Dev.to
6/16/2026

I Built a PDF Tool That Never Uploads Your Files — Here's Why
Short summary
Developer built PDF Toolbox, a browser-based PDF processor that processes files locally without uploading to servers. The tool includes 8 functions (compress, merge, split, convert formats) using client-side pdf-lib and Canvas APIs. It's open-source, MIT-licensed, and demonstrates that privacy-respecting tools don't require server-side processing.
- •Browser-based PDF tool processes all files client-side, never uploads to servers
- •8 tools included: compress, merge, split, convert to Word/JPG, unlock/protect
- •Open-source and MIT-licensed with architecture blueprint for building privacy-first tools
Generated with AI, which can make mistakes.
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