Pdfwithlove
The most recommended of 7 PDF tools
People recommend it for PDF tools that run entirely in the browser, with no uploads, no ads, and most features free. Critics say the local-only claim is hard to verify and report UI bugs.
People recommend it for PDF tools that run entirely in the browser, with no uploads, no ads, and most features free. Critics say the local-only claim is hard to verify and report UI bugs.
20 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 10
- criticize it
- 10
- approval share
- 50%
Recommended in 2 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: recommended
- February 2026: recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 10 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, met.
- 1 recommender for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, not met.
- Recommended in 2 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, not met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Files processed locally, never uploaded
“since all processing happens locally, your files never leave your device and remain completely safe”
Comment from 19 Jan 2026 in “Show HN: Pdfwithlove – PDF tools that run 100% locally (no uploads, no back end)” “All PDF processing itself happens locally in the browser”
Comment from 19 Jan 2026 in “Show HN: Pdfwithlove – PDF tools that run 100% locally (no uploads, no back end)” “No backend, no uploads, no tracking.”
Comment from 2 Feb 2026 in “Two weeks ago I shared Pdfwithlove in browser PDF toolkit with no uploads” Runs in browser with no install
“Nice to have something that doesn't require Windows”
Comment from 19 Jan 2026 in “Show HN: Pdfwithlove – PDF tools that run 100% locally (no uploads, no back end)” “I honestly prefer this in the browser.”
Comment from 19 Jan 2026 in “Show HN: Pdfwithlove – PDF tools that run 100% locally (no uploads, no back end)” “But this is a self contained webapp.”
Comment from 19 Jan 2026 in “Show HN: Pdfwithlove – PDF tools that run 100% locally (no uploads, no back end)”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Local-only claim cannot be verified
“asking the user to trust that the browser isn't doing what the browser was designed to do”
Comment from 19 Jan 2026 in “Show HN: Pdfwithlove – PDF tools that run 100% locally (no uploads, no back end)” “I have no confidence in any website, especially the one that claims to be local-only”
Comment from 19 Jan 2026 in “Show HN: Pdfwithlove – PDF tools that run 100% locally (no uploads, no back end)” “makes it difficult to verify that it runs locally”
Comment from 19 Jan 2026 in “Show HN: Pdfwithlove – PDF tools that run 100% locally (no uploads, no back end)” - Comment from 19 Jan 2026 in “Show HN: Pdfwithlove – PDF tools that run 100% locally (no uploads, no back end)”
Bugs and UI quirks in editing
“PDF Edit tools have user-interaction quirks and bugs that a human developer would catch immediately”
Comment from 19 Jan 2026 in “Show HN: Pdfwithlove – PDF tools that run 100% locally (no uploads, no back end)” “Delete button doesn't work on a drawing”
Comment from 19 Jan 2026 in “Show HN: Pdfwithlove – PDF tools that run 100% locally (no uploads, no back end)” “It puts the filename into an header.”
Comment from 19 Jan 2026 in “Show HN: Pdfwithlove – PDF tools that run 100% locally (no uploads, no back end)” Landing page and clickable issues
“Very very small note - many clickable things on your site”
Comment from 19 Jan 2026 in “Show HN: Pdfwithlove – PDF tools that run 100% locally (no uploads, no back end)” “There's a problem with i18n on the landing page”
Comment from 19 Jan 2026 in “Show HN: Pdfwithlove – PDF tools that run 100% locally (no uploads, no back end)” Trademark and AI-made concerns
“Feels like infringing on the ILovePDF trademark”
Comment from 19 Jan 2026 in “Show HN: Pdfwithlove – PDF tools that run 100% locally (no uploads, no back end)” “This is a scam made by AI.”
Comment from 19 Jan 2026 in “Show HN: Pdfwithlove – PDF tools that run 100% locally (no uploads, no back end)”
Other PDF tools people recommend
The four most recommended other PDF tools, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PdfwithloveThis page | 10 | 10 | 50% | 2 | — | — |
| qpdf | 8 | 0 | 100% | 3 | — | — |
| PaperPilot | 8 | 7 | 53% | 1 | — | — |
| MinerU | 6 | 1 | 86% | 6 | — | — |
| Marker by Datalab | 6 | 0 | 100% | 6 | — | — |
What people said
23 of the 24 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“No backend, no uploads, no tracking.”
“I have no confidence in any website, especially the one that claims to be local-only”
“Delete button doesn't work on a drawing”
“we as tech people can safely give these sites to non-technical people”
“It puts the filename into an header.”
“That's why they all get a flag from me.”
“The repo under it contains no code either.”
“This is a scam made by AI.”
“No ads, no subscriptions. Most features are free”
“But this is a self contained webapp.”
“There's a problem with i18n on the landing page”
“I do like that the tools are task centric”
“Unfortunately that’s not the case :(”
“All PDF processing itself happens locally in the browser”
“I honestly prefer this in the browser.”
“PDF Edit tools have user-interaction quirks and bugs that a human developer would catch immediately”
“makes it difficult to verify that it runs locally”
“The Privacy-First Alternative to”
“Very very small note - many clickable things on your site”
“Nice to have something that doesn't require Windows”
“since all processing happens locally, your files never leave your device and remain completely safe”
“asking the user to trust that the browser isn't doing what the browser was designed to do”
“Feels like infringing on the ILovePDF trademark”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.