PDFgear vs PDFtk
PDFgear
pdfgear.comPDFtk
pdflabs.comSide by side
| Figure | PDFgear | PDFtk |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 2 | 4 |
| Spec score · PDF Merger Software | 8.6 (#9) | 7.9 (#16) |
| Integrations | An App Store reviewer reports cloud integration for accessing documents and collaborating across locations. | PDFtk Pro includes PDFtk Server, providing both a graphical interface and command-line interface; the product pages list no third-party integrations. |
| Support | Independent directory listings identify email/help-desk support, FAQs, documentation and videos. | 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
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.