# Best Free PDF Tools in 2026 — No Watermark, No Signup, Actually Free
The word "free" in the PDF tool market means very different things depending on who's saying it.
Some tools are free for two files per day. Some are free for files under 5MB. Some are free until you try to download, at which point they ask for a subscription. Some are technically free but stamp your output with an ugly watermark that makes the document unusable professionally.
This guide cuts through that. These are genuinely useful tools with no meaningful free-tier restrictions.
What "Actually Free" Means in This Guide
Before diving in, here's the criteria used:
- No watermarks on output — your downloaded file is clean
- No forced account creation — you can use the tool without registering
- No file count limits — use it as many times as you need
- No artificial file size caps designed to push upgrades
- No bait-and-switch where free features are revealed to be paid at the download step
The Essential Free PDF Tools
1. Compress PDF — [pdfhub24.com/compress-pdf](/compress-pdf)
Reduces PDF file size by up to 90% without meaningful quality loss for standard use. Works on text PDFs, scanned documents, and image-heavy PDFs. Multiple compression levels.
Best for: Getting files under email attachment limits, meeting upload size restrictions, reducing storage use.
---
2. Merge PDF — [pdfhub24.com/merge-pdf](/merge-pdf)
Combine multiple PDFs into one. No file limit, no page limit. Drag-and-drop ordering before merging.
Best for: Visa applications, job application bundles, report compilation, invoice packages.
---
3. PDF to Word — [pdfhub24.com/pdf-to-word](/pdf-to-word)
Convert PDFs to editable Word documents. Handles text-based PDFs cleanly and applies OCR automatically to scanned documents.
Best for: Editing PDF content, extracting text from reports, converting lecture notes.
---
4. Split PDF — [pdfhub24.com/split-pdf](/split-pdf)
Extract specific pages or page ranges from a PDF as a separate file. Useful for sharing only the relevant section of a large document.
Best for: Extracting chapters, separating individual pages, pulling out relevant sections.
---
5. Word to PDF — [pdfhub24.com/word-to-pdf](/word-to-pdf)
Convert Word documents to PDF format while preserving formatting, fonts, and layout exactly.
Best for: Sharing documents for reading/printing without risk of formatting changes.
---
6. Sign PDF — [pdfhub24.com/sign-pdf](/sign-pdf)
Add your electronic signature to any PDF. Draw, type, or upload a signature image. Legally valid in most jurisdictions.
Best for: Contracts, agreements, consent forms, approval documents.
---
7. Protect PDF — [pdfhub24.com/protect-pdf](/protect-pdf)
Add 256-bit AES password encryption. Set open passwords and/or permission restrictions on printing, copying, and editing.
Best for: Confidential documents, financial records, legal files, anything sensitive being sent by email.
---
8. OCR PDF — [pdfhub24.com/ocr-pdf](/ocr-pdf)
Convert scanned PDFs (image-based PDFs) to searchable, selectable text. Works on most standard quality scans.
Best for: Making scanned documents searchable, extracting text from physical document scans.
---
9. JPG to PDF — [pdfhub24.com/jpg-to-pdf](/jpg-to-pdf)
Convert one or multiple JPG images to a single PDF. Arrange order before converting.
Best for: Combining phone photos into a submission document, converting image files for upload portals.
---
10. PDF to JPG — [pdfhub24.com/pdf-to-jpg](/pdf-to-jpg)
Extract PDF pages as high-quality JPG images.
Best for: Extracting images from PDFs, converting PDF slides to images for presentations, creating PDF thumbnails.
---
11. Redact PDF — [pdfhub24.com/redact-pdf](/redact-pdf)
Permanently remove sensitive information by blacking out selected areas. True permanent removal, not just a visual overlay.
Best for: Legal document production, removing personal data before sharing, privacy compliance.
---
12. Translate PDF — [pdfhub24.com/translate-pdf](/translate-pdf)
Translate PDF documents to 50+ languages while preserving layout.
Best for: International business documents, academic research in foreign languages, immigration documents.
---
13. Edit PDF — [pdfhub24.com/edit-pdf](/edit-pdf)
Add text, images, shapes, and annotations directly onto a PDF. Move and resize elements.
Best for: Light edits without converting to Word, adding callouts to diagrams, filling in forms.
---
14. Rotate PDF — [pdfhub24.com/rotate-pdf](/rotate-pdf)
Rotate individual pages or all pages 90°/180°. Fix sideways scanned pages.
Best for: Correcting scanned documents, adjusting orientation for print.
---
15. Add Page Numbers — [pdfhub24.com/add-page-numbers](/add-page-numbers)
Apply sequential page numbers to any PDF. Choose position, font, and starting number.
Best for: Reports, essays, court bundles, academic submissions.
---
Image Tools (Bonus)
Beyond PDFs, PDF HUB 24 also has genuinely useful free image tools:
- [Compress Image](/image-compressor) — Reduce JPG, PNG, and WebP file size
- [Remove Background](/remove-bg) — AI background removal
- [Resize Image](/resize-image) — Change image dimensions
- [Convert Image](/convert-image) — Convert between image formats (JPG ↔ PNG ↔ WebP etc.)
---
The Honest Caveat
Free online tools require processing your file on a server. If you're working with highly classified documents — detailed military specifications, unreleased product blueprints, highly sensitive personal data — you should use an offline desktop tool where your files never leave your device.
For the vast majority of documents that ordinary people and businesses deal with daily, this isn't a concern. PDF HUB 24 uses SSL/TLS encryption for all transfers and permanently deletes files immediately after processing.