Check if your PDF meets PDF/A-2b archival requirements and convert compliant files instantly. 100% private — runs in your browser, nothing uploaded.
PDF/A is the ISO-standardized version of PDF built for long-term archiving — required by many courts, government agencies, universities, and corporate records-retention policies. PDFree checks whether your PDF already meets the structural requirements for PDF/A-2b, and converts it if it does — entirely in your browser, nothing uploaded. If a file isn't eligible (most often because of unembedded fonts), PDFree tells you exactly why instead of producing a file that only looks like PDF/A.
Click Choose files or drag your PDF into the drop zone. The file is analyzed locally — it's never sent to any server.
PDFree checks for embedded fonts, a password/encryption, interactive actions or JavaScript, and LZW-compressed streams — the requirements PDF/A-2b enforces and PDFs most often fail.
If no blocking issues are found, click Convert to PDF/A-2b. PDFree embeds the required sRGB color profile and XMP metadata, then downloads the converted file.
Many courts and regulatory bodies require PDF/A for electronic filings so documents remain readable and unaltered years later.
National archives, libraries, and public-sector digital repositories commonly mandate PDF/A for anything submitted for permanent retention.
Many universities require thesis and dissertation submissions in PDF/A format to guarantee long-term readability in institutional repositories.
Contracts, invoices, and compliance records that must stay readable for years or decades benefit from PDF/A's self-contained, font-independent format.
| Feature | PDFree | Typical cloud tools |
|---|---|---|
| File privacy | No upload — stays on device | Uploaded to remote servers |
| Unembeddable-font files | Refuses, explains why | Often produces a broken "PDF/A" silently |
| Self-check transparency | Shows exactly what was checked | Usually a black box |
| Daily usage limit | None | Often restricted on free tier |
| Price | Free forever | Free with limits / paid plans |
PDF/A is an ISO-standardized (ISO 19005) version of PDF designed for long-term archiving. It requires all fonts to be embedded, forbids encryption and embedded JavaScript, and embeds color-profile and metadata information so the document renders identically decades from now, independent of external resources.
PDF/A-2b — the visual-reproduction level of the PDF/A-2 part of the standard. It's the right target for most archiving needs without requiring full accessibility tagging (PDF/A-2a), which is a separate, much larger undertaking.
The most common reason is unembedded fonts — many PDFs reference standard fonts like Helvetica or Arial by name instead of embedding them, which PDF/A does not allow. Other reasons include a password/encryption, embedded JavaScript or automatic open actions, and (rarely) old LZW-compressed image streams.
Not automatically, and deliberately so. Substituting a replacement font for text that wasn't embedded risks silently shifting line breaks and page layout. PDFree tells you exactly which fonts aren't embedded so you can re-export the source document with fonts embedded (most word processors and design tools support this directly).
No. This is a self-check of the structural requirements most PDFs actually fail — it is not a substitute for a full ISO 19005 validator. If you need a legally certified PDF/A file for regulatory or legal archiving, verify the converted file with a dedicated validator such as veraPDF afterward.
No. Both the compliance check and the conversion run entirely in your browser using a dedicated Web Worker. Your file is never uploaded anywhere.
No. PDFree runs entirely in your browser — there is no backend server that receives your files. Because nothing is uploaded, nothing can be stored, logged, or retained. Your document exists only in your browser's memory for the duration of the session and is cleared when you close the tab.
The conversion embeds a standard sRGB ICC color profile (via an OutputIntent) and an XMP metadata packet declaring PDF/A-2b conformance, mirrored from the document's own title/author so the two can't disagree. It does not alter your document's text, images, or layout.
Yes. PDFree is free with no subscription, no daily limits, and no signup.
PDFree checks and converts PDFs to PDF/A-2b entirely inside your browser — your file never leaves your device. Unlike tools that silently produce a broken "PDF/A" file when a document has unembedded fonts, PDFree refuses and explains exactly why, so you never mistake a non-compliant file for an archival-ready one.