Free & private

The Smallpdf alternative withno upload at all

The same everyday PDF jobs, done on your own device — so there is no server copy to be stored, moved between regions, or deleted later.

Everything you came for, on this device

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Your files stay on your device. Always.

Smallpdf is a polished product and takes security seriously — files travel over TLS and are deleted on a short schedule. This page is not a complaint about that. It is about a different trade-off: because Smallpdf processes your file on its infrastructure, using it means your document is transmitted, held briefly, and governed by a retention policy. Docqify does the work in your browser, which removes all three from the picture rather than shortening them.

Side by side

Docqify vs Smallpdf

Every row about Smallpdf is either how a server-side service necessarily works, or something they publish themselves — sources are listed underneath.

A comparison of Docqify and Smallpdf
FeatureDocqifySmallpdf
Where your file is processedIn this browser tab, on your deviceOn Smallpdf’s infrastructure
Does the file leave your deviceNo — there is no upload stepYes, transmitted for processing
How long a copy is retainedNo copy is ever made off-deviceSigned-in files deleted within an hour, and the window restarts each time a file is reopened
Where processing happens geographicallyWherever you are — it never movesServers in the US or Europe, chosen by proximity
Works with no internet connectionYes — every tool, offlineNo, a connection is required
Encryption in transitNot applicable — nothing is transmittedYes, TLS
PriceFree, with no accountLimited free use, with paid plans

What Smallpdf does well

This matters to the comparison rather than softening it. Smallpdf is not careless with your documents — the difference is that using them requires trusting a policy, and using Docqify does not require trusting anything, because the file never leaves the device it is already on.

  • Smallpdf encrypts all file transfers to and from their servers with TLS.

    Smallpdf privacy notice

  • For signed-in users they delete uploaded files within an hour unless the file is deliberately saved to storage.

    Smallpdf privacy notice

  • They publish where processing happens — Cloudflare-managed servers in the United States or Europe, selected by proximity to the user.

    Smallpdf privacy notice

Don’t take our word for it

Check it yourself in a minute

Privacy claims are usually unfalsifiable. This one isn’t — here is how to disprove it if it’s wrong.

  1. Open your browser’s network panel

    Press F12, or Cmd+Option+I on a Mac, and choose the Network tab. Leave it open.

  2. Use any tool on this site

    Merge, compress, sign — anything. Watch the request list while it runs.

  3. Look for your file

    There is no request carrying it, because there is nowhere for it to go. You can also switch your wifi off first and watch every tool keep working.

Questions

The Smallpdf alternative with — the details

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