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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 | PDF Candy | Switch / compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| PDF to Word | Not tested in topic | 90/100 DOCX · Output attached | Compare in task topic → |
| PDF compression | Not tested in topic | 92/100 PDF · Output attached | Compare in task topic → |
| Scanned PDF OCR | Not tested in topic | 87/100 TXT · Output attached | Compare in task topic → |
| PDF merge & split | 98/100 PDF · Output attached | 94/100 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 | PDF Candy PDF merge & split 94/100 Seven-aspect task score Supports login-free page expansion, single-page reordering, and optional page numbering, exporting a 318.9 KB 3-page watermark-free PDF in 2.61s with 100% page order and vector text retention, subject to a 1-task/hour free guest limit. Tested export PDF · Output attached Historical test · 2026-10-25 |
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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 ↗ | PDF Candy USD web and desktop + web bundles · 2026-10-21 Plan · source date Monthly / one-time Annual bill / period Quota & limits Free2026-10-20 ↗ Free Free Free No account; page, hourly and file-size limits; no batching. Numeric limits are not listed. Web Monthly2026-10-20 ↗ USD 6/month — Monthly Monthly web-tool subscription; up to 500 MB/task, no hourly limits, and high-priority processing. Desktop + Web Yearly2026-10-20 ↗ — USD 48/year Annual Billed annually at USD 48.00/year (displayed as USD 4/month equivalent); includes 500 MB/task, no hourly limits, web and desktop access, plus Video Candy and Image Candy web. Billed annually via Paddle at US$48.00/year (applicable taxes calculated at checkout) Desktop + Web Lifetime2026-10-20 ↗ USD 99 · one-time payment Usage / one-time Usage / one-time One payment; desktop perpetual licence is limited to the current major version, including minor updates. 4 plan / billing-period records, all listed; — means that period is not recorded. Confirmed USD 6 monthly, USD 48 yearly (card displays promotional USD 4/month equivalent; verified at USD 48.00/year in the Paddle checkout modal after login on 2026-10-21), and USD 99 one-time. Lifetime covers the licensed version and minor updates, not future major upgrades. Cancellation, sources & verification recordThe page mentions 30-day refunds but also conditions them on recurring unresolved errors; eligibility follows the refund policy. Cancellation retains access through the paid period. Official feature and pricing page ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗ Official feature and pricing page ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗ Logged-in pricing page and Paddle checkout annual bill verification ↗ · 2026-10-21 Capture 1 ↗ |
| Free & trial allowance on the test date | Completely free across all tools with zero file or task count limits | 1 free task per hour for guests; additional tasks require waiting or upgrading (monthly, annual, or lifetime plans) |
| Cancellation & refunds | Free service without paid subscriptions or cancellation procedures. | The page mentions 30-day refunds but also conditions them on recurring unresolved errors; eligibility follows the refund policy. Cancellation retains access through the paid period. |
| Disclosure of costs & limits | Uploads render file lists immediately with move up/down ordering and instant merge download | Hourly rate limit is not shown on the landing page and appears only after triggering the cooldown |
| 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: Yes · Selectable text retained: 100% |
| Fixture findings | 100.0% vector text and table structures perfectly retained across 3 correctly ordered pages with zero raster degradation. | Merged 2 multi-page anchor PDFs (3 pages total, 316.8 KB) into a 318.9 KB watermark-free standard PDF with 3/3 pages in exact cross-document sequence (DOC1-P1 -> DOC1-P2 -> DOC2-P3) and 100% retention of all 37 native vector text operator blocks, 5/5 headings, and 12/12 financial table cells. |
| 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). | PDF Candy merges the 2-page main report and 1-page appendix into a 318.9 KB 3-page PDF in 2.61s while preserving all 37 native vector text streams and embedded figures (result.png, download.png). |
| Suitable uses · historical assessment | Users needing fast, lossless merging of multiple PDF documents with strict absolute privacy | Supports login-free page expansion, single-page reordering, and optional page numbering, exporting a 318.9 KB 3-page watermark-free PDF in 2.61s with 100% page order and vector text retention, subject to a 1-task/hour free guest limit. |
| 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) | Full 3-page native vector merged PDF (318.9 KB · watermark-free · page expansion & page numbering) |
| Watermark observation | No watermark | Watermark-free |
| Batch & API | Supports multi-file up/down ordering and one-click clear | Supports multi-PDF merging, single-page expansion/reordering, and one-click page numbering |
| 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: 2.61s · End-to-end reference: 5.56s |
| Date & fixture | 2026-11-05 · anchor_pdfmerge_v1 · Client-Side (Browser Local / JavaScript) | 2026-10-25 · 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 | Login-free direct merge and download |
| Manual adjustment | Not verified | Not verified |
| Interaction observations | Not verified | Workspace supports both whole-file drag-and-drop and expanding multi-page PDFs to reorder, rotate, or delete individual pages, plus a convenient "Add page numbers" toggle. |
| Background & reputation | ||
| Service lifecycle notice | Not verified | Not verified |
| Operator | PDF Set Go | Icecream Apps Ltd. (PDF Candy) |
| Recorded origin | Not verified | Cyprus (European software team) |
| Domain history record | Not verified | 2016–Present (10-year PDF utility suite) |
| Background & reputation assessment | Not verified | Developed and operated by Icecream Apps Ltd., a well-known desktop and web utility software vendor. |
| External reputation record | Not verified | Not verified |
| Engineering & privacy | ||
| Processing location | On-device processing | Uploaded for cloud processing |
| Third-party tracking record | Google Ads | No third-party services listed in this record; this is not proof that none exist. |
| Engineering & privacy assessment | Not verified | HTTPS-encrypted transfers with a manual delete button on the download screen and automatic purge within 2 hours. |
| Retention statement | This flow runs locally; post-close deletion not independently verified | Claims deletion within 2 hours; deletion not independently verified |
| Evaluation basis | ||
| Pricing transparency | 28 / 35 Allows guest users to merge PDFs and download a watermark-free file for 1 free task per hour, though the 1-task/hour cooldown is not disclosed on the landing page until a second task is attempted (landing.png, result.png, download.png). | |
| Interaction restraint | 26 / 30 Workspace supports both whole-file drag-and-drop and expanding multi-page PDFs to reorder, rotate, or delete individual pages, plus a convenient "Add page numbers" toggle. | |
| Background & reputation | 18.5 / 20 Developed and operated by Icecream Apps Ltd., a well-known desktop and web utility software vendor. | |
| Engineering & privacy | 13.5 / 15 HTTPS-encrypted transfers with a manual delete button on the download screen and automatic purge within 2 hours. | |
| 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) | 65 / 65 Deterministic multi-PDF stream inspection: merges our 2 anchor PDFs (3 pages total, 316.8 KB) into a 318.9 KB standard PDF with exact 3/3 page count, 100% sequential page-order token verification (DOC1-P1 -> DOC1-P2 -> DOC2-P3), and 100.0% retention of all 37 native vector text operator blocks (BT/TJ), 5/5 headings, and 12/12 cross-document financial table cells (65.0/65) |
| Deliverable specifications | 20 / 20 Clean unwatermarked export (8/8); Export spec: Full 3-page unwatermarked native vector PDF (316.1 KB · 100% vector retention) | 18.5 / 20 Exports a complete 3-page watermark-free standard PDF (318.9 KB) without login, with page expansion and optional page numbering, subject to a 1-task/hour free limit (18.5/20) |
| 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) | 14 / 15 Cloud merge worker completes in 2.61s server wait (5.56s end-to-end) (14.0/15) |
