All the PDF Candy tools you need, running offline on your desktop.

PDF tools comparison

PDF Candy's tool list is extensive. The online version offers merge, split, compress, convert to and from multiple formats, add watermarks, rotate pages, crop pages, resize pages, add page numbers, extract text, extract images, unlock, protect, sign, OCR, edit, rearrange pages, delete pages, and more. The desktop version includes most of these features for local processing. The breadth is impressive, though individual tools vary in depth and polish.

File Studio's PDF toolkit is more focused: merge, split, compress, convert to and from image formats, and remove passwords. Each tool is designed for efficiency with drag-and-drop interfaces, batch processing support, and clear settings. While File Studio has fewer tools than PDF Candy, the tools it includes are well-polished and run without the restrictions that PDF Candy's free tier imposes.

For users who need specialized tools like OCR, DWG conversion, or metadata editing, PDF Candy's breadth is an advantage. For users who mainly merge, split, compress, and convert PDFs, File Studio provides a cleaner, faster experience without task-per-hour limits or platform restrictions.

Cross-platform consistency is another differentiator. PDF Candy delivers a different experience depending on your platform: Windows users get the full desktop application, while Mac users are limited to the online version with its restrictions and privacy tradeoffs. File Studio provides identical functionality on both Mac and Windows, with the same local processing, the same features, and the same privacy guarantees regardless of operating system. This consistency matters for users who work across platforms or for teams with mixed Mac and Windows environments.

Image handling

PDF Candy's image capabilities are limited to converting images to PDFs and PDFs to images. There are no standalone image editing, compression, or format conversion tools. For image work beyond the PDF conversion context, you would need Icecream Apps' separate image products or a third-party tool.

File Studio bundles comprehensive image tools into the same application: format conversion between JPG, PNG, WebP, HEIC, and more; image compression with quality controls; batch resizing; cropping; watermarking with text and image overlays; and collage creation. Having these alongside PDF tools in a single app is particularly valuable for users who regularly work with both file types.

The integration of image tools is one of File Studio's clearest advantages over PDF Candy. Instead of needing separate applications or web services for different types of file operations, everything is accessible from one interface with consistent behavior and local processing guarantees.

Consider a common scenario: preparing product images for an e-commerce listing. You might need to convert photos from HEIC to JPG, compress them for fast loading, resize to standard product image dimensions, and add a watermark. PDF Candy cannot perform any of these operations. You would need to find and use a separate online image tool for each step, uploading your images to yet another service each time. File Studio processes the entire sequence locally in a single batch operation, with consistent settings applied across all images.

Privacy and data handling

PDF Candy's online version processes files on their servers. Files are uploaded, processed, and then available for download. The company states that files are automatically deleted after processing, though specific retention times depend on the plan tier. The desktop version processes files locally on Windows, providing privacy parity with other desktop tools.

The privacy situation is split by platform. Windows users who purchase the desktop edition ($99 for two years) get local processing. Mac users are stuck with the online version and must upload files regardless. This platform disparity is a meaningful limitation for Mac-based professionals working with sensitive documents.

File Studio provides local processing on both Mac and Windows with identical functionality across platforms. There is no scenario in which files leave your device, regardless of which operating system you use. This consistency, combined with the lower price point, makes File Studio a more straightforward choice for privacy-conscious users on either platform.