PDF guides
Practical guides for working with PDF: how to use each of the thirty-three tools, with step-by-step instructions, tips and direct answers. Everything runs in your browser, your files never leave your computer. Sign PDF opens with no account, with one signature a day; every other tool is part of the Premium subscription. The EUR 1.99 a month subscription removes the limits and adds OCR.
Verified 2026-08-12
Get the pages in the right order.
Merge files, extract pages, straighten what came out sideways, delete what is left over.
How to merge PDFs
Step by step to combine several PDFs into one, in the order you choose, without losing quality and without uploading anything.
GuidesHow to split PDFs
Step by step to create a new PDF with only the pages you choose, by single numbers or ranges, without uploading anything.
GuidesHow to rotate PDF pages
Step by step to rotate PDF pages 90, 180 or 270 degrees, all or only the ones you specify, with the rotation written into the file and nothing sent to a server.
GuidesHow to delete PDF pages
Step by step to remove pages from a PDF, by numbers or ranges, without changing the order of the rest and without uploading anything.
GuidesHow to reorder PDF pages
Step by step to change the page order by dragging thumbnails or typing the order, without losing quality and without uploading anything.
GuidesHow to crop PDF margins
Step by step to trim the white margins of every page, in millimetres, points or percentage, without uploading anything.
GuidesHow to view PDF properties
Two steps to find out what is inside the file: pages, sizes, fonts and metadata. Without changing anything and without uploading the file.
GuidesHow to edit PDF metadata
Step by step to change the file title, author and keywords, or clear everything, without sending the PDF to any server.
GuidesHow to repair a PDF
Step by step to rebuild the internal structure of a damaged PDF, without uploading the file anywhere and without losing the content that is still there.
GuidesHow to change PDF page size
Step by step to apply A4, A3, A5, Letter or Legal to every page and unify mixed formats, without uploading anything.
GuidesHow to cut a PDF in half
Step by step to split every page into two, vertically or horizontally, without losing quality and without uploading anything.
GuidesHow to overlay a PDF onto another
Step by step to draw the first page of one PDF on top of every page of another, without uploading anything.
Change format without leaving the browser.
PDF to Word, PDF to image, and images to PDF.
How to convert PDF to Word
Step by step to move the text of a PDF into an editable .docx, in your browser, without sending the file to a server.
GuidesHow to convert PDF to image
Step by step to export every page of the PDF as a PNG image, at the quality you choose, without uploading anything.
GuidesHow to convert images to PDF
Step by step to combine JPG or PNG photos into a single PDF, one image per page, without cropping and without uploading anything.
GuidesHow to extract text from a PDF
Step by step to save the PDF text into a plain .txt file, with or without page separators, without uploading anything.
GuidesHow to convert PDF to Excel
Step by step to move a PDF table into a spreadsheet, as a .csv, without sending the file to any server.
GuidesHow to convert text to PDF
Step by step to turn a .txt file into a paginated PDF, with the font size and margin of your choice, without uploading anything.
GuidesHow to scan to PDF
Step by step to photograph sheets of paper with your camera and get a PDF, one page per photo, without uploading anything.
GuidesHow to OCR a PDF
Step by step to read the text of a scanned PDF in your browser: choose the file, choose the language and download the result, with no uploads.
Leave your mark on every page.
Sign without printing, number the sheets, stamp a watermark.
How to sign a PDF
Step by step to put your signature on a PDF without printing: draw, type or upload it and drag it to the right spot on the page.
GuidesHow to number PDF pages
Step by step to add the number of every page to the bottom of the document, in "page / total" format, with no account and nothing sent to a server.
GuidesHow to add a watermark to a PDF
Step by step to stamp a text diagonally across every page, without sending the file to servers and without losing sight of your document.
GuidesHow to add a header and footer to a PDF
Step by step to write one line at the top and another at the bottom of the pages you choose, with automatic page numbers and nothing uploaded anywhere.
GuidesHow to add text to a PDF
Step by step to write a line at an exact spot in the PDF, with the size, colour and angle you choose, without uploading anything.
GuidesHow to add an image to a PDF
Step by step to place a logo, stamp or signature at an exact spot in a PDF, without losing quality and without uploading anything.
GuidesHow to extract images from a PDF
Step by step to pull the photos and embedded images out of a PDF, one PNG per image, without uploading anything.
GuidesHow to fill a PDF form
Step by step to write values into the AcroForm fields a PDF already has, one field=value pair per line, without uploading anything.
GuidesHow to redact a PDF
Step by step to black out parts of a PDF for good: whatever is underneath is removed from the file, not merely covered, and everything runs in your browser.
GuidesHow to compare two PDFs
Step by step to see what changed between two versions of the same document, side by side, with the differences highlighted and without uploading anything.
Lighter files and documents under lock.
Compress without losing more quality than you need to, and encrypt the PDF with a password.
How to compress a PDF
Step by step to reduce a PDF's weight in three steps: choose the file, choose the level and download. With three compression levels, no account and nothing sent to a server.
GuidesHow to password protect a PDF
Step by step to encrypt a PDF with a password (AES-128) so that nobody without it can open the file, without uploading anything.
GuidesHow to unlock a PDF
Step by step to remove the password from a protected PDF, as long as you know it, with all the processing in the browser and nothing sent to servers.
Answers to the hardest questions.
PDF tools compared
Who uploads your files to a server and who processes in the browser. List prices and real limits.
GuidesHow to check whether a site uploads your PDF
The Network tab test in under a minute, to run on any tool, and where BestPDFInTheWorld fits.
GuidesPDF too big to email
The real limits of Gmail, Outlook and the rest, and why 25 MB is not 25 MB.
GuidesWhy some PDFs shrink 80% and others not at all
What compression actually does, the three levels with exact DPI, and when splitting is better.
GuidesThe compressed PDF got bigger
Why compressing sometimes grows the file, the four real causes, and what to do instead.
GuidesHow big a PDF a browser can take
The hard limits with numbers: byte block, canvas area, and the 384 MB ceiling in Safari on iOS.
GuidesPDF passwords: what actually protects
The two PDF passwords, the four ciphers, and why one of them comes off with a click.
GuidesI forgot my PDF password
The honest answer: without the open password there is no recovery. What actually works, and what is not worth trying.
GuidesElectronic signatures: the three levels
What a drawn signature is worth, when you need a qualified one, and what EU law says.
GuidesDoes it work on iPhone and Safari?
What works, what stalls and why: the 384 MB ceiling of Safari on iOS and where the files end up.
Need the tool, not the guide?
All thirty-three tools run in your browser. Every one opens with no account; every month, three have no daily limit.
Open the tools