mypdf vs PDFgear
PDFgear is a free PDF suite whose real product is its desktop and mobile apps, including in-place editing and an AI assistant. mypdf is free too, but lives entirely in your browser: nothing to install, and for most tools your file never leaves your device. Here's a fair comparison.
| Feature | mypdf | PDFgear |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, every tool | Free as well |
| Installation | None — runs in the browser | Desktop/mobile apps for the full feature set |
| Are your files uploaded? | Most tools run in your browser, so files are never uploaded. The few server tools delete your file right after. | Desktop app is local; the web tools upload to their servers |
| Account required | No account, ever. | No account either |
| In-place text editing | No (add content on top) | Yes, in the desktop app |
| Platforms | Any browser, any OS | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android apps + web |
| Open source | Yes | No |
| Self-hostable | Yes, ships as a Docker image | No |
Which should you use?
Pick PDFgear if you're happy to install an app and want its stronger editing features — in-place text editing is something mypdf doesn't do. It's impressively free for what it offers.
Pick mypdf on a work machine where you can't install software, on Linux or a Chromebook, or when you just need the job done now: open a tab, drop the file, done — with no upload for most tools, and open-source code you can inspect.
FAQ
- Are both really free?
- Yes, both are free without a subscription. PDFgear is a closed-source company product; mypdf is open-source, so its 'free' is verifiable in the code.
- Which is more private?
- PDFgear's desktop app processes files locally, like mypdf's in-browser tools. For web use, mypdf is more private: PDFgear's online tools upload your file, most mypdf tools don't.
- Do I need to install anything for mypdf?
- No. Everything runs in the browser — that's the point. It works on any OS, including locked-down machines where you can't install apps.