We tested 10 free PDF compare tools
The same job on every site: compare two versions of a short contract. We watched where the files went, whether the result needed an account, and which trackers came along.
Tested on 15 October 2026 from Germany · 10 sites · the same steps on each
What we found
- 4 of 10 compared our two contracts without uploading them: PDF24 Tools, Xodo PDF Compare, iLovePDF and Diffchecker.
- 4 uploaded both files to a server first: PDF2Go, Draftable, i2PDF and pdf.net.
- pdf.net asked for an account only after the files were uploaded.
- 8 of 10 loaded ad or analytics services before we could choose about cookies.
- We did not upload to Aspose PDF Comparison and GroupDocs Comparison: their pages say that uploading means accepting their terms.
Results
Sorted by the two checks that matter most for the job (a result without an account, files that stay on your device), then by all checks, then by how many people visit the site. ✓ yes, ✕ no, ? not tested (the reason is given).
1.PDF24 Tools
3 of 3 checks · Tranco rank 5,127
Result without an account
yes: Showed the comparison
Files stay on your device
yes: Compared in the browser; nothing uploaded
No ad or analytics trackers
yes: None seen
What we saw (2026-10-15)
- A cookie banner without a decline button on its first screen; we declined in its settings. It set no cookies before any choice.
- On the page: “slight negligence is limited to the fees paid in the previous twelve months.”
2.Xodo PDF Compare
3 of 3 checks · Tranco rank 50,931
Result without an account
yes: Showed the comparison
Files stay on your device
yes: Compared in the browser; nothing uploaded
No ad or analytics trackers
yes: None seen
What we saw (2026-10-15)
- A cookie banner with a way to decline on its first screen; we declined. It set 12 cookies before any choice.
3.iLovePDF
2 of 3 checks · Tranco rank 1,100
Result without an account
yes: Showed the comparison
Files stay on your device
yes: Compared in the browser; nothing uploaded
No ad or analytics trackers
no: Before any cookie choice: Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager; after we declined cookies: Google Analytics
What we saw (2026-10-15)
- A cookie banner without a decline button on its first screen; we declined in its settings. It set 2 cookies before any choice.
4.Diffchecker
2 of 3 checks · Tranco rank 88,418
Result without an account
yes: Showed the comparison
Files stay on your device
yes: Compared in the browser; nothing uploaded
No ad or analytics trackers
no: Before any cookie choice: Google Tag Manager
What we saw (2026-10-15)
- No cookie banner. It set 7 cookies before any choice.
5.PDF2Go
1 of 3 checks · Tranco rank 33,054
Result without an account
yes: Showed the comparison
Files stay on your device
no: Uploaded to their own server
No ad or analytics trackers
no: Before any cookie choice: Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, Google advertising and Microsoft Clarity; after we declined cookies: Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, Google advertising and Microsoft Clarity
What we saw (2026-10-15)
- A cookie banner without a decline button on its first screen; we declined in its settings. It set 10 cookies before any choice.
- Both files went to their own server before the result appeared.
- On the page: “Get a subscription to skip the queue, use PRO features, and process your files faster.”
6.Draftable
1 of 3 checks · Tranco rank 233,843
Result without an account
yes: Showed the comparison
Files stay on your device
no: Uploaded to Amazon Web Services storage (us-west-2)
No ad or analytics trackers
no: Before any cookie choice: Google Tag Manager and Google advertising; after we declined cookies: Microsoft Clarity
What we saw (2026-10-15)
- A cookie banner with a way to decline on its first screen; we declined. It set 1 cookie before any choice.
- Both files went to Amazon Web Services storage (us-west-2) before the result appeared.
- On the page: “slight negligence is limited to the fees paid in the previous twelve months.”
7.i2PDF
1 of 3 checks · Tranco rank 293,548
Result without an account
yes: Showed the comparison
Files stay on your device
no: Uploaded to their own server
No ad or analytics trackers
no: Before any cookie choice: Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager and Google advertising; after we declined cookies: Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager and Google advertising
What we saw (2026-10-15)
- A cookie banner without a decline button on its first screen; we declined in its settings. It set 6 cookies before any choice.
- Both files went to their own server before the result appeared.
8.Aspose PDF Comparison
0 of 3 checks · Tranco rank 36,784
Result without an account
not tested: Not tested: uploading accepts the site's terms
Files stay on your device
not tested: Not tested
No ad or analytics trackers
no: Before any cookie choice: Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager and Google advertising
What we saw (2026-10-15)
- No cookie banner. It set 2 cookies before any choice.
- The page says: “By uploading your files or using our service you agree with our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.” We did not upload anything there.
9.GroupDocs Comparison
0 of 3 checks · Tranco rank 97,288
Result without an account
not tested: Not tested: uploading accepts the site's terms
Files stay on your device
not tested: Not tested
No ad or analytics trackers
no: Before any cookie choice: Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager
What we saw (2026-10-15)
- No cookie banner. It set 3 cookies before any choice.
- The page says: “By uploading your files or using our service you agree with our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.” We did not upload anything there.
10.pdf.net
0 of 3 checks · Tranco rank 154,199
Result without an account
no: Asked for an account after the upload
Files stay on your device
no: Uploaded to Google Cloud
No ad or analytics trackers
no: Before any cookie choice: Amplitude, Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, Google advertising, Microsoft Advertising and TikTok pixel; later on: Amplitude, Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, Google advertising, Microsoft Advertising and TikTok pixel
What we saw (2026-10-15)
- No cookie banner. It set 23 cookies before any choice.
- Both files went to Google Cloud before the result appeared.
- Then: “Log in to your pdf.net account”, “Log in with Google”, “Or log in with email”.
Our own tool, through the same test
We make fairtools PDF Compare. It ran through the same script on the same day; it is shown here for comparison, not ranked.
fairtools PDF Compare
3 of 3 checks
Result without an account
yes: Showed the comparison
Files stay on your device
yes: Compared in the browser; nothing uploaded
No ad or analytics trackers
yes: None seen
What we saw (2026-10-15)
- No cookie banner. It set no cookies before any choice.
How we tested
- We chose the most visited sites with a free online PDF compare page, by their rank in the Tranco list of popular websites (tranco-list.eu, 14 October 2026). Adobe and Smallpdf, the two most visited PDF sites, had no free online compare page we could find; TinyWow's compare address showed "Page Not Found".
- Each site got a fresh automated browser (Chromium, no extensions, no account), run from Germany. Before touching anything we noted which other sites the page contacted and which cookies it set.
- Then we turned cookies down: with the banner's own decline option, or in its settings when the banner had none. We never accepted.
- We gave each site two versions of a short sample contract (fictional companies, no personal data, about 3 KB each) and started the comparison. A result counts when the changed wording is on screen.
- An upload is any request that carried the files, as a form upload or as raw PDF bytes; we name the server that received it. Where the page said that uploading accepts its terms, we did not upload.
What this test can and cannot say
- One run per site, on one day, from one country. Sites change, and may behave differently for you or elsewhere.
- Ad and analytics services are the ones we recognise by name; pages may contact others too. An automated browser may be shown fewer ads than you are, so these are minimums.
- No account was created and nothing was paid, so we cannot say what happens after a sign-up.
Something changed, or did we get something wrong? Write to hello@fairtools.org and we run the test again.
Looking for a tool without these catches? fairtools PDF Compare is free, needs no account and works in your browser.