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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 | PDFgear | WeCompress | Switch / compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Image compression | Not tested in topic | 92/100 2048 × 2048 · PNG | Compare in task topic → |
| PDF to Word | 82/100 DOCX · Output attached | Not tested in topic | Compare in task topic → |
| PDF compression | 99/100 PDF · Output attached | 96/100 PDF · Output attached | Active task |
| PDF merge & split | 99/100 PDF · Output attached | Not tested in topic | Compare in task topic → |
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Browse this task →| Criterion | PDFgear PDF compression 99/100 Seven-aspect task score 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. Tested export PDF · Output attached Historical test · 2026-10-23 | WeCompress PDF compression 96/100 Seven-aspect task score Free login-free zero-config compression shrinks our test PDF by ~95% (to 84 KB) while retaining 100% selectable vector text for files up to 50 MB; it lacks batch upload or manual DPI presets and processes in the cloud. Tested export PDF · Output attached Historical test · 2026-10-26 |
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| Pricing & rules | ||
| Pricing plans | PDFgear web PDF-to-Word; free desktop alternative noted separately · 2026-10-20 Plan · source date Monthly / one-time Annual bill / period Quota & limits Web free2026-10-20 ↗ Free Free Free One PDF at a time, up to 100 MB; OCR is claimed by the vendor. Batch processing and no file-size limit are desktop features. 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 recordCancellation and refund terms follow official checkout and help policies. Official feature and pricing page ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗ | WeCompress online file and image compressor web tool (excludes separately sold NXPowerLite Desktop software) · 2026-10-21 Plan · source date Monthly / one-time Annual bill / period Quota & limits WeCompress Online Free2026-10-21 ↗ Free Free Free Free without login; max 50 MB per file (supports JPEG/PNG/TIFF and PDF/Office documents) with ad-free, unwatermarked export. 1 plan / billing-period records, all listed; — means that period is not recorded. The WeCompress web tool explicitly states it is free, ad-free, and requires no registration for files up to 50 MB (supporting JPEG, PNG, TIFF, PDF, PowerPoint, Word, and Excel), with automatic deletion after processing. Users needing larger file limits or offline batch compression are directed to the separate NXPowerLite Desktop software. Cancellation, sources & verification recordWeCompress web is completely free with no subscription charges; NXPowerLite Desktop is sold separately by Neuxpower. WeCompress official online file compressor page ↗ · 2026-10-21 Capture 1 ↗ |
| Free & trial allowance on the test date | All 3 compression levels are 100% free with no daily task caps (up to 50 MB per file) | Free no-login single-file compression up to 50 MB for PDF/Office/images; multi-file batch and offline compression require NXPowerLite Desktop |
| Cancellation & refunds | Cancellation and refund terms follow official checkout and help policies. | WeCompress web is completely free with no subscription charges; NXPowerLite Desktop is sold separately by Neuxpower. |
| Disclosure of costs & limits | All 3 compression modes are openly accessible upfront with zero hidden paywalls | Upfront 'Max. 50 MB' and 'Auto-deleted after processing' disclosures on the landing page |
| Task quality | ||
| Measured fixture results | File reduction: 97.63% · Output size: 39.2 KB · Selectable text retained: 100% · Page 2 preserved: Yes | File reduction: 94.94% · Output size: 84 KB · Selectable text retained: 100% · Page 2 preserved: Yes |
| Fixture findings | Reduced the 2-page PDF by 97.63% (39.2 KB output) while retaining 100% of all 27 native vector text operator blocks and table text. | Shrinks 1,659.0 KB to 84.0 KB (-94.94%, 19.75x) while retaining 100.0% of all 27 vector text operators and 12/12 table cells. |
| Original historical observation | 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). | Powered by Neuxpower's NXPowerLite engine, WeCompress compressed the 1,659.0 KB test PDF down to 84.0 KB (-94.94%, 19.75x) in 1.68s of server processing while keeping all 27 vector text operators and financial table cells 100% selectable (02_result.png). |
| Suitable uses · historical assessment | Users seeking a 100% free, ad-free tool that achieves extreme size reduction (-97.63%) while keeping all vector text selectable | Users seeking maximum zero-config PDF size reduction (-94.94%) without login while keeping 100% selectable vector text |
| 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 (39.2 KB · -97.63% · watermark-free · 3 free presets) | Complete 2-page watermark-free vector PDF (84.0 KB, 94.94% reduction) |
| Watermark observation | No watermark | Watermark-free |
| Batch & API | Single-file web tool; batch compression available in the free desktop app | Single-file upload up to 50 MB on web; batch compression via desktop client |
| Recorded free-tier dimensions | Not verified | Not verified |
| Attached file dimensions | Not verified | Not verified |
| Speed & reliability | ||
| Timing observation | Network-observed server wait: 1.79s · End-to-end reference: 24.73s | Network-observed server wait: 1.68s · End-to-end reference: 10.82s |
| Date & fixture | 2026-10-23 · anchor_pdfcompress_v1 · US-West (California, AS2914) | 2026-10-26 · 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 | 100% guest-accessible without login | No login required |
| Manual adjustment | Not verified | Not verified |
| Interaction observations | No registration required; choose a preset, click Compress, and download a watermark-free PDF from a clean, ad-free workspace. | Not verified |
| Background & reputation | ||
| Service lifecycle notice | Not verified | Not verified |
| Operator | PDFgear Tech Pte. Ltd. (pdfgear.com) | Neuxpower Solutions Ltd. |
| Recorded origin | Singapore | London, UK (est. 1997) |
| Domain history record | 2022–Present (fast-growing free cross-platform PDF suite) | 1997–Present (Neuxpower) |
| Background & reputation assessment | Developed by PDFgear Tech Pte. Ltd. in Singapore, widely praised for its completely free cross-platform PDF toolkit. | Not verified |
| External reputation record | Not verified | Web companion to the long-standing NXPowerLite document and PDF compression engine. |
| 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. | No third-party services listed in this record; this is not proof that none exist. |
| Engineering & privacy assessment | Uses TLS encryption and purges temporary server files after download, alongside 100% offline desktop and mobile apps. | Not verified |
| Retention statement | Explicit retention period unconfirmed; inspect policy record | Explicit retention period unconfirmed; inspect policy record |
| Evaluation 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). | |
| Interaction restraint | 29 / 30 No registration required; choose a preset, click Compress, and download a watermark-free PDF from a clean, ad-free workspace. | |
| Background & reputation | 18 / 20 Developed by PDFgear Tech Pte. Ltd. in Singapore, widely praised for its completely free cross-platform PDF toolkit. | |
| Engineering & privacy | 14 / 15 Uses TLS encryption and purges temporary server files after download, alongside 100% offline desktop and mobile apps. | |
| 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) | 65 / 65 Size Reduction: -94.94% (1659 KB → 84 KB, 19.75× ratio) · Selectable Vector Text Retained: 100% · Page 2 Preserved: Yes |
| 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) | 19 / 20 Clean unwatermarked export (8/8); Export spec: Complete 2-page watermark-free vector PDF (84.0 KB, 94.94% reduction) |
| Processing speed | 14.5 / 15 Once upload completes (22.94s), server-side PDF compression finishes in just 1.79s (14.5/15) | 14.5 / 15 Network-observed server wait: 1.68s (API mode: cloud_nxpowerlite_azure_job; network upload 9.14s / end-to-end 10.82s shown for reference only, never penalized) |
