PDF24 has been around since 2006. It’s a German company, has a desktop app, a web tool, and a printer driver. It’s solid. A lot of older office workers swear by it because it’s what they’ve used forever.
I tested both side by side last month after a relative — who’s been using PDF24 for years — asked if there was anything newer worth switching to. Here’s what I found.
TL;DR — quick comparison
| What you care about | ConvertKr | PDF24 |
|---|---|---|
| Install required? | No (browser only) | Optional — desktop app for full features |
| Works on locked-down work laptops | ✓ | Web only (no install possible) |
| Privacy without installing | ✓ (browser-local) | Web = server upload |
| Print-to-PDF virtual printer | ✗ (use Windows built-in) | ✓ (with desktop install) |
| Box-eraser for QR / watermark removal | ✓ | ✗ |
| Works on Mac / Linux / iOS / Android | ✓ (any browser) | Web only — desktop is Windows |
| Price | Free | Free |
The setup difference
This is the biggest split between them.
| Aspect | ConvertKr | PDF24 (desktop) | PDF24 (web) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Install needed | No | Yes (Windows only) | No |
| Admin rights needed | No | Yes | No |
| System integration (right-click, etc.) | No | Yes | No |
| Files uploaded to server | No | No (local) | Yes |
| Works offline | After 1 page load | Yes | No |
| Works on Mac / Linux | Yes | No (Windows only) | Yes |
PDF24’s desktop app gives deep system integration — print to PDF from any app, right-click context menus, batch ops from file explorer. The trade-off: you can’t install it on locked-down work laptops, public computers, or non-Windows machines.
ConvertKr keeps your system clean — no installs, no admin permissions needed. Works on any device with a browser.
For someone on a work laptop where they can’t install software
This is the killer use case for ConvertKr. Corporate laptops often restrict installs. PDF24’s whole appeal is the desktop app — without admin rights, you can’t install it. You’d have to use PDF24’s web version, which is the weaker half of their product.
ConvertKr’s web tool is the WHOLE product. There’s no “lite version” — what runs in your browser is what runs.
Privacy: it depends on which PDF24 you use
| Workflow | Where file goes | Privacy |
|---|---|---|
| ConvertKr web | Stays in your browser | Strongest |
| PDF24 desktop app | Local only | Strongest |
| PDF24 web | Their server (deleted after 30 min) | Weaker |
So if you’re going to use PDF24 specifically for privacy, you need the desktop app. The web version doesn’t give you that benefit. ConvertKr gives you browser-local processing without needing to install anything.
Tool coverage
| Tool | ConvertKr | PDF24 |
|---|---|---|
| Compress / Merge / Split / Rotate / Sign | ✓ | ✓ |
| PDF ↔ Word / Excel / PowerPoint | ✓ | ✓ |
| PDF ↔ Image | ✓ | ✓ |
| OCR | ✓ (browser) | ✓ (server) |
| Encrypt / decrypt PDF | ✓ | ✓ |
| Box-eraser (QR / watermark / barcode) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Getty-style tiled watermark preset | ✓ | ✗ |
| Visual page-by-page editor | ✓ | Limited |
| Total tools listed on homepage | ~25 (consolidated) | 35+ (some split into sub-tools) |
PDF24’s strength is breadth. ConvertKr’s strength is depth on editor tools (especially the freeform box-eraser, which PDF24 doesn’t have a clean equivalent for).
Quality of conversion
| Conversion | ConvertKr (current) | ConvertKr (with Office backend) | PDF24 desktop |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple Word → PDF | 95-98% fidelity | 100% (real Office) | 95-98% (LibreOffice) |
| Complex Word (custom fonts, embedded objects) | 80-90% | 100% | 80-90% |
| Excel → PDF (preserve column widths, borders) | 90% | 100% | 90% |
| PowerPoint → PDF | 95% | 100% | 90-95% |
ConvertKr’s Office conversions are moving to a real Microsoft Office backend (running headless on a Windows server). That gives 100% formatting fidelity because it’s actual Office doing the rendering. PDF24’s desktop, using LibreOffice, can’t match that on tricky files.
Pricing
| Tier | ConvertKr | PDF24 |
|---|---|---|
| Home use | Free | Free (desktop + web) |
| Business / team licensing | Coming (API only) | PDF24 for Business — paid |
| Ads in product | Some pages (Google AdSense) | Some banners (desktop + web) |
Price isn’t a differentiator. Both are free for what most users need.
Speed
| Workflow | Speed |
|---|---|
| ConvertKr (browser-local) | Fast — no upload |
| PDF24 desktop (local) | Fast — no upload |
| PDF24 web (server) | Slower — upload + process + download |
Local processing wins. ConvertKr and PDF24 desktop are equivalent on speed; PDF24 web is slower because of the upload round-trip.
When to use which — the verdict
| Your situation | Use this |
|---|---|
| Locked-down work laptop, public computer, or non-Windows | ConvertKr |
| Need to remove QR codes / watermarks / stamps from PDFs | ConvertKr |
| Privacy without installing anything | ConvertKr |
| Your own Windows PC, deep system integration preferred | PDF24 desktop |
| Need print-to-PDF from apps that don’t support it | PDF24 desktop (or Windows built-in) |
| Already trained on PDF24 for years, it works | Stay on PDF24 |
| Want both? They don’t conflict | Use both |
FAQ
Is PDF24 safe to install?
Yes, it’s been around since 2006, used by millions, signed installer, no malware. The install asks you to bundle some Chromium components — those are legit.
Can I use both?
Yes. They don’t conflict. PDF24 for things you’d batch in desktop mode, ConvertKr for everything else.
Will my relative who’s been using PDF24 for 15 years be confused by ConvertKr?
Probably not. Drop a file, click a button, download result. Same as PDF24’s web mode. The learning curve is zero.
Does PDF24 work on Mac?
Their desktop app is Windows-only. Mac users use the web version, which makes ConvertKr a more direct comparison.
Want a PDF tool that works on any device, no install required? Try ConvertKr — same speed as a desktop app, none of the install hassle.