About SelfPDF
SelfPDF is a free, open-source PDF toolkit built with a single obsession: your privacy. We give you professional-grade PDF tools that run entirely in your browser — no accounts, no uploads, no compromises.
Why we built SelfPDF
Every time you use a popular online PDF service, you upload your documents to a stranger's server. Your tax returns. Your medical records. Your confidential business contracts. Most services promise they delete files after a few hours — but can you verify that? With SelfPDF, you don\'t need to trust anyone.
We built SelfPDF because we believe powerful document tools shouldn't require you to hand over your data. Modern browser technology — WebAssembly, the File System Access API, and powerful JavaScript PDF libraries — make it possible to process PDFs directly in the browser with performance that rivals server-side solutions.
The result is a toolkit of 22 professional PDF tools, all running entirely on your device, all completely free, and all released under the MIT open-source license so anyone can inspect, trust, and build on the work.
What we stand for
Every decision we make is guided by these principles — from how we architect the app to what features we build next.
Privacy First
Every PDF you open in SelfPDF stays on your device. We engineered a strictly client-side architecture so your documents never touch our servers — not for a millisecond.
100% Open Source
The entire codebase is public under the MIT License. Audit it, fork it, self-host it, or contribute to it. Transparency is not optional for us — it's a promise.
Instant Processing
Browser-native APIs and WebAssembly give you server-class PDF operations at near-native speed. No queues, no waiting for uploads, no bandwidth limits.
Free Forever
There are no premium tiers, no paywalls, no credits system. Every tool — all 22 of them — is free to use as much as you need, forever.
Works Offline
Once the page loads, your internet connection becomes optional. All processing is local, so you can work with sensitive documents in air-gapped environments.
Built for Everyone
From students compressing lecture slides to legal teams handling confidential contracts — SelfPDF is designed for any person, any device, any workflow.
How client-side processing works
Unlike traditional PDF services, SelfPDF never sends your files anywhere. Here's exactly what happens when you process a PDF:
You select your file
Your file is read by the browser's native File API. It lives in your device's RAM — no internet connection required at this point.
WebAssembly does the heavy lifting
Our PDF libraries (pdf-lib, pdfjs-dist, Tesseract.js) run as compiled WebAssembly modules directly in your browser tab, providing near-native execution speed.
The result is generated locally
The processed PDF is assembled entirely in memory on your device. It is never transmitted over the network.
You download the output
Your browser triggers a local download using the Blob URL API. When you close the tab, all data is immediately garbage-collected.
22 tools, zero compromises
Organised into four categories so you can find what you need instantly.
Organize
Convert
Edit
Security
Built with the best open-source tools
SelfPDF stands on the shoulders of giants. Every library we use is open-source and battle-tested.
Next.js 14
React framework with App Router for server & client components
TypeScript
Type-safe development throughout the entire codebase
Tailwind CSS
Utility-first CSS for a consistent, responsive design system
shadcn/ui
Accessible, beautifully styled UI component primitives
pdf-lib
Full-featured PDF manipulation — merge, split, edit, protect
pdfjs-dist
Mozilla's battle-tested PDF rendering & parsing engine
Tesseract.js
WASM-powered OCR engine for text extraction from scanned PDFs
Zustand
Lightweight, intuitive state management with zero boilerplate
Proudly Open Source
SelfPDF is built in public. Star the repo, file issues, or submit a pull request — every contribution makes the toolkit better for everyone.