Side by side
pdf-redactor vs SecureRedact (RedactPDF.dev)
Both stand on document redaction software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan LinuxSelf-hosted
Choose pdf-redactor if you can use its Python library and need text-layer or metadata changes in PDFs. Look elsewhere if the job requires visual redaction or coverage of PDF components it does not inspect.
Visit pdf-redactor Free plan Web
SecureRedact combines manual and automatic redaction with a recovery audit that can block downloads when content remains recoverable. Its limits are clear: it handles standard PDFs with selectable text, not encrypted or scanned image-only files, and has no OCR redaction.
Visit SecureRedact (RedactPDF.dev)The facts
| pdf-redactor | SecureRedact (RedactPDF.dev) | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Linux, Self-hosted | Web |
| Lowest paid plan | Not published | Free or on request |
| Plans published | None | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | github.com | redactpdf.dev |
| On document redaction software | #14 of 27 | #18 of 27 |
pdf-redactor: what it does well
- Regular expressions can replace matching text with a chosen string.
- Can process page text, annotations, and link target URLs.
- Can rewrite, remove, or add document and XMP metadata.
- Free, open source, and licensed under CC0 1.0 Universal.
- Supports self-hosted, on-premises use.
What to know first
- The command-line version does not modify PDFs by itself.
- Images, graphics, and embedded resources are untouched.
- Some PDF components, including forms and digital signatures, are not inspected.
- Unusual fonts can disrupt matching or replacement rendering.
SecureRedact (RedactPDF.dev): what it does well
- Detects SSNs, email addresses, and names automatically
- Audits for recoverable text before download
- Processes PDFs in the browser, not on a server
- Free plan has no accounts, watermarks, or limits
What to know first
- Does not support encrypted PDFs in this version
- Does not support scanned image-only PDFs
- OCR redaction is unavailable
Alternatives to pdf-redactor Alternatives to SecureRedact (RedactPDF.dev) The whole list