Check if your PDF meets PDF/A archival requirements and convert compliant files instantly — targets PDF/A-2u when your fonts qualify. 100% private, 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, upgrades automatically to the stricter, full-text-searchable PDF/A-2u when your fonts qualify, and converts it — entirely in your browser, nothing uploaded. If a file isn't eligible (most often unembedded fonts, or a few less common issues below), 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 embedded fonts, password/encryption, an already-applied digital signature, interactive actions or JavaScript (page-, annotation-, and document-level), LZW-compressed streams, and Unicode text mapping — the requirements PDF/A most often fails, checked at every level a real-world PDF can hide them in, not just the document root.
If no blocking issues are found, click Convert. PDFree embeds the required sRGB color profile, XMP metadata, and a file identifier, automatically removes any interactive actions found (disclosing exactly what was removed), and downloads the converted file — targeting PDF/A-2u when your fonts support it, PDF/A-2b otherwise.
Many courts and regulatory bodies require PDF/A for electronic filings (CM/ECF and similar e-filing systems) so documents remain readable and unaltered years later. If your file already carries an applied digital signature, PDFree detects it and refuses to convert — re-saving would silently invalidate the signature, so it asks you to sign the archived copy after conversion instead of risking a filing with a broken signature.
National archives, libraries, and public-sector digital repositories commonly mandate PDF/A for anything submitted for permanent retention — including fillable government forms, which PDFree's checks reach into (form-field actions, calculation scripts) just as thoroughly as page content, not just what's visible on the surface.
Many universities require thesis and dissertation submissions in PDF/A format for long-term readability. When your document's fonts support it, PDFree targets PDF/A-2u — the Unicode-text variant that keeps your document's text properly searchable and extractable in a repository, not just visually identical.
Contracts, invoices, and compliance records that must stay readable for years or decades under SOX, GDPR, or tax-retention rules benefit from PDF/A's self-contained, font-independent format — processed without your client or financial data ever leaving your device.
If someone just told you "submit this as PDF/A" and you're not sure where to start — drop your file in above. PDFree tells you in seconds whether it already qualifies, with no account, no software to install, and no daily limit.
| Feature | PDFree | Typical cloud tools |
|---|---|---|
| File privacy | No upload — stays on device | Uploaded to remote servers |
| Unembedded-font files | Refuses, or offers verified substitution | Often silently produces a broken "PDF/A" |
| Applied digital signatures | Detected, conversion refused to protect it | Usually not checked — signature silently breaks |
| Removed interactive actions | Disclosed — tells you exactly what was removed | Usually silent, if handled at all |
| 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-2u adds one requirement on top of 2b: every font must have a verified Unicode mapping, so your document's text stays properly searchable and copy-pasteable, not just visually correct. PDFree checks this automatically and targets 2u whenever your fonts qualify, falling back to 2b otherwise — you don't have to choose.
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, an already-applied digital signature, embedded JavaScript or automatic open actions (including ones hidden inside a single link or form field), and old LZW-compressed image streams.
Sometimes, as an explicit opt-in. If the missing fonts are Helvetica/Arial, Times, or Courier, PDFree can offer a free, metrically-compatible substitute (the Liberation font family) — but only after verifying your document's exact character widths match, so text can't silently shift. If verification fails for even one font, nothing is changed and conversion stays refused. For anything else, PDFree tells you exactly which fonts aren't embedded so you can re-export the source document with fonts embedded instead.
Yes, when present — PDF/A forbids embedded JavaScript and automatic actions, including form-field calculation scripts (e.g. an auto-summed total field). PDFree removes these automatically as part of conversion and tells you exactly what was removed, so you're never surprised that a form stopped auto-calculating after archiving.
PDFree checks for one first. Any modification to a signed PDF — including this conversion — invalidates its existing signature, so if PDFree detects one already applied, it refuses to convert and tells you to sign the archived copy afterward instead, rather than silently producing a file with a broken signature.
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, PDFree links directly to veraPDF for an independent, authoritative check after conversion.
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), an XMP metadata packet declaring PDF/A conformance (mirrored from the document's own title/author so the two can't disagree), and a file identifier. It does not alter your document's visible 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 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, an existing digital signature, or leftover interactive actions, PDFree checks for all of it and either refuses with a clear reason or fixes it with full disclosure, so you never mistake a non-compliant (or accidentally signature-broken) file for an archival-ready one.