Soda PDF has a desktop app and more editing features, but it costs $10/month and uploads your files. PDF Toolbox is free, unlimited, and 100% local.
| Feature | PDF Toolbox | Soda PDF |
|---|---|---|
| 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 trial |
| Pricing (paid) | Free forever | $10/month |
| Desktop app | Web-only | ✅ Yes |
| Registration required | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Privacy-first | ✅ 100% local | ❌ Server processing |
Soda PDF offers a limited free trial, but most features require a paid subscription starting at $10/month. PDF Toolbox is completely free forever with no trial expiration.
Yes, and that's its main advantage. If you need offline desktop PDF editing, Soda PDF is better. For quick, private browser-based PDF tasks, PDF Toolbox wins.
Cost and privacy. PDF Toolbox is free with no subscription, and your files never leave your browser. Soda PDF charges monthly and processes files on their servers.