PDF24 replaces 5 paid apps
One genuinely free tool, 5 subscriptions it can stand in for. Each pairing below is curated and verified by hand, with the honest catch spelled out. No votes, no pay-to-list.
licenseproprietary, free
runsyour machine or their cloud
installUse the hosted tools in a browser, or install PDF24 Creator for offline use on Windows
dataPDF24 Creator processes documents locally on Windows; web-tool uploads are encrypted in transit, processed on PDF24's servers in Germany, and automatically deleted after about one hour
setupThe private offline desktop suite is Windows-only; other operating systems must use the upload-based web tools
facts verified 2026-08-10
An enormous free toolbox for merging, converting, compressing, OCR, editing, signing, redacting, and more; the offline desktop app is Windows-only.
the catchIt covers common jobs, but direct text and object editing, complex form authoring, accessibility remediation, prepress, and enterprise signing are materially weaker than Acrobat Pro.
the verdict →all Adobe Acrobat Pro alternatives →
A sprawling free Windows and web PDF suite covering conversion, assembly, editing, OCR, signing, and compression without usage limits.
the catchIt covers routine conversion and assembly, but Nitro is better at precise business-document editing, enterprise deployment, managed e-signatures, and administration.
the verdict →all Nitro PDF Pro alternatives →
Free editing, conversion, forms, OCR, signatures, and document assembly; strong for ordinary PDFs, weaker for Foxit's reusable form-field workflow.
the catchIt is strong for one-off document operations, but Foxit's reusable complex form-field design and business review workflow are more mature.
the verdict →all Foxit PDF Editor alternatives →
Nearly every common PDF transformation is free and unmetered; Windows users also get an offline desktop suite.
the catchThe private desktop route is Windows-only, while using its otherwise convenient web tools still means uploading documents to PDF24's servers.
the verdict →all iLovePDF Premium alternatives →
Common PDF edits and conversions with no page quota, watermark, or subscription; offline use requires Windows.
the catchIts offline private suite is Windows-only, and the cross-platform web tools upload files rather than matching Sejda Desktop's local browser-style workflow.
the verdict →all Sejda Web alternatives →last updated 2026-08-10 · up to $864/yr replaced · no votes, no pay-to-list
