Private PDF tools
PDF redaction and compare that never upload your file.
Contracts, statements and forms hold the things you least want on someone else's server. These two tools read your PDF inside your browser, and the redactor removes the text instead of covering it.
- Your PDF is never uploaded
- Redaction removes the text, it does not just cover it
- You can verify both claims yourself
- Free to start, $19 once for Pro
Redact PDF
Draw boxes over what must go and download a PDF that no longer contains it.
- Output rebuilt from page images, then re-read to prove it holds no text
- Pro: find emails, phone numbers, SSNs, card numbers, dates and your own terms on every page
Compare PDFs
See every added and removed word between two versions of a document.
- Side-by-side and inline views, with counts
- Pro: a redline PDF you can send to someone
Questions to ask any PDF tool
| Question | Plainsum PDF |
|---|---|
| Does my file leave my computer? | No. The page cannot make network requests, and you can watch the Network tab stay empty. |
| Is redacted text removed or only covered? | Removed. The output is built from page images, and the page re-reads it to show zero text characters. |
| What does the redacted file lose? | Selectable text everywhere (not just under boxes), and some sharpness. The page says so before you start. |
| What will auto-find miss? | Names, addresses and anything that does not match a pattern. You review every page. |
| Can I scan-proof it? | Not applicable: there is no OCR. Scanned pages can be redacted by hand with boxes, but not searched or compared. |
How it works
Open a PDF
Choose a file or drop it on the page. It is opened by code in this tab.
Mark or compare
Draw redaction boxes or let Pro find sensitive text, or pick a second PDF to compare.
Download and check
Save the new PDF and run the checks on the verify page. The page already read the result back for you.
Questions
Are my PDFs uploaded anywhere?
No. The PDF is read by code running in your browser tab. Every tool page ships with a Content-Security-Policy that blocks all network connections, so even a bug could not send the file out. You can confirm it in your browser's developer tools: the Network tab stays empty while you work.
What is the difference between this and drawing a black box in a PDF editor?
A black box drawn over text usually leaves the text in the file, where it can be selected, copied and searched. Plainsum PDF rebuilds the document from pictures of the pages with the boxes painted in, so the text under a box is not in the output at all. The trade-off is that the output has no selectable text anywhere, not even in the parts you did not redact.
What can the comparison tool compare?
The text of two PDFs, word by word, with pages matched up so an inserted or deleted page does not throw off everything after it. It does not compare images, fonts, colours or layout, and it needs PDFs that contain text. There is no OCR for scans in this version.
What is free and what is Pro?
Redaction with manual boxes is free up to 3 pages per file, and comparing is free for the first 5 pages of each document. Pro is a one-time $19 payment for redact and compare: unlimited pages, auto-find in the redactor, batch redaction, and a downloadable redline PDF for comparisons.
Does it work offline?
Once the page has loaded, yes. Redacting and comparing need no connection, and Pro keeps working offline too. Only activating a license key on the activation page needs a connection.