At PDFtone, your privacy is our core engineering principle, not just a policy toggle. We believe that your private documents should remain private. This Privacy Policy describes how PDFtone ("we", "our", "us") collects, uses, processes, and protects your information when you use our website, tools, and services.
1. Privacy-First Architecture (How Your Files are Handled)
Unlike traditional online PDF editors, PDFtone is designed around client-side execution. This means:
- No Automatic Server Uploads: When you load, edit, merge, annotate, compress, sign, or convert documents on PDFtone, the files are processed entirely in your web browser using your device's local memory and resources. The document files never leave your computer or travel over our servers during standard usage.
- Optional Project Synchronization: If you register for an account and explicitly choose to save a project, the document and its assets are transmitted securely using TLS/SSL encryption and stored in our database so that you can retrieve your progress across multiple devices. This synchronization is opt-in, off by default, and you can delete saved projects from your user dashboard at any time.
2. Information We Collect
We only collect the minimum amount of information necessary to operate PDFtone and process payments:
- Account Information: If you sign up for an account, we collect your name, email address, and a secure salted hash of your password.
- Billing & Payment Information: When you buy a paid plan, your credit card details are processed directly by our third-party billing providers (Stripe and PayPal) under their respective privacy policies. We do not store full credit card numbers or security codes on our servers. We receive payment logs, subscription statuses, and basic transaction records.
- Usage Metadata: We record anonymous metadata regarding operations (such as tools used, daily usage count check, error reports) to enforce limits (like daily free limits) and debug system performance.
- Analytics Data: We collect anonymous statistical pageviews to understand website performance. IP addresses are anonymized and we do not track you across other websites.
3. Cookies and Tracking
We use essential cookies to maintain login sessions, store user settings, and secure checkouts. Optional analytics cookies are only used if you consent to them via our cookie preferences banner. For more details on the cookies we use and how to configure them, please read our Cookie Policy.
4. Third-Party Subprocessors
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We only share data with trust-verified third-party subprocessors essential to running our service:
- Stripe & PayPal: For payment transaction processing and subscription management.
- Transactional Email Services: To send account verification codes, password resets, and invoice receipts.
5. Data Retention & Deletion
- Local Browser Storage: Any history of tools used or files processed is saved locally in your browser's
localStorage. You can clear this at any time by clearing your browser cache.
- Account and Cloud Data: We store account details and synchronized projects as long as your account remains active. You can delete saved projects or close your account at any time through your dashboard. Account deletion request removes all personal data from our active database.
6. GDPR and User Rights
If you are located in the European Union or European Economic Area (EEA), you enjoy specific rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). These include the right to access, correct, port, restrict, or delete your personal information. To exercise these rights, please contact us at support@pdftone.com.
7. Updates to this Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last Updated" date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your privacy.
8. Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy, please send an email to support@pdftone.com.