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Test scope & comparison notes
These are recorded facts, not a unified ranking. Tested tiers and scope are not consistently recorded. Read pricing with its date and timing with its conditions. Privacy observations reflect visible flows and statements, not a security audit.
Cross-task capability coverage across selected products
Each product is scored independently per task edge; switch tasks below while keeping shared products selected| Task edge | deftpdf.com | pdfescape.com | Switch / compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| PDF to Word | 97/100 DOCX · Output attached | Not tested in topic | Compare in task topic → |
| PDF compression | 97/100 PDF · Output attached | 93/100 PDF · Output attached | Active task |
| Scanned PDF OCR | 97/100 PDF · Output attached | Not tested in topic | Compare in task topic → |
| PDF merge & split | 91/100 PDF · Output attached | Not tested in topic | Compare in task topic → |
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Browse this task →| Criterion | DeftPDF PDF compression 97/100 Seven-aspect task score DeftPDF delivers vector-preserving online PDF compression without requiring an account. On our 1,659 KB mixed anchor, it achieved a 78.74% size reduction (down to 352.6 KB) while keeping 100% of vector text and table structures intact, backed by a 3-hour automatic deletion guarantee and upfront pricing. Tested export PDF · Output attached Historical test · 2026-10-31 | PDFescape PDF compression 93/100 Seven-aspect task score Veteran guest-usable PDF compressor delivering High Compression mode that slashes 1.62 MB dual-page anchor by 98.00% down to 33.2 KB while preserving 100% of 27 vector text operators and tables in 4.62s server wait. Tested export PDF · Output attached Historical test · 2026-11-02 |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & rules | ||
| Pricing plans | DeftPDF free tier, Pro Plan and Premium annual subscriptions · 2026-10-31 Plan · source date Monthly / one-time Annual bill / period Quota & limits Free Plan2026-10-31 ↗ Free Free Free Free per-tool limits across 40+ tools; merge up to 25 files, 20-50MB task limit, 3-hour scheduled deletion PDF viewing, merge & split, format conversions, OCR, basic translation, and Standard AI chat；Per-tool batch and file size caps apply; lacks Fast/Premium AI models Pro Plan (Annual)2026-10-31 ↗ — USD 49.99/year Annual Merge batch limit up to 500 files, Chat with PDF stores 50 docs (200 questions/mo), 30MB file size Higher per-tool limits, PDF text editing, paid templates, and Fast AI tier ($4.17/mo equivalent)；Billed annually at $49.99/year; auto-renews annually Premium (Annual)2026-10-31 ↗ — USD 199.99/year Annual Chat with PDF stores up to 100,000 docs (1,000 questions/mo), 10 PDFs per chat, 90MB file cap (6,000 pages) All Pro limits plus top-tier Premium AI models and multi-document chat ($16.67/mo equivalent)；Billed annually at $199.99/year; auto-renews annually 3 plan / billing-period records, all listed; — means that period is not recorded. Free unregistered tier supports over 40 tools (merge batch limit 25, 20-50MB per task cap, 3-hour automatic purge); Pro Plan is $49.99/year ($4.17/mo), Premium is $199.99/year ($16.67/mo). Cancellation, sources & verification recordCancellation and refund terms unverified DeftPDF Plans & Pricing ↗ · 2026-10-31 Capture 1 ↗ | PDFescape Free online tools, Premium and Ultimate annual desktop suites · 2026-10-31 Plan · source date Monthly / one-time Annual bill / period Quota & limits Free Online2026-10-31 ↗ Free Free Free Up to 10 stored files for 7 days, 10 MB per file limit Web-based PDF viewing, basic editing, form filling & creation, encryption, and sharing；Ad-supported; lacks desktop offline text/image editing and advanced conversion Premium (billed yearly)2026-10-31 ↗ — Annual price not verified Annual Up to 100 stored files for 30 days, 40 MB per file limit Ad-free, desktop & online PDF editing, PDF to Word conversion, merge & compress, page numbering & watermarks；Displayed as $2.99/month billed yearly without disclosing the upfront annual invoice total Ultimate (billed yearly)2026-10-31 ↗ — Annual price not verified Annual No expiration on online file storage, 40 MB per file limit All Premium features plus advanced form designer, digital signatures, and permanent redaction；Displayed as $5.99/month billed yearly without disclosing the upfront annual invoice total 3 plan / billing-period records, all listed; — means that period is not recorded. Free online tools allow up to 10MB/10 files without registration; Premium and Ultimate display monthly equivalents ($2.99/mo and $5.99/mo billed yearly) without stating the upfront annual billing invoice total. Verification has gaps; unknown prices and quotas are not inferred. Cancellation, sources & verification recordCancellation and refund terms unverified PDFescape Plans & Pricing ↗ · 2026-10-31 Capture 1 ↗ |
| Free & trial allowance on the test date | 20-50MB per task cap with 3-hour scheduled deletion | Free guest processing for files under 10MB with Regular and High levels, zero paywall intercept |
| Cancellation & refunds | Not verified | Not verified |
