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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 | pdfsetgo.com | deftpdf.com | Switch / compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| PDF to Word | Not tested in topic | 97/100 DOCX · Output attached | Compare in task topic → |
| PDF compression | Not tested in topic | 97/100 PDF · Output attached | Compare in task topic → |
| Scanned PDF OCR | Not tested in topic | 97/100 PDF · Output attached | Compare in task topic → |
| PDF merge & split | 98/100 PDF · Output attached | 91/100 PDF · Output attached | Active task |
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Browse this task →| Criterion | PDF Set Go PDF merge & split 98/100 Seven-aspect task score PDF Set Go performed exceptionally in the two-file 3-page PDF merge benchmark, completing a lossless client-side concatenation in 3.1 seconds with instant Blob export. All 37 vector text operators and financial tables were 100% preserved with zero uploads, no login, and no watermarks, offering top-tier privacy and effortless usability. Tested export PDF · Output attached Historical test · 2026-11-05 | DeftPDF PDF merge & split 91/100 Seven-aspect task score DeftPDF provides vector-preserving online PDF merging without requiring sign-in. In our 3-page anchor test, it completed merging in 1.1 seconds and delivered a 316.7 KB native PDF with 100% of headings and table cells preserved, backed by an upfront 3-hour deletion guarantee. Tested export PDF · Output attached Historical test · 2026-10-31 |
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| Pricing & rules | ||
| Pricing plans | PDF Set Go site-wide free online tools · 2026-11-05 Plan · source date Monthly / one-time Annual bill / period Quota & limits 1 plan / billing-period records, all listed; — means that period is not recorded. All tools across the site are provided free of charge with no login, no quotas, and no export watermarks. Cancellation, sources & verification recordFree service without paid subscriptions or cancellation procedures. PDF Set Go Official Homepage ↗ · 2026-11-05 Capture 1 ↗ PDF Set Go Official Terms of Use & Free Policy ↗ · 2026-11-05 Capture 1 ↗ | 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 ↗ |
| Free & trial allowance on the test date | Completely free across all tools with zero file or task count limits | 20-50MB per task cap with 3-hour scheduled deletion |
| Cancellation & refunds | Free service without paid subscriptions or cancellation procedures. | Not verified |
| Disclosure of costs & limits | Uploads render file lists immediately with move up/down ordering and instant merge download | 3-hour purge policy disclosed on homepage |
| Task quality | ||
| Measured fixture results | Merged page count: 3 / 3 · Page order preserved: Yes · Selectable text retained: 100% | Merged page count: 3 / 3 · Page order preserved: No · Selectable text retained: 100% |
| Fixture findings | 100.0% vector text and table structures perfectly retained across 3 correctly ordered pages with zero raster degradation. | All 3 pages across both documents were fully preserved with 100% vector text retention across 5 headings and 12 table cells; multi-file upload defaulted to reverse order resulting in inverted page sequence (quality score 55.0/65). |
| Original historical observation | PDF Set Go merged both test PDFs into a 3-page native vector document within 3.1s locally in the browser, fully preserving typography with zero watermarks (02_result.png, 03_download.png). | DeftPDF preserved document layout, crisp vector text, and table formatting across both files. |
| Suitable uses · historical assessment | Users needing fast, lossless merging of multiple PDF documents with strict absolute privacy | Users needing fast multi-PDF merging with strict preservation of vector typography and copyable tables |
| 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 3-page unwatermarked native vector PDF (316.1 KB · 100% vector retention) | 3-page PDF (316.7 KB, zero watermark, 100% vector text preserved) |
| Watermark observation | No watermark | Watermark-free |
| Batch & API | Supports multi-file up/down ordering and one-click clear | Supports multi-file merge and cloud export |
| Recorded free-tier dimensions | Not verified | Not verified |
| Attached file dimensions | Not verified | Not verified |
| Speed & reliability | ||
| Timing observation | Recorded local processing time: 0s · End-to-end reference: 3.1s | Network-observed server wait: 1.1s · End-to-end reference: 1.1s |
| Date & fixture | 2026-11-05 · anchor_pdfmerge_v1 · Client-Side (Browser Local / JavaScript) | 2026-10-31 · anchor_pdfmerge_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% no sign-up required, direct local merge and export | Direct upload without login |
| Manual adjustment | Not verified | Not verified |
| Interaction observations | Not verified | Not verified |
| Background & reputation | ||
| Service lifecycle notice | Not verified | Not verified |
| Operator | PDF Set Go | DeftPDF Inc. |
| Recorded origin | Not verified | United States |
| Domain history record | Not verified | Founded in 2013 |
| Background & reputation assessment | Not verified | Not verified |
| External reputation record | Not verified | Operating for over a decade with explicit 3-hour automatic file deletion policy. |
| Engineering & privacy | ||
| Processing location | On-device processing | Uploaded for cloud processing |
| Third-party tracking record | Google Ads | Google Analytics |
| Engineering & privacy assessment | Not verified | Not verified |
| Retention statement | This flow runs locally; post-close deletion not independently verified | Claims deletion within 3 hours; deletion not independently verified |
| Evaluation basis | ||
| Pricing transparency | ||
| Interaction restraint | ||
| Background & reputation | ||
| Engineering & privacy | ||
| Task quality | 65 / 65 Merged Page Completeness: 3/3 pages · Exact Page Sequence (P1→P2→P3): Yes · Selectable Vector Text Retained: 100% (12/12 table cells) | 55 / 65 Merged Page Completeness: 3/3 pages · Exact Page Sequence (P1→P2→P3): No · Selectable Vector Text Retained: 100% (12/12 table cells) |
| Deliverable specifications | 20 / 20 Clean unwatermarked export (8/8); Export spec: Full 3-page unwatermarked native vector PDF (316.1 KB · 100% vector retention) | 20 / 20 Clean unwatermarked export (8/8); Export spec: 3-page PDF (316.7 KB, zero watermark, 100% vector text preserved) |
| Processing speed | 15 / 15 Network-observed server wait: 0s (API mode: client_side_javascript_pdf_merge; network upload 0s / end-to-end 3.1s shown for reference only, never penalized) | 15 / 15 Network-observed server wait: 1.1s (API mode: client_side_wasm_ghostscript; network upload 0s / end-to-end 1.1s shown for reference only, never penalized) |
