The short answer
A PDF24 alternative with no upload that works in any browser is FixMyPDFs: the tools run in the page itself, on Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone or Android, and your PDF never leaves your device. PDF24’s online tools upload files to its servers; its offline option is a Windows desktop app.
-
Upload required
No — there is no upload endpoint
Yes, for the web tools
-
Works offline
Yes, once a tool has loaded
Only with their Windows desktop app
-
Free use
No daily cap; file size limited only by your device
Limited on the free plan — see their pricing page
PDF24 has been a favorite free PDF toolkit for years, and it’s generous: lots of tools, no account, no watermark. Its online tools upload your file to PDF24’s servers to process it. The fully offline route is PDF24 Creator, a desktop app for Windows.
FixMyPDFs sits between the two: nothing to install like the web version, nothing uploaded like the desktop app — on any operating system with a modern browser.
How is FixMyPDFs different from PDF24?
| FixMyPDFs | PDF24 | |
|---|---|---|
| Where your PDF is processed | In your browser, on your own device | Uploaded to PDF24’s servers (online tools) |
| Upload required | No — there is no upload endpoint | Yes, for the web tools |
| Account needed | Never | Not for everything, but free use is limited |
| Free use | No daily cap; file size limited only by your device | Limited on the free plan — see their pricing page |
| Watermark | None, ever | None on most free output |
| Works offline | Yes, once a tool has loaded | Only with their Windows desktop app |
| Speed limited by | Your device | Your upload speed, then their servers |
| File retention | Nothing leaves the tab, so there is nothing to retain | Held for a period set by PDF24’s policy, then deleted |
Their plans and limits change; check PDF24’s own pricing page for today’s terms.
Where PDF24 is the better choice
- PDF24 Creator: a full Windows desktop app with a virtual PDF printer
- A very broad set of tools built up over many years
- Server-side processing for heavy jobs on low-powered devices
- A long track record and a large user base
Where FixMyPDFs is
- No upload on the web — the file stays in your browser tab
- Works offline on Mac, Linux, ChromeOS and phones, not just Windows
- True redaction, a privacy scanner and metadata removal, built for sensitive files
- Nothing to install and nothing to update
Which FixMyPDFs tool replaces each PDF24 tool?
- Merge PDF Merge PDF
- Split PDF Split PDF
- Compress PDF Compress PDF
- Edit PDF Edit PDF
- Sign PDF Sign PDF
- PDF to Word PDF to Word
- Images to PDF Images to PDF
- PDF to images PDF to JPG
- Protect PDF Password Protect PDF
- Unlock PDF Remove PDF Password
- Crop PDF Crop PDF
- Flatten PDF Flatten PDF
- Add page numbers Add Page Numbers
- Pages per sheet Multiple Pages per Sheet
Questions
Does PDF24 upload my files?
Its online tools do: files are processed on PDF24’s servers and deleted afterwards. The PDF24 Creator desktop app for Windows works offline.
Is there a browser-based PDF24 alternative that doesn’t upload?
Yes — FixMyPDFs runs entirely in your browser, so it works like a desktop app without installing anything, on any operating system.
What are the best free PDF tools in 2026?
For privacy, tools that process files on your own device: PDF24 Creator on Windows, and browser-based tools like FixMyPDFs everywhere else. For team workflows and e-signature requests, the cloud services lead.
Also compared