Back to browse
Free PDF redactor that runs client-side

Free PDF redactor that runs client-side

by MrGuacamole·Apr 19, 2026·5 points·8 comments

AI Analysis

●●SolidSolve My ProblemCozySlick

Rasterizes pages to images first, ensuring text layers are actually destroyed unlike lazy overlays.

Strengths
  • Rasterizes pages to images so text layers are destroyed, not just hidden.
  • Runs in-browser so sensitive documents like paystubs never leave the user's device.
  • Free without signup for a redaction feature Adobe Acrobat charges monthly for.
Weaknesses
  • Limited to redaction; lacks broader PDF editing features like merging or splitting.
  • Browser rasterization could struggle with very large documents or complex vector graphics.
Category
Target Audience

Job applicants, freelancers, privacy-conscious users sharing sensitive documents

Similar To

Adobe Acrobat · PDF Redact Tools · iLovePDF

Post Description

I recently needed to verify past employment and to do so I was going to upload paystubs from a previous employer, however I didn't want to share my salary in that role. I did a quick search online and most sites required sign-up or weren't clear about document privacy. I conceded and signed up for a free trial of Adobe Acrobat so I could use their PDF redaction feature. I figured there should be a dead simple way of doing this that's private, so I decided to create it myself.

What this does is rasterize each page to an image with your redactions burned in, then it rebuilds the PDF so the text layer is permanently destroyed and not just covered up and easily retrievable.

I welcome any and all feedback as this is my first live tool, thanks!

Similar Projects

Developer Tools●●Solid

Deadcode Removal Layer for My Compiler in Less Than 140 LOC

This is a concise dead-code-elimination pass implemented as ~140 LOC of readable Rust: it walks op dependencies via a match over Op variants, collects reachable OpRefs, and prunes the op pool. It’s not reinventing compiler theory, but the implementation is tidy and immediately pluggable into a small IR/dataflow project — useful as a reference or drop-in optimizer. Lacking benchmarks, docs on integration, or tests, it’s more of a pragmatic utility than a research contribution.

Niche GemShip It
ronfriedhaber
103mo ago