Both are free, no-registration PDF tools — but PDFChef processes files on their servers with a 25 MB cap. PDF Toolbox does everything locally with no limits.
| Feature | PDF Toolbox | PDFChef |
|---|---|---|
| Compress PDF | ✅ | ✅ |
| Merge PDF | ✅ | ✅ |
| Split PDF | ✅ | ✅ |
| PDF to JPG | ✅ | ✅ |
| JPG to PDF | ✅ | ✅ |
| PDF to Word | Coming soon | ✅ |
| Unlock PDF | ✅ | ❌ |
| Files uploaded to server | ❌ Never | ✅ Yes |
| Free tier | ✅ Unlimited | ✅ Limited |
| Registration required | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| File size limit | No hard limit | 25 MB |
| Privacy-first | ✅ 100% local | ❌ Server processing |
| Watermarks | ❌ Never | ❌ No |
PDFChef offers a free tier with a 25 MB file size limit and server-side processing. PDF Toolbox is completely free with no file size restrictions and local processing.
Yes. Like most online PDF tools, PDFChef processes files on their servers. PDF Toolbox is different — all processing happens locally in your browser.
Unlimited file sizes, zero uploads, and total privacy. PDFChef caps files at 25 MB for free users. PDF Toolbox has no such restrictions.