Understand the category
Most online PDF tools work the same way. Here's what that means.
Upload your file. Process it on their server. Download the result. That is the model — and it applies to most of the tools you will find in search results.
Most tools upload your file. This one does not.
The model most tools share
This is not a feature difference. This is an architectural difference.
- 1Your file is sent to their server over the internet
- 2Their server processes your file on their infrastructure
- 3A copy of your file exists on systems you don't control
- 4You trust their promise to delete it afterward
- 1Your file stays in your browser — it is never sent anywhere
- 2JavaScript in your browser tab does all the processing
- 3No copy of your file exists outside your device
- 4There is nothing to delete because we never had it
Feature comparison
| Feature | Most online tools | Filecraft |
|---|---|---|
| Where processing happens | Server | Your browser |
| File transmitted | Yes | No |
| Account required | Often required | No |
| Works offline | No | Yes |
| Privacy model | Upload + deletion promise | Local — no transmission |
What the upload model requires you to accept
Most online PDF tools share the same architecture: upload your file to their server, process it there, and return the result. This is a practical choice for tool builders — server-side processing is straightforward to deploy and works on any device without installation.
The consequence is that your file is transmitted to a third party. The tool receives a copy of your document on their infrastructure. Most state that files are deleted after a set period. That transmission exists regardless of the tool's deletion policy or stated security posture.
For most files this is an acceptable trade-off. For files you would not send to a stranger — contracts, payroll, medical records, personal ID documents — the architecture is worth understanding before you upload.
How Filecraft is different
- ✓Processing happens in your browser using WebAssembly — not on a server.
- ✓Files are never transmitted to any server, including Filecraft's.
- ✓No server-side copy is created or stored at any point.
I understand — now try it yourself.
Process your file locally