OCRFire vs PDFico
PDFico offers 13 browser-based PDF tools with a strict free-tier cap of three operations per day. All processing is local; Pro removes the limit for a one-time fee.
Side-by-side comparison
| Criteria | PDFico | OCRFire |
|---|---|---|
| Privacy model | 100% client-side — files never leave your device | 100% client-side — no uploads |
| Signup required | No | No |
| Tool count | 13 tools | 20+ PDF, OCR & text tools |
| Cost & access | ||
| Price | Free (3 ops/day); Pro ~£30 one-time | Free |
| Subscription / upsell | One-time Pro to remove daily cap | None — no paid tier or paywall |
| Usage limits | 3 operations per day on free | Unlimited — no daily or hourly caps |
| Watermarks | None | None on any output |
| Ads | Yes on free tier | None |
| Privacy & data | ||
| File retention | N/A — client-side only | N/A — files never leave your device |
| Offline support | Yes, after page load | Yes — works after the page loads |
| File size limit | Browser memory | Browser memory (large files supported) |
| Features & coverage | ||
| OCR | Text extraction; AI summariser in Pro | Yes — PDF, images, DOCX, HTML |
| Non-PDF tools | Invoice generator | HTML↔Markdown, text extraction |
| Batch processing | Pro | Merge multiple files; per-tool limits apply |
| E-sign / redact | Sign & protect | No |
| Mobile app | Responsive web | Responsive web (no native app) |
| Desktop app | No | No — browser only |
Client-side (peer)
PDFico strengths
- Works offline after initial page load
- Lifetime Pro purchase (no subscription)
- Invoice generation and AI summariser in Pro
- No uploads or tracking
PDFico limitations
- 3 operations per day on free tier
- Ads on free tier
- Pro payment required for unlimited use
- Smaller tool set than larger suites
When to choose OCRFire instead
- 100% free — no subscription, no one-time upsell, no paywall mid-task
- Unlimited use — no daily caps, hourly limits, or per-tool quotas
- Every tool runs in your browser — files never uploaded
- No signup, no watermarks, no ads
- PDF tools plus OCR, text extraction, and HTML/Markdown converters
- Works offline after the page loads
When PDFico may be the better fit
Light, occasional use when you want client-side processing with minimal friction.
Visit PDFico →