A free PDF Candy alternative that doesn't upload your files
PDF Candy's free plan works, with page, hourly and batch limits, and your file goes to its servers first. Here is what changes when it never leaves your device.
What PDF Candy does well
PDF Candy, from Icecream Apps, lists more than 90 PDF tools in one place: editing, merging, splitting, compressing, converting to and from Office and e-book formats, OCR, and AI tools that summarize, translate or chat with a PDF. Its free plan shows no ads and needs no account, and it also sells a desktop app. It is a legitimate, widely used service.
Why people look for an alternative
As of November 2026, per pdfcandy.com/pricing.html, the free plan comes with page and hourly restrictions, no batch processing and a limited file size. The paid web plan, at $6 a month, lists no hourly limits, files up to 500 MB per task and processing with no queue.
PDF Candy is upload-based: the same page says all uploaded files and processed output are kept for no longer than 2 hours.
What changes with a browser-based tool
Stayput's PDF tools run inside the browser tab, so your files are not uploaded and there is no hourly count. EPUB to PDF and PDF to EPUB convert e-books in batches. PDF to EPUB turns headings into chapters and drops page headers and numbers. Merge PDF and compress PDF take several files at once, and compress can fit a PDF under a size such as 1 MB. OCR PDF makes scanned PDFs searchable on your device.
Image to PDF, PDF to Word, reorder or delete pages, unlock and protect cover the other everyday jobs. They are free and need no account, and the limit is your device's memory (phones hold less).
Where PDF Candy still has the edge
PDF Candy converts Word, Excel and PowerPoint to PDF, handles more e-book formats such as MOBI, and has AI summaries, translation and chat, none of which Stayput offers today. Stayput's OCR reads English only, EPUB to PDF handles Latin, Greek and Cyrillic scripts, and an EPUB made from a PDF keeps the text and headings but not pictures or tables. For converting e-books, merging, compressing or making a scan searchable without the file leaving your device, a browser tool covers the common case. See also the Smallpdf alternative.
Questions
What are PDF Candy's free limits?
As of November 2026, its pricing page lists page and hourly restrictions, no batch processing and a limited file size on the free plan. The paid plans remove the hourly limit and allow files up to 500 MB per task.
How long does PDF Candy keep my files?
Its pricing page says uploaded files and processed output are kept for no longer than 2 hours, as of November 2026.
Can I convert EPUB to PDF without uploading the book?
Yes. Stayput's EPUB to PDF lays out the book and writes the PDF in your browser tab, and it takes several books at once. Books in Latin, Greek and Cyrillic scripts work; other scripts are refused rather than printed as empty boxes.
Is there a PDF Candy alternative that processes several files at once for free?
Yes. Stayput's merge, compress, OCR, EPUB to PDF and PDF to EPUB tools take several files at once, for free, with no account.