Privacy Policy

MakePDFFree (makepdffree.com) is a collection of free PDF tools. This policy explains what happens to your files and what little data is involved when you use the site. The short version: most tools never see your files at all, there are no accounts, and no advertising or tracking cookies are used.

1. Files you open in browser tools

Tools marked as running on your device (merge, split, compress, edit, sign, OCR, convert PDF to Word or images, protect, unlock, redact and the rest) process your documents entirely inside your web browser using JavaScript and WebAssembly. The file is read into memory on your device, the result is created on your device, and the download is generated locally.

• Your files and their contents are never uploaded to MakePDFFree or to anyone else.
• Passwords you type to open or protect a PDF are used only in your browser and are never transmitted.
• All code, fonts, OCR language data and WebAssembly modules are served from makepdffree.com; the tools do not load anything from third-party CDNs while processing your files.
• When you close or reload the page, the documents are gone from memory.

2. Word, Excel and PowerPoint to PDF

Converting Office documents faithfully requires a full office suite, which cannot run in a browser. For the Word to PDF, Excel to PDF and PowerPoint to PDF tools only:

• The file you choose is sent over an encrypted HTTPS connection to a converter service hosted on Cloudflare's infrastructure.
• The document is converted, the PDF is returned to your browser, and both the uploaded file and the generated PDF are deleted immediately after the conversion finishes.
• File contents and file names are not logged, stored, inspected or used for any other purpose.
• These tools say clearly on the page that the file is uploaded, so you can decide before you choose a file.

3. Cloudflare Turnstile

To stop automated abuse of the conversion service, the Office conversion tools use Cloudflare Turnstile, a privacy-focused alternative to CAPTCHAs. Turnstile runs a short, usually invisible check in your browser and may process signals such as your IP address and browser characteristics to decide whether the request comes from a person. It is not used to track you across websites. Cloudflare processes this data under the Cloudflare Privacy Policy. Turnstile is not loaded by the tools that run on your device.

4. Analytics

The site uses Cloudflare Web Analytics to count page views and measure page speed. It does not use cookies, does not use local storage, does not fingerprint visitors and does not build profiles. Reports are aggregated (for example, how many people visited a page and from which country). Analytics never includes the contents or names of your files.

5. Hosting and server logs

The website is delivered as static files through Cloudflare. As with any website, Cloudflare necessarily processes technical data such as IP addresses to deliver pages and protect the site against attacks. MakePDFFree does not keep its own access logs and does not combine this data with anything else.

6. Data stored in your browser

The site does not set cookies. The only thing saved in your browser is optional: if you choose to remember your signature or initials in the Sign PDF tool, the image is stored in your browser's localStorage so you can reuse it next time. It stays on your device, is never sent anywhere, and you can remove it at any time with the delete option in Sign PDF or by clearing your browser's site data.

7. Sponsors

The site is funded by sponsors whose apps are shown in clearly labelled placements. Sponsors receive no personal data, no file data and no analytics about you. Sponsor links point to the App Store with a campaign tag that only identifies which page placement was clicked. What happens after you follow a link is governed by Apple's and the sponsor's own privacy policies.

8. Email

If you email hello@makepdffree.com, your message and email address are used only to reply to you and are deleted when they are no longer needed. Please do not send confidential documents by email; if a PDF causes a problem, a description of the issue is usually enough.

9. Legal basis and your rights (UK and EU GDPR)

Where personal data is processed, the legal basis is legitimate interests: delivering and securing the site, preventing abuse of the conversion service, and understanding aggregate usage. Conversions are also processed to perform the service you asked for.

Under the UK GDPR and the EU GDPR you have the right to access, correct or erase your personal data, to restrict or object to its processing, and to data portability. Because MakePDFFree holds almost no personal data, most requests can be answered quickly. Contact hello@makepdffree.com. You also have the right to complain to your local data protection authority, such as the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) in the UK.

10. Children

The site is a general-audience utility and does not knowingly collect personal data from children.

11. Changes to this policy

If the way data is handled changes, this page will be updated and the date at the top will change. Significant changes, such as a new service that receives files, will also be stated on the affected tool pages.

Contact

Questions about privacy: hello@makepdffree.com. See also the Terms of Service and how the site is funded.