16 Free Online PDF Tools and When to Use Each One
From merging and compressing to OCR and watermarking — a practical guide to every PDF tool on YumPDF, with tips on picking the right one for your task.
See all toolsYumPDF has 16 free PDF tools, and every single one runs in your browser using WebAssembly — no file upload, no server, no account. Below, each tool gets a plain-English description and a "use this when" line so you can quickly find the right tool for the job.
Word to PDF
Use when: Sharing, emailing, or printing a documentConverts DOCX/DOC to a fixed-layout PDF. Ideal when you need the recipient to see your document exactly as you designed it, regardless of their device or installed fonts.
Open toolPDF to Word
Use when: Editing a received PDFExtracts text into an editable DOCX. Use this when you receive a form, contract, or report in PDF and need to edit or copy content from it.
Open toolMerge PDF
Use when: Combining multiple PDFs into one fileDrag files in, reorder them, and merge into a single PDF. Great for combining invoices, chapters, or pages from different sources.
Open toolSplit PDF
Use when: Separating a large PDF into smaller filesSplit every page into its own PDF, or extract a custom page range. Useful for splitting a report into chapters or extracting a single form page.
Open toolCompress PDF
Use when: Reducing file size for email or uploadThree compression levels let you choose the size/quality trade-off. Low compression keeps near-original quality; high compression makes the smallest file.
Open toolPDF to JPG
Use when: Converting PDF pages to imagesRenders each PDF page as a high-quality JPG. Download individual images or all pages as a ZIP. Useful for presentations, thumbnails, or social posts.
Open toolJPG to PDF
Use when: Turning photos or screenshots into a PDFCombine one or more JPG/PNG images into a single PDF document. Perfect for submitting photo evidence, receipts, or scanned pages.
Open toolRotate PDF
Use when: Fixing pages that are upside-down or sidewaysPermanently rotate all pages or specific pages in 90° increments. Useful when a scan comes out sideways.
Open toolProtect PDF
Use when: Adding a password before sharingEncrypts your PDF so only recipients with the password can open it. All encryption runs locally — your password never leaves your device.
Open toolUnlock PDF
Use when: Removing a password you already knowSupply the password and download an unlocked copy. Works for PDFs you own — cannot crack unknown passwords.
Open toolWatermark PDF
Use when: Branding or protecting document ownershipAdd a diagonal or centred text watermark with custom opacity. Useful for marking drafts, confidential documents, or branded reports.
Open toolEdit PDF
Use when: Annotating, highlighting, or adding notesAdd text boxes, sticky notes, highlights, and freehand drawings on top of any PDF. The original text layer is preserved — you're adding a visual layer.
Open toolCompare PDF
Use when: Spotting changes between two versionsHighlights text differences between two PDFs side-by-side. Ideal for contract revisions, draft reviews, or proofreading document versions.
Open toolPage Numbers
Use when: Adding numbering to a document before printingAdds page numbers at the position of your choice with a custom starting number. Essential for long reports or theses.
Open toolExtract Pages
Use when: Pulling specific pages from a large PDFPick individual pages or a range and export them as a new PDF. Useful for sharing only the relevant section of a document.
Open toolOCR PDF
Use when: Making scanned PDFs searchable and copyableRuns optical character recognition on image-based or scanned PDFs. Supports English, Hindi, Tamil, French, German, and Spanish.
Open toolAll 16 tools, zero cost
Every tool on YumPDF is free forever — no account, no watermark, no upload to any server.
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