A PDF24 alternative that keeps more files on your computer
PDF24 is free with no account, and so is KovaPDF. The difference is where your files go: PDF24's website uploads every file, while 24 KovaPDF tools run in your browser on any computer, Mac and Linux included.
- 24 tools run in your browser on Mac, Linux or Windows
- Ask others to sign, with a free account
- AI summaries and in-browser translation
KovaPDFPDF24- Price
- KovaPDFFree
- PDF24Free
- Account needed
- KovaPDFNo
- PDF24No, there are none
- Tasks without an account
- KovaPDFLimited free allowance
- PDF24No limits
- Where files go
- KovaPDF24 tools stay in your browser
- PDF24Uploaded to its servers in the EU
- Ads
- KovaPDFNone at the time of writing
- PDF24Yes, they pay for the site
- Ask others to sign
- KovaPDFFree account
- PDF24Not offered
PDF24's facts read from its own pages on 10 October 2026.
KovaPDF vs PDF24, feature by feature
Price, limits, tools, privacy and apps, checked against PDF24's own pricing and help pages on 10 October 2026.
| Feature | KovaPDFFree | PDF24Free plan |
|---|---|---|
| Price and limits | ||
| Price | KovaPDFYes: Free: every tool. Pro from $3.99 a month, billed yearly | PDF24Yes: Free. Every tool, no paid plan |
| Account | KovaPDFYes: Not needed, except to send signature requests | PDF24Yes: None exists or is needed |
| Tasks without an account | KovaPDFPartly: Limited free allowance | PDF24Yes: No limits |
| With a free account | KovaPDFPartly: A higher allowance | PDF24No accounts |
| Ads | KovaPDFYes: None at the time of writing | PDF24Partly: Yes, ad slots on tool pages |
| Tools | ||
| Compress, merge, split, convert | KovaPDFYes: Free | PDF24Yes: Free |
| OCR (read scanned pages) | KovaPDFYes: Free, 9 languages, text read in your browser | PDF24Yes: Free, on its servers |
| Redact | KovaPDFYes: Free | PDF24Yes: Free |
| Compare two PDFs | KovaPDFNo: Not offered | PDF24Yes: Free |
| Files into PDF | KovaPDFWord, Excel, PowerPoint, OpenDocument, HTML, images | PDF24Yes: Also EPUB, Markdown, RTF, SVG and TIFF |
| Ask others to sign | KovaPDFYes: Free account, within a limited allowance | PDF24No: Not offered |
| AI summary and translation | KovaPDFPartly: Summary, limited; translation in Chrome or Edge | PDF24No: Not offered |
| Bangla and Hindi font converters | KovaPDFYes: Bijoy and Kruti Dev to Unicode | PDF24No: Not in its tool list |
| Privacy | ||
| Where files are processed | KovaPDFYes: 24 tools in your browser; the rest on our server | PDF24Uploaded to its servers in the EU |
| When uploads are deleted | KovaPDFYes: When the job finishes | PDF24Partly: Within 1 hour |
| Apps and languages | ||
| Windows app | KovaPDFPartly: Free, 28 tools offline, limited offline tasks each day | PDF24Yes: PDF24 Creator, free and offline, no limits |
| Mac or Linux app | KovaPDFNo: No; use the website | PDF24No: No; use the website |
| Phone | KovaPDFPartly: Installable web app and free scanner | PDF24Partly: Installable web app, camera to PDF |
| Browser extension | KovaPDFNo: No | PDF24Yes: Chrome extension |
| Site languages | KovaPDF27 | PDF2443 |
Prices and limits change. We read PDF24's pages on 10 October 2026; check their site before you pay for a plan.
Which one should you use?
Choose KovaPDF if…
- You would rather not upload private files. 24 tools, including Merge, Split, Protect and reading text from scans, run in your browser. PDF24's website uploads every file.
- You are on a Mac or Linux. PDF24 Creator is for Windows only, so on a Mac every PDF24 job is an upload. KovaPDF's browser tools keep files on your computer with nothing to install.
