Every tool you need for PDF
Compress, merge, convert, OCR and ~40 more operations — everything runs locally on your computer, your files never leave.
Free online PDF editor
PDFMax is a free set of online tools for working with PDF files right in your browser. Compress, merge and split PDF, convert PDF to Word and back, recognize text with OCR, sign documents and protect them with a password — no registration and no software to install. Everything works on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS.
Popular PDF tools
Compress PDF
Reduce PDF file size to email it or upload it to a website, while keeping it readable.
Merge PDF
Combine several PDFs into a single document and arrange the pages in any order.
Split PDF
Extract the pages you need or break a large document into parts by page ranges.
PDF to Word
Convert a PDF into an editable Word document (DOCX) and back in a couple of seconds.
OCR — text recognition
Turn a scanned PDF into a searchable one — text inside images becomes selectable.
Sign & protect
Add an electronic signature, a watermark, or protect your PDF with a password.
How it works
PDFMax runs the heavy lifting either fully in your browser (compression and splitting use WebAssembly) or on our secure engine for advanced operations. Your files are never shared with third parties. Learn more on the how it works and about pages.
Frequently asked questions
Is PDFMax free?
Yes. All PDFMax tools are completely free and work without registration.
Do I need to install any software?
No. PDFMax works online right in your browser on any device — Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS.
Are my files safe?
Files are processed on our engine and are never shared with third parties. Some operations (compress, split) run fully in your browser, so the file never leaves your computer.
What PDF operations are available?
Compress, merge, split, convert to Word and images, OCR text recognition, signing, password protection, rotation, watermarks, page numbering and around 50 operations in total.
Can I compress a PDF without losing quality?
Yes. PDFMax offers several compression levels so you can balance file size and quality.
Can I recognize text in a scanned PDF (OCR)?
Yes. PDFMax can recognize text in scanned PDFs and create a searchable document.
How do I convert a PDF to Word?
Open the PDF to Word tool, upload your PDF and download an editable DOCX file in seconds.
Is there a file size limit?
PDFMax handles typical documents with ease. Very large files may take longer depending on your device and connection.
Every tool you need for PDF
~50 PDF operations: compress, merge, OCR, signing, protection, conversion, page operations and much more.
—
—
Opening the tool
Compress PDF (max)
Hard compression via Ghostscript right in your browser — the file is never uploaded. Works not for every PDF — see the note below.
When it compresses and when it doesn't — worth reading
- PowerPoint / Keynote → PDF with photos
- Word reports with screenshots
- Design PDFs (Figma / Illustrator / InDesign)
- "Print to PDF" of articles with images
- Brochures, catalogs, marketing PDFs
- Scanned books (JBIG2 / JPEG2000)
- Plain-text PDFs — already minimal
- Small PDFs (under 1 MB)
- PDF/A, already optimized
Engine: Ghostscript (WASM build, AGPL-3.0). Everything happens locally in your browser — the file is never uploaded.
Split PDF (max)
Three modes: Range — page ranges, Pages — extract specific pages, Size — by file size.
Merge PDF (max)
Drop several PDFs — reorder by drag & drop — hit "Merge". You get one file in the chosen order.
Ask your PDF (AI)
Upload a PDF and tell me what to do — the AI agent picks the right tool and runs it.
🔒 Your file is processed locally on your computer — only the text of your command goes to the cloud (to the AI planner).