Let’s be honest.
Most “free PDF tools” are just thin UIs that:
• Upload your documents to a server
• Process them there
• Hope you don’t notice (or care)
Resumes. Contracts. Bank statements. Legal docs.
That’s insane.
So I built ihatepdf — a privacy-first PDF editor where almost everything runs client-side, inside your browser.
No accounts.
No uploads by default.
No dark patterns.
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The Problem With Existing PDF Tools
If you search for:
• compress PDF online
• merge PDF free
• edit PDF online
You’ll find hundreds of sites doing the same thing:
1. Upload file
2. Process on backend
3. Delete “eventually” (maybe)
Most users don’t realize this.
Developers absolutely should.
⸻
The Constraint I Set
PDF files should not leave the user’s device unless there’s no alternative.
That single constraint forced a very different architecture.
⸻
Technical Overview (Why This Isn’t Just Another Wrapper)
ihatepdf is a client-heavy web app, not a backend service disguised as one.
Stack & Architecture
• React for UI and state
• pdf-lib for in-browser PDF manipulation
• PDF.js for rendering and previews
• WebAssembly (WASM) for performance-critical operations
• IndexedDB for local file persistence & history
• Service Workers for offline-first behavior
• PWA support (installable, works offline)
In short:
Your PDF processing happens inside your browser tab.
⸻
What It Can Do (Client-Side)
• Merge PDFs
• Compress PDF files (often ~60–70% reduction)
• Split PDFs by pages or ranges
• Extract text from PDFs
• Add text & digital signatures
• Crop & resize pages (A4, Letter, custom)
• Add watermarks, headers, footers, page numbers
• Encrypt PDFs with passwords
• Remove PDF passwords
• Redact sensitive content
• Convert PDF to JPG
• Convert JPG/PNG to PDF
• Word → PDF
• Markdown → PDF
• HTML → PDF
No queue.
No upload wait.
No rate limits.
⸻
UX Decisions That Actually Matter
Keyboard-First Navigation
• Global command search (Ctrl + K)
• Intent-based queries like:
• “make pdf smaller”
• “combine pdfs”
• “add signature”
The app maps human intent → tools, not just exact keywords.
⸻
Offline-First by Default
• PDFs stored locally using IndexedDB
• App works even if your internet drops mid-task
• History stays on your machine
If you go offline, nothing breaks.
⸻
PWA & Cross-Platform
• Installable on desktop & mobile
• Works on iOS Safari (with explicit install guidance)
• Background updates via Service Workers
⸻
Why This Exists (And Why I’m Posting)
I wanted to prove that:
• Client-side PDF processing is viable in 2025
• Privacy-first tools don’t have to feel slow or limited
• Most “free PDF tools” are architecturally lazy
This project currently has thousands of active users, and most feedback boils down to:
“Wait… this never uploads my file?”
Exactly.
If You Care About Privacy, Try It
If you ever Google “PDF tool”, you’re the target user.
No signup.
No tracking.
No file uploads unless unavoidable.
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