- You need other people to sign. Request Signatures sends a document to several people, with a free account. PDF24 does not offer this.
- You want a summary or a translation. Summarize PDF gives limited AI summaries, and Translate PDF works in Chrome or Edge on a computer.
- You write in Bangla or Hindi. Bijoy and Kruti Dev converters sit next to the PDF tools.
Choose PDF24 if…
- You never want to see a limit. PDF24 says it has no limits and has no accounts. KovaPDF has a limited free allowance; a free account raises it, and only Pro removes it.
- You want a free Windows program with no limits. PDF24 Creator is free and works offline with no limits. KovaPDF's Windows app allows a limited number of offline tasks each day.
- You need a rare tool or format. PDF24 has Compare, EPUB and Markdown conversion, e-invoices, flattening and a PDF/A check, among many more tools.
- You want the site in your language. PDF24 comes in 43 languages, KovaPDF in 27.
The tools you use, under the same names
Open the tool, drop your file in. No account, nothing to install.
Why people look for a PDF24 alternative
PDF24 is a good, honest service. It is free, there are no accounts, it says there are no limits, and it has been running since 2006. It is paid for by advertising, so its tool pages carry ad slots.
Most people who search for an alternative are on a Mac or Linux. PDF24's free offline program, PDF24 Creator, runs on Windows only, and PDF24 tells Mac and Linux users to use its website. On the website, every file is uploaded to PDF24's servers in the EU and deleted within an hour.
On a Mac, both are websites. The difference is where files go.
KovaPDF has no Mac or Linux app either, so this is not a contest of programs. What KovaPDF does have is 24 tools that run inside your browser. The file is read and changed on your own computer and never sent anywhere. Among them:
- Merge, Split, Organize and Rotate
- Protect and Unlock
- PDF to JPG and JPG to PDF
- PDF to Text and Image to Text, which read scans too
Tools that need our server, such as Compress PDF and Word to PDF, delete your file as soon as the job is done.
What KovaPDF has that PDF24 does not
- Request Signatures sends a document to other people to sign, with a free account. Signers do not need one.
- Summarize PDF gives limited AI summaries, and Translate PDF works in Chrome or Edge on a computer.
- Bijoy to Unicode and Kruti Dev to Unicode for Bangla and Hindi text.
Where PDF24 is ahead
PDF24 has more tools and more formats, and it is in 43 languages. It says it has no limits, while KovaPDF has a limited free allowance (a free account raises it). On Windows, PDF24 Creator works offline with no limits; the KovaPDF desktop app has 28 offline tools and allows a limited number of offline tasks each day. If you are on Windows and want a free offline program, PDF24 Creator is a good choice.
PDF24 alternative: common questions
Is there a PDF24 alternative for Mac?
Neither PDF24 nor KovaPDF has a Mac app, so on a Mac both are websites. The difference is that 24 KovaPDF tools, such as Merge, Split and Protect, run in your browser, so those files stay on your Mac. PDF24's website uploads every file.
Is KovaPDF more free than PDF24?
No. Both are free and neither needs an account. PDF24 says it has no limits; KovaPDF has a limited free allowance without an account, and a free account raises it.
Does PDF24 upload my files?
Its online tools do. PDF24 processes files on its own servers in the EU and deletes them within an hour. PDF24 Creator for Windows works on your computer instead.
Which KovaPDF tools do not upload my file?
24 tools run in your browser, among them Merge, Split, Organize, Rotate, Protect, Unlock, PDF to JPG, JPG to PDF, PDF to Text and Image to Text. Tools that need our server delete the file when the job finishes.
Does KovaPDF work on Linux?
Yes. The website works in your browser on Linux, with nothing to install. Translate PDF is the exception: it needs Chrome or Edge on a computer.
Can I ask other people to sign a PDF?
On KovaPDF, yes: Request Signatures sends a document to several people, with a free account. PDF24 does not offer signature requests.
KovaPDF next to other PDF services
PDF24 is a trademark of its owner. KovaPDF is not connected with, or endorsed by, PDF24. The facts above come from PDF24's own public pages, read on 10 October 2026.