The private Adobe Acrobat alternative
The everyday PDF jobs — without the $20-a-month subscription.
Adobe Acrobat Pro runs about $19.99–$29.99 a month and wants an account and an install. DiemDesk does the everyday PDF jobs — merge, split, compress, convert, sign — free in your browser, with no subscription and nothing uploaded. (For heavy professional editing, Acrobat still goes deeper — we’re honest about that below.)
No subscription
Free during launch; a later Pro plan is planned at about $5.98/mo — a fraction of Acrobat’s $19.99–$29.99/mo.
Nothing to install
Every tool runs in your browser — no download, no account, no Creative Cloud. Just open a tool and go.
Private by design
In-browser tools process your file on your device, so it’s never uploaded. Acrobat’s online tools upload to Adobe’s cloud.
| Feature | DiemDeskFree during launch | Adobe Acrobat |
|---|---|---|
| Price (paid plan) | Free now · Pro ~$5.98/mo planned | $19.99–29.99/mo |
| Free plan | Every in-browser tool, no daily cap | 7-day trial only |
| Runs in any browser, no install | App / account | |
| Use without an account | Account required | |
| In-browser tools upload your file | ||
| Beyond PDF (image, QR, video) | PDF / Acrobat |
Adobe Acrobat figures are from their published plans as of July 2026 and may change — verify at the source. See the full comparison for more names.
Fair disclosure: DiemDesk is in pre-launch. Annotate, Redact and OCR are marked coming soon, and the Pro plan isn’t on sale yet — so everything is free right now. We’d rather show the full roadmap than hide it.
Switching from Adobe Acrobat — your questions
Is DiemDesk a free replacement for Adobe Acrobat?
For the everyday jobs — merge, split, compress, convert, sign, protect, unlock and more — yes, free and in your browser. Acrobat still goes deeper on heavy professional editing; DiemDesk’s full in-place text editing is a planned Pro feature, and Annotate and Redact are rolling out (marked coming soon).
Do I need to subscribe or install anything?
No. There’s no subscription and nothing to install — every tool runs in your browser. It’s free during launch, and a later optional Pro plan is planned at about $5.98/mo, well below Acrobat’s $19.99–$29.99/mo.
Does DiemDesk edit and sign PDFs like Acrobat?
Signing is live and free today. Annotate and basic redaction are coming soon (and will be free); full in-place text editing and search-and-pattern redaction are planned Pro features. For the deepest professional editing, Acrobat remains more capable — we’d rather say so than overpromise.
Give it a try — nothing to install
No signup, no upload, no watermark. Drop in a file and watch it work entirely in your browser.
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