CleverPDF · PDF compression
Completely free and transparent on the web, but fails to recompress embedded FlateDecode raster streams in our 1.66 MB PDF fixture, yielding only a 0.08% size reduction (1,657.7 KB).
US-West (California, AS2914)
PDF · Output attached · Open native file ↗
Subsequent pricing and service checks are shown separately without altering historical scores.
One run does not establish all complex scenes, untested paid maxima or long-term uptime.
Plans & historical pricing
CleverPDF online PDF-to-Word; desktop licences outside this web scope · 2026-10-20
1 plan / billing-period records, all listed; — means that period is not recorded.
The web tool is stated to remain free without membership. Desktop software is a separate channel; historical desktop starting prices are not treated as web fees.
Cancellation, sources & verification record
Cancellation and refund terms follow official checkout and help policies.
Official feature and pricing page ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗
Pricing recorded on the test date · 2026-10-23
Web tool is 100% free; 20-in-1 Desktop app ~$29.99 one-time
Ad-supported free web tool + desktop software license
Historical context only; not current purchase guidance.
Delivery & access
- Free delivery record
- Full 2-page watermark-free vector PDF (1,657.7 KB, -0.08% reduction)
- Watermark
- No watermark
- Free allowance
- 100% free on the web with no daily task limit
- Account requirements
- 100% guest-accessible without login
- Maximum specification record
- Full 2-page native vector PDF (1,657.7 KB · -0.08% reduction · watermark-free)
May include advertised capabilities; this does not establish a tested paid tier.
- Batch & API
- Single-file web tool; batch compression available in the desktop app
- Manual refinement
- Not recorded or not verified
Tested result & sample
While CleverPDF is completely free and honestly states "The compressed file is reduced 0.08 %", its online engine failed to recompress the embedded FlateDecode image stream, leaving the file at 1,657.7 KB (02_workspace.png, 03_result.png).
- Fixture
- anchor_pdfcompress_v1
- Recorded environment
- US-West (California, AS2914)
- Network-observed server wait
- 2.35 s
- End-to-end reference
- 4.15 s
Network wait includes round trips, queuing and polling error, not pure inference time. Local timings depend on the device; repetition counts are not standardized in legacy records.
Experience, rules & trust
- Disclosure
- Displays exact reduction percentage on the download screen
- Interaction
- Direct download without registration plus an instant server-file delete button and zero pop-up traps.
- Entity record
- CleverPDF.com
- Origin
- Global Online PDF Suite
- Domain history record
- 2017–Present (9-year online PDF converter)
- Third-party tracking record
- No third-party services listed in this record; this is not proof that none exist.
- External information
- Not recorded or not verified
- Processing
- Cloud PDF processing service
- Retention statement
- Immediate manual delete button on the result page; automatic deletion after 30 minutes
A recorded statement does not verify deletion or all data-processing behavior.
Verifiable audit trail & evidence
Four SHA-256-verified stages link the benchmark fixture, same-run interface screenshots, native exported artifact and archived pricing sources.
anchor_pdfcompress_v1 · Inspect fixture & file inspector →
Captures entry rules, result view and export disclosure.
Screenshots, native output and official claims support different conclusions. Evidence grades are not product safety certifications.
Evaluation basis & full scores · Overall 73.2/100
Overall = honesty & reputation × 30% + capability × 70%. Component maxima follow this report’s rubric. List scores are rounded for display; original precision is retained here.
Scoring version 2.3.1 · Test fixture anchor_pdfcompress_v1
Honesty & reputation · 90/100 · 30%
| Criterion | Score | Rationale | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing transparency | 33 / 35 | 100% free and login-free on the web, and honestly reports "The compressed file is reduced 0.08 %" on the result page without faking numbers or adding a paywall (01_landing.png, 02_workspace.png, 03_result.png). | Evidence A → |
| Interaction restraint | 27 / 30 | Direct download without registration plus an instant server-file delete button and zero pop-up traps. | Evidence A → |
| Background & reputation | 16 / 20 | Operated since 2017, offering 44 free online PDF utilities alongside Windows and macOS desktop apps. | Evidence A → |
| Engineering & privacy | 14 / 15 | Provides an immediate trash-icon delete button on the result page and automatically purges remaining files after 30 minutes. | Evidence A → |
Capability · 66/100 · 70%
| Criterion | Score | Rationale | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Task quality | 38 / 65 | Deterministic PDF stream inspection: preserves 100.0% of all 27 native vector text operator blocks (BT/TJ), 4/4 headings, and 12/12 table cells, but fails to recompress or downsample the embedded FlateDecode raster stream, leaving file size virtually unchanged at 1,657.7 KB (-0.08% reduction, 1.00× ratio) (38.0/65) | Evidence A → |
| Deliverable specifications | 14 / 20 | Watermark-free and login-free, but produces negligible size reduction on PDFs containing FlateDecode raster streams (14.0/20) | Evidence A → |
| Processing speed | 14 / 15 | Server processing finishes in 2.35s (14.0/15) | Evidence A → |
Legacy scores may include advertised maximum capabilities. Read tested output separately from paid capabilities. Records without matching tiers and scope are not ranked together.
Revisions & corrections
- 2026-10-23
Initial PDF stream compression ratio and selectable vector text retention benchmark on Mode A document anchor (anchor_pdfcompress_v1).