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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 | Xodo | pdfescape.com | Switch / compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| PDF to Word | 91/100 DOCX · Output attached | Not tested in topic | Compare in task topic → |
| PDF compression | 94/100 PDF · Output attached | 93/100 PDF · Output attached | Active task |
| Scanned PDF OCR | 90/100 PDF · Output attached | Not tested in topic | Compare in task topic → |
| PDF merge & split | 95/100 PDF · Output attached | Not tested in topic | Compare in task topic → |
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Browse this task →| Criterion | Xodo PDF compression 94/100 Seven-aspect task score Runs Apryse's industrial WebAssembly PDF kernel 100% locally in the browser (zero server upload), shrinking our 1.66 MB PDF by 78.51% to 356.5 KB with 100% vector text retention on the free Low preset (1 free file/day; High preset locked to Pro). 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 | Xodo USD individual web and cross-platform suite; desktop alternative identified · 2026-10-20 Plan · source date Monthly / one-time Annual bill / period Quota & limits Xodo Web2026-10-20 ↗ USD 10.99/month USD 95.88/year Monthly 40+ web tools and unlimited document downloads Rules [1] Annual 40+ web tools and unlimited document downloads Rules [1] Xodo Document Suite2026-10-20 ↗ USD 24.99/month USD 107.93/year Monthly Web, desktop and mobile bundle with unlimited web use Rules [1] Annual Web, desktop and mobile bundle with unlimited web use Rules [1] Xodo Desktop · PDF Studio2026-10-20 ↗ USD 19.99/month USD 119.88/year Monthly Desktop alternative, not web access Rules [1] Annual Desktop alternative, not web access Rules [1] Web / suite trial2026-10-20 ↗ Free trial Trial Trial 3 days; valid payment method required, cancellable during the trial. Custom team plan2026-10-20 ↗ Contact sales Quoted Quoted Price varies by app bundle, seats and billing cycle; not all combinations verified. 9 plan / billing-period records, all listed; — means that period is not recorded. Monthly and annual bills confirmed. Document Suite USD 107.93/year is a new-annual-subscription promotion through 2026-12-31, retained while the annual subscription stays active. Team seat combinations and desktop perpetual licences were not exhaustively checked. Verification has gaps; unknown prices and quotas are not inferred. Cancellation, sources & verification recordMonthly subscriptions can be cancelled anytime; trials require a valid payment method. Refund terms were not fully verified. 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 | Low Compression is free (1 file/day); High Compression and batch processing require Xodo Pro | Free guest processing for files under 10MB with Regular and High levels, zero paywall intercept |
| Cancellation & refunds | Monthly subscriptions can be cancelled anytime; trials require a valid payment method. Refund terms were not fully verified. | Not verified |
| Disclosure of costs & limits | Clearly badges High Compression as a Pro feature on the workspace panel | Pricing page discloses monthly and annual subscriptions with monthly equivalent presentation |
| Task quality | ||
| Measured fixture results | File reduction: 78.51% · Output size: 356.5 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 | Compressed the 2-page PDF locally via WASM by 78.51% (356.5 KB output) while retaining 100% of all 27 native vector text operator blocks. | 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 | Powered by Apryse's WebAssembly PDF engine, Xodo compressed our 1.66 MB PDF locally in the browser in 5.64s to 356.5 KB (-78.51%) while preserving all 27 native vector text operator blocks (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 | Privacy-sensitive enterprise users who require 100% local in-browser PDF compression without sacrificing selectable vector text | 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 (356.5 KB · -78.51% · watermark-free · Low preset, 1/day free) | 2-page intact watermark-free vector PDF (-98.00% extreme reduction) |
| Watermark observation | No watermark | Watermark-free |
| Batch & API | Batch compression on Pro tier; enterprise Apryse SDK available | 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 | Recorded local processing time: 5.64s · End-to-end reference: 5.64s | 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 (1 free action per day) | Basic online compression tools usable without login; email/password accounts supported for desktop suite |
| Manual adjustment | Not verified | Not verified |
| Interaction observations | Compresses directly in the browser after clicking Compress and provides a clean Download button without ad clutter. | Not verified |
| Background & reputation | ||
| Service lifecycle notice | Not verified | Not verified |
| Operator | Apryse Software Corp. (formerly PDFTron Systems Inc.) | Avanquest Software (Claranova SE) |
| Recorded origin | Vancouver, Canada / Denver, USA | France / USA / Canada |
| Domain history record | Xodo launched in 2014 (parent company PDFTron founded in 1998) | Founded in 2007 (operating for nearly 20 years) |
| Background & reputation assessment | Developed and operated by Apryse Software Corp. (formerly PDFTron Systems Inc., founded 1998), a premier enterprise PDF SDK vendor. | 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 | On-device 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 | Powered by Apryse WebViewer WebAssembly (webviewer-core.min.js), executing PDF compression 100% locally in browser memory without server uploads. | Not verified |
| Retention statement | This flow runs locally; post-close deletion not independently verified | Explicit retention period unconfirmed; inspect policy record |
| Evaluation basis | ||
| Pricing transparency | 30 / 35 Unlocks Low Compression for free without login (1 free action/day) while clearly badging High Compression as Pro (01_landing.png, 02_workspace.png, 03_result.png). | |
| Interaction restraint | 26 / 30 Compresses directly in the browser after clicking Compress and provides a clean Download button without ad clutter. | |
| Background & reputation | 20 / 20 Developed and operated by Apryse Software Corp. (formerly PDFTron Systems Inc., founded 1998), a premier enterprise PDF SDK vendor. | |
| Engineering & privacy | 15 / 15 Powered by Apryse WebViewer WebAssembly (webviewer-core.min.js), executing PDF compression 100% locally in browser memory without server uploads. | |
| Task quality | 65 / 65 Deterministic PDF stream inspection: local WebAssembly engine compresses the 1,659.0 KB fixture to 356.5 KB (-78.51%, 4.65× ratio) on the free Low preset while preserving 100.0% of all 27 native vector text operator blocks (BT/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 | 17.5 / 20 Exports a 356.5 KB watermark-free 2-page vector PDF without login, though High Compression is Pro-locked and free usage is capped at 1 action/day (17.5/20) | 19 / 20 Clean unwatermarked export (8/8); Export spec: 2-page intact watermark-free vector PDF (-98.00% extreme reduction) |
| Processing speed | 12.5 / 15 Local browser Apryse WASM worker completes compression in 5.64s with zero network upload overhead (12.5/15) | 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) |