| Disclosure of costs & limits | 3-hour purge policy disclosed on homepage | Pricing page discloses monthly and annual subscriptions with monthly equivalent presentation |
| Task quality | ||
| Measured fixture results | File reduction: 78.74% · Output size: 352.6 KB · Selectable text retained: 100% · Page 2 preserved: Yes | File reduction: 98% · Output size: 33.2 KB · Selectable text retained: 100% · Page 2 preserved: Yes |
| Fixture findings | Anchor file size reduced by 78.74% (to 352.6 KB) with 100% vector text retention across all 4 headings and 12 table cells, without rasterization degradation. | Guest export of full 2-page watermark-free PDF (33.2 KB · -98.00%) retaining 100% of 27 native vector text operators, 4/4 headings, and 12/12 table cells with page 2 token intact in 4.62s server wait. |
| Original historical observation | DeftPDF preserved page layout, image clarity, and crisp vector typography. | PDFescape completed compression on the 1.62 MB dual-page PDF anchor in 4.62s server wait, achieving 98.00% size reduction down to 33.2 KB with all 27 vector text operators, 4/4 headings, and 12/12 table cells intact. |
| Suitable uses · historical assessment | Users needing significant size reduction while maintaining sharp text and vector copyability | Users seeking a trusted guest-usable tool to drastically compress PDF file sizes while retaining full dual-page vector text and table fidelity |
| Result & output evidence | ||
| Delivery capabilities | ||
| Recorded export specifications | PDF · Output attached · No watermark in test | PDF · Output attached · No watermark in test |
| Historical specification note · not an official maximum | Two-page PDF (352.6 KB, -78.74%, zero watermark, 100% vector text preserved) | 2-page intact watermark-free vector PDF (-98.00% extreme reduction) |
| Watermark observation | Watermark-free | Watermark-free |
| Batch & API | Supports 25-file batch upload and cloud export | Web application handles single files without login; desktop client supports batch workflows |
| Recorded free-tier dimensions | Not verified | Not verified |
| Attached file dimensions | Not verified | Not verified |
| Speed & reliability | ||
| Timing observation | Network-observed server wait: 3.5s · End-to-end reference: 3.5s | Network-observed server wait: 4.62s · End-to-end reference: 4.91s |
| Date & fixture | 2026-10-31 · anchor_pdfcompress_v1 · US-West (California, AS2914) | 2026-11-02 · anchor_pdfcompress_v1 · US-West (California, AS2914) |
| Repeated tests & reliability | No standardized repetition count, success rate or variability range is recorded. | No standardized repetition count, success rate or variability range is recorded. |
| Interaction experience | ||
| Account requirements | No login in this test | No login in this test |
| Sign-in methods | Direct upload without login | Basic online compression tools usable without login; email/password accounts supported for desktop suite |
| Manual adjustment | Not verified | Not verified |
| Interaction observations | Not verified | Not verified |
| Background & reputation | ||
| Service lifecycle notice | Not verified | Not verified |
| Operator | DeftPDF Inc. | Avanquest Software (Claranova SE) |
| Recorded origin | United States | France / USA / Canada |
| Domain history record | Founded in 2013 | Founded in 2007 (operating for nearly 20 years) |
| Background & reputation assessment | Not verified | Not verified |
| External reputation record | Operating for over a decade with explicit 3-hour automatic file deletion policy. | Veteran document utility operating since 2007, now maintained by public software group Avanquest / Claranova. |
| Engineering & privacy | ||
| Processing location | Uploaded for cloud processing | Uploaded for cloud processing |
| Third-party tracking record | Google Analytics | Google Analytics · Google Tag Manager · Axeptio · Avanquest Analytics |
| Engineering & privacy assessment | Not verified | Not verified |
| Retention statement | Claims deletion within 3 hours; deletion not independently verified | Explicit retention period unconfirmed; inspect policy record |
| Evaluation basis | ||
| Pricing transparency | ||
| Interaction restraint | ||
| Background & reputation | ||
| Engineering & privacy | ||
| Task quality | 65 / 65 Size Reduction: -78.74% (1659 KB → 352.6 KB, 4.7× ratio) · Selectable Vector Text Retained: 100% · Page 2 Preserved: Yes | 65 / 65 Size Reduction: -98% (1659 KB → 33.2 KB, 50.04× ratio) · Selectable Vector Text Retained: 100% · Page 2 Preserved: Yes |
| Deliverable specifications | 20 / 20 Clean unwatermarked export (8/8); Export spec: Two-page PDF (352.6 KB, -78.74%, zero watermark, 100% vector text preserved) | 19 / 20 Clean unwatermarked export (8/8); Export spec: 2-page intact watermark-free vector PDF (-98.00% extreme reduction) |
| Processing speed | 14 / 15 Network-observed server wait: 3.5s (API mode: client_side_wasm_ghostscript; network upload 0s / end-to-end 3.5s shown for reference only, never penalized) | 13 / 15 Network-observed server wait: 4.62s (API mode: async_verified; network upload 0s / end-to-end 4.91s shown for reference only, never penalized) |
