A-PDF Merger vs PDFtk
A-PDF Merger
a-pdf.comPDFtk
pdflabs.comSide by side
| Figure | A-PDF Merger | PDFtk |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 4 |
| Spec score · PDF Merger Software | 8.3 (#12) | 7.9 (#16) |
| Privacy | The privacy policy says visitors' personal information is not collected when they view pages or download software, and orders are handled by a third-party distributor. | PDF Labs says products may create temporary local troubleshooting logs, and customers are responsible for applying their privacy policies to those files. |
| Purpose | A-PDF Merger combines two or more image files or Acrobat PDF files into one PDF document. | PDFtk is a toolkit for everyday work with PDF documents, offered as free GUI, paid GUI, and command-line editions. |
| Security | The maker's tips page says the software can set open or owner passwords using 128-bit encryption. | PDFtk Server can decrypt input when the password is supplied and encrypt output; PDFtk Pro can apply passwords to open a PDF or restrict operations such as printing, assembly, copying, or editing. |
| Support | The contact page directs users with problems to submit a support ticket. | PDF Labs invites questions about its products by email to Sid Steward and asks users to include PDF Labs in the subject for prompt delivery. |
Plans
PDFtk
- PDFtk FreeFree
- PDFtk ServerFree
- PDFtk Pro$3.99, paid once
- PDFtk Server Redistribution License$995, paid once
In their own words
A-PDF Merger
A-PDF Merger has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.
PDFtk
PDFtk is a PDF toolkit from PDF Labs, available as graphical and command-line editions for Linux, macOS, Windows, and self-hosted deployments. PDFtk Free provides a graphical interface for merging and splitting PDF documents and pages, and includes the PDFtk Server command-line tool. PDFtk Pro adds splitting, merging, rotation, watermarks, stamps, and security controls for pages and documents. PDFtk Server handles command-line processing such as filling forms with X/FDF data, adding or updating bookmarks and metadata, attaching or unpacking files, and attempting repairs on corrupted PDFs. It can decrypt an input when its password is supplied and encrypt output. Pro can set opening passwords or restrict printing, assembly, copying, and editing. Server is free under GPL Version 2; commercial redistribution generally needs a separate license. PDF Labs lists Free and Server at free, Pro at $3.99, paid once, and a redistribution license at $995 as a one-time purchase. Products may create temporary local troubleshooting logs.