Full disclosure: I run PDF Hammer. Sejda is the one competitor here that actually competes with PDF Hammer on privacy, not just features, because Sejda Desktop is a real, paid, local app.
If you want local processing on Windows, Mac, or Linux and don’t mind installing an app and paying for it, Sejda Desktop is arguably the more complete answer. If you’d rather stay in the browser with nothing to install and don’t want to pay to get that privacy, that’s what PDF Hammer is for.
Side by side
| PDF Hammer | Sejda | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free to start | Free (3 tasks/day, 200-page and 50MB limits); Web Monthly about $7.50/mo; Desktop+Web Annual about $63/yr |
| Where files are processed | 7 of 9 tools run locally in your browser. Word and Excel conversion use a secure, temporary server-side converter that deletes the file after. | Sejda Web runs on Sejda’s servers. Sejda Desktop (a separate download, included with the Annual plan) processes files entirely on your computer. |
| Account required | Required for every tool | Not required for free web tasks |
| Platforms | Any browser, any OS | Web, plus a real desktop app for Mac, Windows, and Linux |
| Tool breadth | 9 (one tool per task) | 20+, with strong form-filling and OCR up to its plan limits |
Where PDF Hammer is the better choice
- Most tasks never leave your device: merge, split, compress, remove password, convert to images, organize, and edit all run client-side, with nothing uploaded.
- One focused tool per job instead of one crowded interface, so there’s less to learn for a single task.
- Plain language about what’s local and what isn’t, including the one honest exception (Word/Excel conversion) rather than a blanket privacy claim.
Where Sejda is the better choice
- The only competitor here with a genuine, paid, cross-platform desktop app, so if local processing is the actual goal, Sejda Desktop delivers it on Mac, Windows, or Linux without a browser at all.
- Deep form-building and form-filling tools that go beyond what a single-task editor offers.
- A fair price for what you get, especially on the annual plan.
What PDF Hammer doesn’t do (yet)
- An account is required even for a single, quick task, unlike iLovePDF or PDF24’s true no-login flows.
- No e-signature, redaction, document comparison, or accessibility tagging.
- No OCR outside of the Word converter, no mobile app, no desktop app, and no track record yet, it’s a new product.
Frequently asked questions
Does Sejda run locally like PDF Hammer?
Only Sejda Desktop does, and that’s a separate download included with the $63/year Desktop+Web Annual plan. Sejda Web, like most of Sejda’s free tier, processes files on Sejda’s servers.
Which free tier is more generous?
Neither is generous: Sejda’s free web tier caps at 3 tasks a day with 50MB and 200-page limits. PDF Hammer doesn’t publish a task cap but does require an account for every tool.
Is Sejda cheaper than PDF Hammer?
Sejda’s Web Monthly plan is about $7.50/month, and the annual desktop bundle works out to roughly $5.25/month. PDF Hammer is free to start with no paid plan announced yet.
What does Sejda do that PDF Hammer doesn’t?
Real local desktop processing across three operating systems, deeper form-building and form-filling, and OCR up to its plan’s page limits.