PDFgear is free and runs locally — isn't that already private?

For ordinary desktop editing, yes — PDFgear processes those locally, and we'll happily credit that. But the moment you use its AI Copilot, your document's contents are uploaded to Microsoft Azure OpenAI, and its online converters upload your file to AWS. AttachKit keeps the PDF in your browser even for AI features — only a small slice of extracted text is sent to the model, never the document.

Does PDFgear have AI auto-fill from my saved details?

No — PDFgear's AI is a chat/Copilot over a document, and its form-filling is manual. AttachKit lets you save your details once and have AI fill any form's fields from your profile, without the PDF leaving your browser.

Is PDFgear's signature verifiable like AttachKit's?

PDFgear supports PKI/Digital-ID signatures, but they're verified inside a PDF reader and self-signed IDs show as untrusted — there's no public page where anyone can verify the signature on any device. AttachKit produces an offline-verifiable signature you (or a counterparty) can check, free, with no account or special reader.

Alternative · PDFgear

AttachKit vs. PDFgear — free AI PDF tools, but the AI uploads your document

PDFgear: A free, AI-powered PDF app — local desktop editing plus an AI Copilot and online tools.

PDFgear is a genuinely capable, genuinely free PDF app — desktop editing runs locally, and a few of its newer online tools run in your browser. Credit where it's due. The difference shows up when AI gets involved: to use PDFgear's AI Copilot, your document's contents are uploaded to Microsoft's Azure OpenAI, and its online converters upload your file to AWS. AttachKit keeps the PDF in your browser even for AI auto-fill and redaction — only a privacy-bounded slice of text is ever sent off-device, never the file.

Why pick AttachKit for these cases

PDFgear's desktop editing is local — but its AI Copilot uploads your document to Microsoft's cloud. AttachKit's AI keeps the file in your browser.
Its online converters/OCR upload to AWS; AttachKit converts in-browser.
AI auto-fill from a saved profile, which PDFgear doesn't have.
An offline-verifiable signature anyone can check — no PDF reader required.

Side-by-side

A marks the side with the genuine advantage on that row — honestly, including the few where PDFgear wins.

Price

PDFgearFree today (venture-funded). PDFgear has said paid tiers are planned for the cloud-AI and conversion features.

AttachKitFree tier (unlimited in-browser fill, edit & redact + 15 signed PDFs/mo); Pro $12/mo (or $120/yr) for unlimited signing (AI included — 200 Claude actions/mo; Max adds 500 Claude actions/mo).

AI: where your document goes

PDFgearPDFgear's AI Copilot uploads your PDF's contents to Microsoft Azure OpenAI (with consent); its online converters/OCR upload your file to AWS.

AttachKitAI auto-fill and redaction keep the PDF in your browser — only extracted field labels / text are sent to the model, never the document file.

Local vs. online

PDFgearDesktop editing is local; 5 online tools (split, extract, crop, delete/add pages) run in-browser; the rest of the online catalogue — convert, OCR, compress — uploads to servers.

AttachKitEvery tool runs in your browser, no install — convert, compress, merge, OCR, fill, sign, redact — all no-upload.

Verifiable signatures

PDFgeare-signatures including PKI/Digital-ID signing — but verified inside a PDF reader; self-signed IDs show as untrusted, and there's no public, reader-independent verify page.

AttachKitAn offline-verifiable cryptographic signature anyone can check on any device, free — no reader, no account.

Form auto-fill from a profile

PDFgearBasic field-filling only — no saved-profile autofill, and no AI form auto-fill.

AttachKitSave your details once; AI fills any form from your profile — and the file stays in the browser.

Trust model

PDFgearClosed-source freeware (Singapore company, US/AWS servers). For its AI and online conversions, you're trusting a privacy policy that your document is handled and deleted as promised in a third-party cloud.

AttachKitPrivacy by architecture — the PDF never leaves your browser, which you can confirm yourself in the Network tab. Nothing to take on trust.

	PDFgear	AttachKit
Price	Free today (venture-funded). PDFgear has said paid tiers are planned for the cloud-AI and conversion features.	Free tier (unlimited in-browser fill, edit & redact + 15 signed PDFs/mo); Pro $12/mo (or $120/yr) for unlimited signing (AI included — 200 Claude actions/mo; Max adds 500 Claude actions/mo).
AI: where your document goes	PDFgear's AI Copilot uploads your PDF's contents to Microsoft Azure OpenAI (with consent); its online converters/OCR upload your file to AWS.	AI auto-fill and redaction keep the PDF in your browser — only extracted field labels / text are sent to the model, never the document file.
Local vs. online	Desktop editing is local; 5 online tools (split, extract, crop, delete/add pages) run in-browser; the rest of the online catalogue — convert, OCR, compress — uploads to servers.	Every tool runs in your browser, no install — convert, compress, merge, OCR, fill, sign, redact — all no-upload.
Verifiable signatures	e-signatures including PKI/Digital-ID signing — but verified inside a PDF reader; self-signed IDs show as untrusted, and there's no public, reader-independent verify page.	An offline-verifiable cryptographic signature anyone can check on any device, free — no reader, no account.
Form auto-fill from a profile	Basic field-filling only — no saved-profile autofill, and no AI form auto-fill.	Save your details once; AI fills any form from your profile — and the file stays in the browser.
Trust model	Closed-source freeware (Singapore company, US/AWS servers). For its AI and online conversions, you're trusting a privacy policy that your document is handled and deleted as promised in a third-party cloud.	Privacy by architecture — the PDF never leaves your browser, which you can confirm yourself in the Network tab. Nothing to take on trust.

Switching questions, answered

PDFgear is free and runs locally — isn't that already private?: For ordinary desktop editing, yes — PDFgear processes those locally, and we'll happily credit that. But the moment you use its AI Copilot, your document's contents are uploaded to Microsoft Azure OpenAI, and its online converters upload your file to AWS. AttachKit keeps the PDF in your browser even for AI features — only a small slice of extracted text is sent to the model, never the document.
Does PDFgear have AI auto-fill from my saved details?: No — PDFgear's AI is a chat/Copilot over a document, and its form-filling is manual. AttachKit lets you save your details once and have AI fill any form's fields from your profile, without the PDF leaving your browser.
Is PDFgear's signature verifiable like AttachKit's?: PDFgear supports PKI/Digital-ID signatures, but they're verified inside a PDF reader and self-signed IDs show as untrusted — there's no public page where anyone can verify the signature on any device. AttachKit produces an offline-verifiable signature you (or a counterparty) can check, free, with no account or special reader.

Try AttachKit now

Drop a PDF — no signup. Unlimited fill & redact in your browser, plus 15 free signed PDFs every month.

Sign a PDF Fill a form Redact PII

Switching for good? Save your details once — every future form auto-fills.