Is PDF24 safe?
PDF24 is a long-standing German project, and it tells you itself that its offline app is the more private option. Here is how to choose between the two, and a third way.
The short answer
PDF24 is legitimate. It is operated by Geek Software GmbH, a German company, which offers free online tools and a desktop app. Both its online tools and its PDF24 Creator desktop app are free.
What makes PDF24 unusual is that it answers the privacy question on its own homepage: the online tools process files on its servers, and if you want to be more secure, it recommends PDF24 Creator, where files stay on your PC. So which PDF24 you use matters more than whether PDF24 is safe.
What PDF24 says about the online tools
As of October 2026, per tools.pdf24.org and the PDF24 privacy policy:
- Processing. The online tools run on PDF24’s own servers, not in your browser.
- Deletion. Files and results are usually deleted one hour after upload or creation; the policy says longer storage may be needed if processing takes longer than an hour.
- Encryption. The homepage says file transfers to its servers are encrypted.
- Desktop option. PDF24 Creator, Windows software, provides the tools with files kept on your computer.
Choosing between online, desktop and in-browser
The online tools are convenient and, for ordinary PDFs, the one-hour deletion rule is a sensible design. The trade-off is the same as any upload service: for that hour your document sits on a server you cannot see into.
PDF24 Creator removes the upload, but it is Windows software you install and keep updated, which is not an option on a Mac, a Chromebook, a phone or a locked-down work laptop. Tools that run inside a web page sit between the two: nothing to install, and nothing uploaded.
PDF jobs in the browser, without uploading
Stayput’s PDF tools read the file from your disk into the page and write the result straight back. Merge PDF and Split PDF rearrange documents, Compress PDF shrinks scans for email, and Unlock PDF removes a password you already know. They work in any modern browser on Windows, Mac, Android or iPhone and, after one visit and a short wait, keep working with the network switched off.
PDF24 has a far larger toolbox, including OCR and a virtual PDF printer in Creator. If you are on Windows and need those, Creator is a good private choice; for quick jobs on a Mac, a Chromebook or a phone, a browser tool avoids both the upload and the install.
See for yourself where the file goes
You can confirm PDF24’s own description, or ours, in a minute: watch the network panel while adding a PDF, or, after one visit and a short wait, try the page in airplane mode. This guide shows how, and Is it safe to merge PDFs online? covers the wider risks.
Questions
Is PDF24 legit?
Yes. PDF24 is operated by Geek Software GmbH, a German company, and offers its tools free of charge.
How long does PDF24 keep uploaded files?
As of October 2026, its privacy policy says uploaded files and results are usually deleted one hour after upload or creation.
Is PDF24 Creator safer than the online tools?
PDF24 itself says so: Creator processes files on your own PC, so nothing is uploaded. It is Windows software, though.
How can I edit a PDF privately on a Mac or phone?
Use a tool that works in the browser without uploading, such as Stayput’s PDF tools. After one visit and a short wait, they keep working offline.