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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 | PDF2Go | pdfescape.com | Switch / compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| PDF to Word | 79/100 DOCX · Output attached | Not tested in topic | Compare in task topic → |
| PDF compression | 96/100 PDF · Output attached | 93/100 PDF · Output attached | Active task |
| Scanned PDF OCR | 91/100 PDF · Output attached | Not tested in topic | Compare in task topic → |
| PDF merge & split | 96/100 PDF · Output attached | Not tested in topic | Compare in task topic → |
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Browse this task →| Criterion | PDF2Go PDF compression 96/100 Seven-aspect task score Veteran German tool by QaamGo offering free guest access to Basic and Strong compression, shrinking our 1.66 MB PDF by 95.24% to 79.0 KB in 3.31s with 100% vector text retention. Tested export PDF · Output attached Historical test · 2026-10-23 | 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 | PDF2Go USD single-user plans and education eligibility plan · 2026-10-20 Plan · source date Monthly / one-time Annual bill / period Quota & limits Free2026-10-20 ↗ Free Free Free Up to 50 MB without registration; limited processing, no batching; exact count not listed. Starter2026-10-20 ↗ USD 8/month USD 77/year Monthly 64 GB files, batching, priority queue; 1× AI allowance Annual 64 GB files, batching, priority queue; 1× AI allowance Pro2026-10-20 ↗ USD 29/month USD 278/year Monthly 64 GB files, batching, higher priority; 5× AI allowance Annual 64 GB files, batching, higher priority; 5× AI allowance Business2026-10-20 ↗ USD 89/month USD 854/year Monthly Per-person price; custom limits and centralized billing; 20× AI allowance Annual Per-person price; custom limits and centralized billing; 20× AI allowance Education eligibility plan2026-10-20 ↗ Free Free Free School-email verification; non-commercial educational use only, renewable while eligible. 8 plan / billing-period records, all listed; — means that period is not recorded. The annual view explicitly shows full-year USD 77/278/854; old monthly equivalents are not extrapolated. Paid plans use shared credits without full PDF credit rules here, so no file-count conversion is made. Verification has gaps; unknown prices and quotas are not inferred. Cancellation, sources & verification recordThe page states cancel anytime and a 14-day money-back guarantee; eligibility is subject to official refund terms. Official feature and pricing page ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗ Official feature and pricing page ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗ Official feature and pricing page ↗ · 2026-10-20 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 | Basic and Strong compression presets are free for guests within standard file-size/credit limits | Free guest processing for files under 10MB with Regular and High levels, zero paywall intercept |
| Cancellation & refunds | The page states cancel anytime and a 14-day money-back guarantee; eligibility is subject to official refund terms. | Not verified |
| Disclosure of costs & limits | Clearly labels free presets versus crown-badged custom DPI options before starting | Pricing page discloses monthly and annual subscriptions with monthly equivalent presentation |
| Task quality | ||
| Measured fixture results | File reduction: 95.24% · Output size: 79 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 | Reduced the 2-page PDF by 95.24% (79.0 KB output) while retaining 100% of selectable vector text and table cells. | 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 | PDF2Go reduced our 1.66 MB PDF by 95.24% to 79.0 KB in 3.31s at the default Basic preset while keeping all vector text selectable (02_workspace.png, 03_result.png). | 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 wanting GDPR-compliant German infrastructure with >95% size reduction and 100% selectable vector text without login | 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 | Full 2-page native vector PDF (79.0 KB · -95.24% · watermark-free · Basic/Strong free) | 2-page intact watermark-free vector PDF (-98.00% extreme reduction) |
| Watermark observation | No watermark | Watermark-free |
| Batch & API | Supports multi-file upload, Google Drive/Dropbox integration, and ZIP download | 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: 3.31s · End-to-end reference: 6.83s | Network-observed server wait: 4.62s · End-to-end reference: 4.91s |
| Date & fixture | 2026-10-23 · 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 | No login required | Basic online compression tools usable without login; email/password accounts supported for desktop suite |
| Manual adjustment | Not verified | Not verified |
| Interaction observations | Clicking START finishes in ~3.31s and leads to a clean download screen with direct PDF/ZIP download and cloud export options without forced sign-up. | Not verified |
| Background & reputation | ||
| Service lifecycle notice | Not verified | Not verified |
| Operator | QaamGo Web GmbH (pdf2go.com) | Avanquest Software (Claranova SE) |
| Recorded origin | Radolfzell, Germany | France / USA / Canada |
| Domain history record | 2016–Present (10-year German online PDF platform) | Founded in 2007 (operating for nearly 20 years) |
| Background & reputation assessment | Operated by QaamGo Web GmbH in Radolfzell, Germany, part of the long-standing German document conversion suite alongside Img2Go. | Not verified |
| External reputation record | Not verified | 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 | No third-party services listed in this record; this is not proof that none exist. | Google Analytics · Google Tag Manager · Axeptio · Avanquest Analytics |
| Engineering & privacy assessment | GDPR-compliant German infrastructure with an instant delete button on the result page and automatic 24-hour file expiration. | Not verified |
| Retention statement | Claims deletion within 24 hours; deletion not independently verified | Explicit retention period unconfirmed; inspect policy record |
| Evaluation basis | ||
| Pricing transparency | 32 / 35 Unlocks both Basic Compression and Strong Compression presets (plus grayscale option) for free without login, reserving only granular custom DPI presets for Premium (01_landing.png, 02_workspace.png, 03_result.png). | |
| Interaction restraint | 27 / 30 Clicking START finishes in ~3.31s and leads to a clean download screen with direct PDF/ZIP download and cloud export options without forced sign-up. | |
| Background & reputation | 19 / 20 Operated by QaamGo Web GmbH in Radolfzell, Germany, part of the long-standing German document conversion suite alongside Img2Go. | |
| Engineering & privacy | 14 / 15 GDPR-compliant German infrastructure with an instant delete button on the result page and automatic 24-hour file expiration. | |
| Task quality | 65 / 65 Deterministic PDF stream inspection: default Basic Compression shrinks the 1,659.0 KB fixture to 79.0 KB (-95.24%, 21.00× ratio) while preserving 100.0% of selectable vector text (7 BT / 10 TJ), 4/4 headings, and 12/12 table cells (65.0/65) | 65 / 65 Size Reduction: -98% (1659 KB → 33.2 KB, 50.04× ratio) · Selectable Vector Text Retained: 100% · Page 2 Preserved: Yes |
| Deliverable specifications | 19 / 20 Exports a 79.0 KB watermark-free 2-page vector PDF without login, including free Basic and Strong presets plus grayscale toggle (19.0/20) | 19 / 20 Clean unwatermarked export (8/8); Export spec: 2-page intact watermark-free vector PDF (-98.00% extreme reduction) |
| Processing speed | 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) | |
