📄 PDFsmith
Every PDF tool you actually use — running 100% on your machine.
SmallPDF charges up to $15/month, forever, to do things your computer can do for free — and it uploads your documents to their servers to do it. PDFsmith does the same jobs locally, offline, with zero telemetry, for a one-time $29.
PDFsmith screenshot is being captured — the app is shipped and real.
Features
Merge PDFs
Drag-drop any number of PDFs, reorder them in the list, combine into one file.
Split PDF
Extract any page ranges (1-2 | 3 | 4-6) into separate new PDFs.
Rotate pages
90° / 180° / 270°, all pages or a specific range, batched across files.
Watermark
Text (position, size, opacity, diagonal) or image stamp — batch across files.
Images → PDF
JPG/PNG to PDF, one image per page, reorderable, A4-fit or native size.
Metadata editor
Read and rewrite title, author and subject — something SmallPDF doesn't even offer.
100% offline
All processing happens locally with pdf-lib. No network calls, no uploads, no account.
No telemetry
Your contracts, invoices and records never leave your disk. Zero analytics.
PDFsmith vs SmallPDF
SmallPDF at $12–15/mo runs roughly $144/year — $288 over two years. PDFsmith is $29, once.
| PDFsmith | SmallPDF | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $29 once | $12–15/month ($144+/yr, forever) |
| Your files | Never leave your machine | Uploaded to their servers |
| Works offline | Yes | No |
| Account required | No | Yes |
| Merge / split / rotate | Yes | Yes |
| Watermark (text + image) | Yes | Pro only |
| Metadata editor | Yes | No |
| Source code | MIT, on GitHub | Closed |
Two and a half months of SmallPDF pays for PDFsmith outright. Everything after that is money you keep.
Three steps, no subscription
Buy once on Whop
One-time $29. You get the signed Windows installer — no account with us, no subscription to remember to cancel.
Install in one click
Run the installer. No Node, no terminal, no setup. The app opens straight to the tools.
Drop in your PDFs
Merge, split, rotate, watermark or convert — everything happens on your machine, instantly, offline.
Honest answers
Is it really free on GitHub?
Yes. The full source code is MIT-licensed at github.com/bensblueprints/pdf-toolkit and always will be. Buying gets you the signed Windows installer, 1-click setup and updates — pure convenience, zero lock-in.
Do my PDFs get uploaded anywhere?
No. All processing runs locally with pdf-lib, a pure-JavaScript library. The app makes no network calls at all — you can run it with Wi-Fi off.
What platforms does it run on?
The packaged installer is for Windows. The MIT source runs anywhere Electron does (Windows, macOS, Linux) if you build it yourself with Node 18+.
Can it edit text inside a PDF?
No — and we'd rather tell you that upfront. PDFsmith covers merge, split, rotate, watermark, images-to-PDF and metadata. For rewriting body text inside an existing PDF you still need a full editor like Acrobat.
Is this a subscription in disguise?
No. $29 once. No renewal, no license server phoning home, no "lifetime deal" fine print. The app keeps working forever, even offline.
Deep-dive comparisons:
Own PDFsmith forever
$29 once. Signed installer, 1-click setup, updates included. No renewal, no account with us, no meter. Or build it yourself from the MIT source — it's the same app.