Does Plain upload my PDFs?

No. Plain processes PDFs locally in your browser. Your files are not uploaded for processing.

Can I verify this myself?

Yes. Use your browser's Developer Tools (Network tab) while running a tool. You should not see requests containing your PDF data.

Does Plain work offline?

Plain can work offline after the site has loaded. If you refresh while offline, loading depends on your browser cache.

Verification First

We Dare You to Catch Us Uploading Your Files.

Every privacy claim we make is technically verifiable. Here's exactly how to check.

Step-by-Step Verification Guide

Tick each step as you complete it. Completed: 0/4

1. Open DevTools

Use F12 on Windows.

2. Go to the Network tab and filter by 'XHR' and 'Fetch'.

Turn on Preserve log if you want to keep results visible.

3. Upload any PDF and use any tool.

Merge, split, redact, convert, or OCR all work for this check.

4. Observe zero network requests containing your file.

You should only see normal app assets and API calls unrelated to PDF bytes.

Annotated Network Check

Step 4 target state: no request carrying your PDF file bytes.

Annotated example of an empty Fetch/XHR network panel while using a tool

You can compare this against your own browser while processing a real document.

Claims Registry

Every claim below maps to a concrete, repeatable verification method.

Claim	How to verify
Files never leave your device	Open DevTools > Network and inspect requests while running a tool.
No ad-tech trackers	Open DevTools > Sources and Network. You should only see the Plausible privacy-first analytics script, not ad/retargeting trackers.
Works offline after load	Load the app, enable Airplane mode, then run a tool.
No accounts required for free local tools	Use core tools (merge/split/compress/redact) without registration or login.
No cookies required	Open DevTools > Application > Cookies and verify tool usage does not depend on cookies.

Open Source Challenge

Don't trust us? Read the code.

View on GitHub

Share the Proof

Satisfied we're telling the truth? Share this page with someone who uses Smallpdf or Adobe.

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Want a deeper walkthrough? Use the full verification guide.

Open Technical Walkthrough