PreservePDF
What PreservePDF is
PreservePDF is a free, open-source editor for changing PDF text while aiming to retain the document's fonts, spacing, and formatting. It runs in a browser, where rendering, text extraction, OCR, and editing happen on the device; documents do not leave it. On-device Tesseract.js OCR can turn scanned, image-only PDFs into editable text. Users can find and replace text across pages and export the result as a genuine PDF rather than a flattened image. Drag-and-drop tools add text boxes, redaction blocks, and signatures, alongside annotation tools. The interface is responsive for phones and tablets, and the maker says it works offline. Edited text uses standard PDF fonts: Latin text is fully supported, while specialised embedded or non-Latin fonts may be replaced with the closest match. The tool can remove owner-level restrictions, but a PDF protected by an open password first requires that password. It is available for web or self-hosted use under the MIT license. The free plan costs nothing and requires no sign-up.
Who it suits
PreservePDF suits people who want to edit PDF text in a browser or deploy the tool themselves. Its on-device processing and offline operation may suit readers who want documents to remain on their device.
What it does well
- PDF processing and editing happen on-device.
- Scanned documents can be OCR-converted to editable text.
- Find and replace works across pages.
- Exports genuine PDFs, not flattened images.
- Free and open source under the MIT license.
What to know first
- Specialised embedded fonts may fall back to a closest match.
- Non-Latin text may use a closest-match font.
- Open-password PDFs require the password first.
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Free | No sign-up required · Free and open source under the MIT license | Free |
As alphabasline.com lists them, read 12 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Verdict
PreservePDF offers text editing, OCR, replacement, and annotation tools without sending documents away from the device. Font substitution can affect specialised or non-Latin text, and open-password files must first be unlocked.
Facts from PreservePDF's own pages
- Additional tools
- Users can add text boxes, redaction blocks, and signatures with drag-and-drop tools. · alphabasline.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Annotation tools
- Yes · alphabasline.com, 20 Sept 2026
- Deployment
- The FAQ says it can be deployed anywhere that runs Next.js, including Vercel's free tier. · alphabasline.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Find and replace
- The tool can find and replace text such as names, dates, and numbers across pages. · alphabasline.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Font limit
- Edited text uses standard PDF fonts, Latin text is fully supported, and specialised embedded or non-Latin fonts may fall back to a closest match. · alphabasline.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Free plan
- Yes · alphabasline.com, 20 Sept 2026
- License
- PreservePDF is open source under the MIT license. · alphabasline.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Local processing
- PDF rendering, text extraction, OCR, and editing happen in the browser, and documents do not leave the device. · alphabasline.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Mobile use
- The interface is mobile responsive and works on phones and tablets. · alphabasline.com, 12 Oct 2026
- OCR
- Yes · alphabasline.com, 20 Sept 2026
- Offline use
- The maker says PreservePDF works offline. · alphabasline.com, 12 Oct 2026
- PDF export
- Edited documents export as genuine PDFs rather than flattened images. · alphabasline.com, 12 Oct 2026
- PDF restrictions
- It can remove owner-level restrictions, but PDFs protected by an open password require the user to enter that password first. · alphabasline.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- PreservePDF edits PDF text while aiming to keep the original fonts, spacing, and formatting. · alphabasline.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Scanned PDFs
- On-device Tesseract.js OCR turns scanned image-only documents into editable text. · alphabasline.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Support
- Users can contact the maker by email or open a GitHub issue or discussion; the contact page says it will respond as soon as it can. · alphabasline.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Supported platforms
- web · alphabasline.com, 20 Sept 2026
- Text editing
- Users can click text on a PDF page and edit it in place. · alphabasline.com, 12 Oct 2026
Where PreservePDF stands on Freedom251
- PDF editors#45 of 102