PDF Editor Comparison

The PDF editor that doesn't upload your files

PhantomEtch runs entirely in your browser. Sign, merge, OCR, redact, compress, and watermark PDFs with 20+ tools. Your documents never leave your device.

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How PhantomEtch Stacks Up

Feature-by-feature comparison of the top PDF editors

Feature PhantomEtch Adobe Acrobat Pro Smallpdf ILovePDF
Price Free viewing / $6.99/mo $19.99/mo ($240/yr) $9/mo ($108/yr) $7/mo (limited free)
Files Stay Local Yes - always No - cloud sync No - uploaded No - uploaded
No Account to View Yes No Limited Limited
Sign PDFs Yes Yes Yes Yes
Merge PDFs Yes Yes Yes Yes
OCR Yes (in-browser) Yes Yes (server) Yes (server)
Redact Yes Yes No No
Compress Yes Yes Yes Yes
Watermark Yes Yes Yes Yes
Multi-page Delete Yes Yes Paid only Paid only
Keyboard Shortcuts Yes Yes No No
Right-click Menu Yes Yes No No
Works Offline Yes (PWA) Desktop app No No
Install Required None Yes (800MB+) None None
Free Trial 30 days (Pro) 7 days 7 days Limited free tier

20+ Tools, Zero Uploads

Sign PDFs

Draw, type, or upload your signature. Place it on any page, resize, and save.

Merge & Split

Combine multiple PDFs into one or extract individual pages. Drag to reorder pages visually.

OCR Text Recognition

Extract text from scanned documents using in-browser OCR. No server processing required.

Redact Sensitive Info

Permanently remove sensitive text, images, or metadata. True redaction, not just black boxes.

Compress PDFs

Reduce file sizes by up to 80% without noticeable quality loss. All processing happens locally.

Watermark

Add text or image watermarks with full control over position, opacity, rotation, and scaling.

Your Documents Stay on Your Device

Unlike every other online PDF editor, PhantomEtch processes everything in your browser using WebAssembly. No uploads. No cloud processing. No data collection.

0 Files Uploaded
0 Data Collected
20+ Editing Tools
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Frequently Asked Questions

Is PhantomEtch free?
Viewing PDFs is free, and so are the basic tools (sign, merge, rotate, delete pages, fill forms, add text) with 2 clean saves a day. Pro tools (compress, OCR, redact, watermark and the rest) run on a 30-day free trial, then $6.99/month. The trial starts with a card at checkout and is not charged for 30 days; cancel anytime.
Does PhantomEtch upload my files to a server?
No. PhantomEtch runs entirely in your browser. Your PDF files never leave your device. There are no uploads, no cloud processing, and no server-side storage. This is fundamentally different from tools like Smallpdf and ILovePDF that require uploading your documents.
How does PhantomEtch compare to Adobe Acrobat?
PhantomEtch offers 20+ PDF tools including sign, merge, OCR, redact, compress, and watermark: basic tools are free with 2 clean saves a day, and Pro is a 30-day free trial, then $6.99/mo. Adobe Acrobat Pro costs $239.88/year and requires an 800MB+ desktop application. PhantomEtch never uploads your files and works in any browser.
Can I sign PDFs with PhantomEtch?
Yes. PhantomEtch includes a full digital signature tool. Draw, type, or upload your signature and place it anywhere on any PDF page. Your signature data stays local and is never transmitted to any server.
Does PhantomEtch work on mobile?
Yes. PhantomEtch is fully responsive and works on any modern browser including Safari on iOS and Chrome on Android. No app download required.

Ready to Edit PDFs Without Compromising Privacy?

Viewing and the basic tools are free (2 clean saves a day). Pro tools are $6.99/mo after a 30-day free trial (card at checkout, nothing charged for 30 days).

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