Reviewed 10 October 2026
Where popular PDF compressors process the file
Checked on 10 October 2026 from each product’s own compress page. This table covers that one tool, not every feature in the suite. EditPDF AI has 52 active tools. 43 include browser-based core workflows that can be used without an account. Signed-in free accounts can use up to 5 metered AI actions per UTC day; Pro removes that daily cap. Tool-specific input and processing limits still apply.
| Product | What its compress page said | Source |
|---|---|---|
| EditPDF AI | The compressor runs in the browser. It does not send the file through an application document-processing route, and it does not require an account. AI tools on this site are a separate path and can send extracted text or page images to a server. | EditPDF AI PDF Compressor |
| Smallpdf | The page says to upload the file, describes the tools as cloud-based, and says files are automatically deleted after one hour. It also states TLS encryption, GDPR compliance, and ISO/IEC 27001 certification. | Smallpdf Compress PDF |
| Sejda | The page says files are uploaded over an encrypted connection and permanently deleted after processing. It also offers Sejda Desktop, where it says the files never leave the computer. | Sejda Compress PDF |
| PDF24 | The page says PDF files are compressed in the cloud on PDF24 servers and deleted from the server after a short period. It also points to PDF24 Creator for offline compression. | PDF24 Compress PDF |
| Adobe Acrobat | The online page says that after you upload, Acrobat reduces the file size, and that the file is deleted from Adobe servers. The same page says the Acrobat desktop app compresses on the local device. | Adobe Acrobat online Compress PDF |
| iLovePDF | The compress page checked on this date listed compression levels and did not say whether the file stays in the browser or is uploaded. This row is left blank on purpose rather than inferred. | iLovePDF Compress PDF |
Competitor sentences are claims from the linked pages on 10 October 2026, not an independent security audit. A later change on their site can make a row stale. Head-to-head product comparisons are on the comparison index.