FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Forge protocols.
Is PDF Forge really private?
Yes, PDF Forge implements a zero-knowledge architecture. The Compress PDF tool runs entirely in your browser via Ghostscript WebAssembly — no file is uploaded anywhere. Edge-processed tools use Cloudflare Workers with AES-256 encryption at rest and TLS 1.3 in transit, and files are auto-deleted within 2 hours. We never have access to your document content.
Is there a file size limit?
All tools support files up to 100MB on the free tier (500MB on Pro). Browser-side tools (Compress PDF, PDF to Images, Merge PDF) process files locally so performance depends on your device — there are no hard limits on browser-side tools beyond available memory. Edge-processed tools enforce the same 100MB limit server-side.
Do I need an account?
No. All tools are free and require no sign-up or account creation. Google Drive integration is entirely optional and only activated when you explicitly choose to save or open files from your Drive account.
Why is my compressed file the same size?
Some PDFs are already optimized and cannot be compressed further. Compression works best on files with embedded images — typical reduction is 30-80%. Text-only PDFs or those already using optimized image compression may show minimal size reduction. Try the "Heavy" (screen) compression level which uses Ghostscript's /screen preset for maximum size reduction.
Is the source code available?
PDF Forge uses open-source components including Ghostscript (AGPL v3) — the industry-standard PDF engine used by enterprises for over 30 years — and pdf-lib (MIT license). Our Ghostscript WebAssembly integration is available for review. See our licensing documentation for details.
How fast is PDF compression?
Ghostscript compiled to WebAssembly delivers near-native performance. Most documents under 50MB compress in under 5 seconds. Compression speed depends on file size, content complexity, and your device's CPU. Since processing is local, there is no network latency — results appear as soon as processing completes.
What file formats are supported?
Input: PDF files only. Output: Compress PDF produces optimized PDF files. PDF to Images supports PNG and JPG output with adjustable quality (10-100%). Merge PDF combines multiple PDFs into one. Upcoming tools will support additional output formats through the same privacy-first processing pipeline.