PDFbat vs PDF24: two free PDF toolboxes
PDF24 is a long running free PDF toolbox with a popular Windows app. PDFbat is free too, with a Drive, e signatures, AI and an API added to the tools.
Updated by the PDFbat team
The short answer
PDF24 is a strong choice if you want completely free tools with no account and an offline Windows app. PDFbat is the better fit if you also want in place text editing, e signature workflows, AI on your documents and results saved to a cloud Drive.
PDF24 is known for being free to use without sign up, supported by ads and its desktop creator. PDFbat's Free plan has a daily limit of 10 tool tasks and requires a username and password, but adds more than tools alone, and Pro at $4 a month removes limits.
Many users keep both: PDF24 for offline batch jobs on Windows and PDFbat for editing, signing and AI in the browser.
PDFbat vs PDF24: side by side
| Feature | PDFbat | PDF24 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free plan, Pro $4 a month | Free, check their site for details |
| Account needed | Username and password | Not required for online tools |
| Daily task limit on free use | 10 tool tasks a day | Check their current limits |
| Number of PDF tools | 30+ | Many tools, check their site |
| Edit existing text in place | Yes | Check their current plans |
| Text in any language and script | Yes | Check their current plans |
| Offline Windows desktop app | No | Yes |
| Browser based on any OS | Yes | Yes |
| E signatures with signing order and audit trail | Yes | Check their current plans |
| Chat with PDF with page citations | Yes | Check their current plans |
| OCR | Free plan includes it | Yes |
| Cloud Drive for results | 1 GB free, 10 GB on Pro | No |
| REST API with free calls | 250 a month | Check their current plans |
| MCP server for AI assistants | Yes | Check their current plans |
| Ads on the site | No | Check their site |
Competitor details reflect their public pages in November 2026. Check PDF24's site for current terms.
Choose PDFbat if
- you want to change the words in a PDF and keep them searchable.
- you send documents for signature and want a sealed audit trail.
- you want AI chat, summaries and data extraction.
- you want your outputs saved to a Drive you can open from any device.
Choose PDF24 if
- you want free tools with no sign up at all.
- you want a Windows desktop app that works offline.
- you only need classic tools such as merge, split and compress.
- you process files you prefer not to upload to any cloud.
Free in different ways
PDF24 is free in the traditional sense: you open the page and use the tool, with no daily cap that most people notice. PDFbat asks for a quick sign up so that results can be saved to your private Drive and so that signing and AI can be tied to your account. In return, the Free plan includes the editor, OCR, 200 AI credits a month and 3 signature envelopes.
If you only need an occasional merge, PDF24 is simple. If you want a place where files, signatures and AI live together, see the free PDF tools page.
Editing, signing and AI
The PDFbat PDF editor edits existing text and supports every script. E signatures add signing order, reminders and identity checks. AI PDF answers questions with page citations and works on scans up to 300 pages.
Honest limits of PDFbat
PDFbat is newer and has a smaller user base. It has no desktop app, so there is no offline mode, and the Free plan has a daily task limit that PDF24 may not have.
Frequently asked questions
Is PDFbat free like PDF24?
PDFbat has a Free plan with every tool, 10 tool tasks a day and no watermark. PDF24 is also free. PDFbat needs a username and password; PDF24 online tools do not.
Which is better for offline use?
PDF24 has a desktop app for Windows. PDFbat is browser based only.
Can PDFbat edit PDF text?
Yes. Click existing text and retype it. The original words are replaced.
Does PDFbat support e signatures?
Yes, with 3 free envelopes a month and unlimited on Pro. Signers need no account.
Does PDFbat use my files for ads?
PDFbat shows no ads. See the privacy page for how files are stored and deleted.
What does Pro add?
Unlimited tool tasks and envelopes, 10 GB of Drive storage, files up to 100 MB and 4,000 AI credits a month for $4.
Keep comparing
Try PDFbat free
Edit, sign and store PDFs in one account. Free plan with no credit card, Pro for $4 a month.