PDFgear · PDF compression
100% free and ad-free across web and desktop, shrinking our 1.66 MB PDF by 97.63% down to 39.2 KB in 1.79s while preserving 100% of selectable vector text.
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
PDFgear web PDF-to-Word; free desktop alternative noted separately · 2026-10-20
1 plan / billing-period records, all listed; — means that period is not recorded.
The official web limit is 100 MB per file. Its OCR claim is not a RealTest scanned-document test. Desktop batch and offline processing are not web capabilities.
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
$0 (100% free across web, desktop, and mobile)
Completely free (no paid subscription tiers currently)
Historical context only; not current purchase guidance.
Delivery & access
- Free delivery record
- Full 2-page watermark-free vector PDF (39.2 KB, -97.63% reduction)
- Watermark
- No watermark
- Free allowance
- All 3 compression levels are 100% free with no daily task caps (up to 50 MB per file)
- Account requirements
- 100% guest-accessible without login
- Maximum specification record
- Full 2-page native vector PDF (39.2 KB · -97.63% · watermark-free · 3 free presets)
May include advertised capabilities; this does not establish a tested paid tier.
- Batch & API
- Single-file web tool; batch compression available in the free desktop app
- Manual refinement
- Not recorded or not verified
Tested result & sample
PDFgear compressed our 1.66 MB PDF fixture down to 39.2 KB (-97.63%) in 1.79s of server processing while preserving all 27 vector text operator blocks (02_workspace.png, 03_result.png).
- Fixture
- anchor_pdfcompress_v1
- Recorded environment
- US-West (California, AS2914)
- Network-observed server wait
- 1.79 s
- End-to-end reference
- 24.73 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
- All 3 compression modes are openly accessible upfront with zero hidden paywalls
- Interaction
- No registration required; choose a preset, click Compress, and download a watermark-free PDF from a clean, ad-free workspace.
- Entity record
- PDFgear Tech Pte. Ltd. (pdfgear.com)
- Origin
- Singapore
- Domain history record
- 2022–Present (fast-growing free cross-platform PDF suite)
- 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 image-stream recompression engine (plus 100% offline desktop & mobile apps)
- Retention statement
- Temporary uploaded and output files are automatically deleted from servers after processing
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 98.5/100
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 · 96/100 · 30%
| Criterion | Score | Rationale | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing transparency | 35 / 35 | 100% free across Low, Medium, and High compression presets with zero login walls, daily limits, ads, or post-compression paywalls (01_landing.png, 02_workspace.png, 03_result.png). | Evidence A → |
| Interaction restraint | 29 / 30 | No registration required; choose a preset, click Compress, and download a watermark-free PDF from a clean, ad-free workspace. | Evidence A → |
| Background & reputation | 18 / 20 | Developed by PDFgear Tech Pte. Ltd. in Singapore, widely praised for its completely free cross-platform PDF toolkit. | Evidence A → |
| Engineering & privacy | 14 / 15 | Uses TLS encryption and purges temporary server files after download, alongside 100% offline desktop and mobile apps. | Evidence A → |
Capability · 99.5/100 · 70%
| Criterion | Score | Rationale | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Task quality | 65 / 65 | Deterministic PDF stream inspection: shrinks the 1,659.0 KB fixture down to 39.2 KB (-97.63%, 42.27× ratio) while retaining 100.0% of all 27 native vector text operator blocks (BT/TJ), 4/4 headings, 12/12 table cells, and the Page 2 token (65.0/65) | Evidence A → |
| Deliverable specifications | 20 / 20 | Exports a 39.2 KB watermark-free 2-page vector PDF without login, with all three compression presets unlocked for free (20.0/20) | Evidence A → |
| Processing speed | 14.5 / 15 | Once upload completes (22.94s), server-side PDF compression finishes in just 1.79s (14.5/15) | 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).