PDF tools / Compare
PDF24 Tools vs PDFsam
Both do 2 of the same PDF tools tasks. Below is what each says about its own limits and pricing, and how each ranks on signals we can measure or quote.
Disclosure: agathox makes some of the tools listed here. They are labelled and scored by the same method as every other tool.
A
PDF24 Tools
Free online PDF tools and a desktop app by geek Software GmbH (Berlin, Germany).
Signals score: 4.0 / 5 · not a hands-on test
Visit tools.pdf24.org/enB
PDFsam
Free, open source desktop app to split, merge, rotate and extract PDF files. Fully offline, your files never leave your computer, from a free app to a full PDF editor
Signals score: 3.9 / 5 · not a hands-on test
Visit pdfsam.orgPricing, limits and privacy
- Free tier
- A: Says all tools are free without restrictions and that there are no artificial limits. File-size limits are not stated.
- B: PDFsam Basic is free and open source (AGPL) with no sign-up, no watermarks and no limits, per the home page. It is a desktop app that works without an Internet connection.
- Paid plan
- A: No paid plan found. It says the service is funded by advertising.
- B: PDFsam Visual has a 14-day free trial, then needs a license (one-time purchase or subscription). PDFsam Enhanced needs a yearly subscription for the full editor and runs on Windows only. Prices are not shown on the pages read.
- Signup
- A: No registration required.
- B: PDFsam Basic needs no sign-up. PDFsam Enhanced requires registration even for its free reader and virtual printer.
- Watermark
- A: Not stated.
- B: Basic has no watermarks. Not stated for the Visual trial or Enhanced free version.
- Where files go
- A: Files are uploaded to PDF24's servers in EU data centres and usually deleted within one hour. The free PDF24 Creator desktop app works offline.
- B: All apps process PDF files locally; the privacy policy says no PDF content is automatically sent or uploaded to its servers. Basic sends and collects nothing. Visual may contact servers for licensing and, if you opt in, send error reports that can include file paths.
From each tool's own pages, checked 2026-10-31 (PDF24 Tools) and 2026-11-01 (PDFsam). Prices and limits change; check the tool before you rely on them. Sources are listed on each tool's page.
Compare on a task
Neither tool has been hands-on tested on these tasks yet, and we do not guess. Open a task to see both ranked with every other tool.
- Only PDF24 Tools: Compress PDF, Edit PDF, Sign PDF, Word to PDF, PDF to Word, PDF to JPG, Protect PDF, OCR PDF
- Only PDFsam: Rotate PDF
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