Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about how pdfdw works.
Are my files really private?
Largely, yes — and the honest answer depends on the tool. Merge, split, rotate, reorder and delete pages run entirely in your browser, so those files never leave your computer. Tools that need a server, such as OCR, compression and conversion, receive your file, process it and delete it immediately afterwards. We keep no archive and never use your documents for advertising or model training. The one nuance worth knowing: the interactive text editor has to hold your file briefly between detecting text and applying your edits, and that copy is access-controlled and deleted as soon as the edit is applied. Full detail is in our Privacy Policy.
What is the difference between the free and paid tiers?
The in-browser tools are completely free, with no account and no credits. Server-side tools need an account because they consume real computing resources, and they draw on a credit balance. Free accounts get a starter allocation so you can try them. A paid plan raises or removes that limit and unlocks premium-only features such as image watermarks, PDF/A conversion and batch processing. See pricing.
How do credits work?
There is one shared credit balance on your account, not a separate allowance per tool. Each metered operation — running OCR, compressing a large file, applying a watermark — draws one credit from that single pool. If an operation fails for a technical reason on our side, the credit is returned. In-browser tools never consume credits, and some premium features are covered by a subscription rather than metered at all.
Which languages does OCR support?
English, Arabic, and a combined English plus Arabic mode for mixed documents. Arabic support was a priority because legacy tools frequently mangle right-to-left text. Bear in mind that OCR targets printed or typed text: handwriting, and cursive especially, is unreliable, and accuracy drops on blurry, skewed or low-resolution scans.
Are there file size limits?
Yes, and they vary by tool rather than being one global number. Compression is free up to 10 MiB and needs a plan above that; Office conversions and batch runs have their own per-file caps, which each tool page states directly. In-browser tools are limited only by the memory available on your device, which is why very large jobs are better sent to Cloud Merge.
Do you show ads or track me?
Advertising helps keep the free tools free, and where ads appear they are served by Google AdSense. Nothing advertising-related loads until you accept it: choose Reject non-essential and no ad script runs and no ad cookie is set. We do not use third-party analytics products, and the contents of your PDFs are never shared with advertisers. You can change your choice any time via Cookie settings in the footer — see the Cookie Policy.
How is billing handled, and can I cancel?
Payments run through Lemon Squeezy as our merchant of record, so your card details never touch our servers. Subscriptions renew automatically and you can cancel at any time; access continues to the end of the period you have already paid for. The Terms of Service cover renewals and refunds in full.
Still stuck?
Email support@pdfdw.com or use our contact page. Please describe what you expected and what happened rather than attaching a confidential PDF.