdfZero is
PdfZero is an open-source PDF editor that runs in a browser and can also be self-hosted. It supports text editing, annotations, and OCR, along with page operations such as merging, splitting by page range, reordering, rotating, and extracting pages. Security features listed by the project include AES-256 password protection, password removal, permanent redaction, and text watermarks. It also lists browser-native object stream compression and a PDF/A compliance check. Files are processed locally in the browser, with no uploads, backend, tracking, or analytics, and the project says it works offline. The free plan costs nothing, has no file size or task limits, and requires no sign-up. Current text editing uses an overlay-and-repair exporter rather than full object-level editing. Image insertion, replacement, and removal, along with OCR and AI font matching, are marked as coming soon. The repository is MIT licensed.
Who it suits
PdfZero suits people who want free, browser-based PDF editing with local processing, OCR, annotations, and offline use. Self-hosting is available for users who prefer that deployment option.
What it does well
- Free plan requires no sign-up
- Processes files locally without uploads
- Includes OCR and annotation tools
- Works offline in the browser
- Offers password protection and redaction
What to know first
- Image editing features are not yet available
- Text editing is not full object-level editing
- OCR and AI font matching are marked coming soon
- Browser-based platform only
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free · No file size limit · No task limits · No sign-up | Free |
As github.com lists them, read 12 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Verdict
PdfZero provides a broad set of PDF editing, page, security, and privacy tools at no cost. Its unfinished image and advanced text-editing capabilities should be considered before relying on it for those tasks.
Facts from PdfZero's own pages
- Annotation tools
- Yes · github.com, 20 Sept 2026
- Free plan
- Yes · github.com, 20 Sept 2026
- License
- The repository identifies PdfZero as MIT licensed. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Notable limits
- The README says adding, replacing, and removing images is coming soon, and describes current text editing as an overlay-and-repair exporter rather than full object-level editing. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
- OCR
- Yes · github.com, 20 Sept 2026
- Offline use
- The README says PdfZero works offline. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Optimization
- PdfZero lists browser-native object stream compression and a PDF/A compliance check. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Page tools
- The listed page tools include merging, splitting by page range, reordering, rotating, and extracting pages. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Planned features
- OCR and AI font matching are marked as coming soon. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Privacy
- The README says files are processed locally in the browser, with no uploads, backend, tracking, or analytics. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Security tools
- The README lists AES-256 password protection, password removal, permanent redaction, and text watermarks. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Support and contributions
- The README invites pull requests and asks contributors to open an issue before major changes. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Supported platforms
- web · github.com, 20 Sept 2026
- Technology
- The listed implementation libraries include pdf-lib, PDF.js, Tesseract.js, React, Zustand, and Vite. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Text editing
- Users can edit existing text in place, add text boxes, and change font family, size, color, bold, and italic. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
- What it does
- PdfZero is an open-source PDF editor for editing text in PDFs in a browser. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Where PdfZero stands on Freedom251
- PDF editors#54 of 102