PDFBook vs Sejda

Even Sejda admits:files should never leave your computer.

Sejda sells a desktop version of their PDF tools on the explicit promise that "files never leave your computer." PDFBook is built that way from the start: a privacy-first PDF reader and library for Windows, macOS, and Linux. $89 once for Lifetime. Every PDF you read, every note and bookmark you add, stays on your machine.

Try PDFBook freeSee pricing

Why people leave Sejda

Common frustrations with Sejda from public reviews, and how PDFBook solves each.

Free Sejda uploads your PDFs to a server

Sejda's free web tier requires uploading every PDF you touch to Sejda's processing servers. They delete files after 2 hours, but for those 2 hours your PDF sits on third-party infrastructure. PDFBook never uploads your PDFs anywhere: the desktop app reads them from your folders in place.

3 tasks per hour, 50 MB per file, 200 pages, on free

Sejda's free tier caps you at 3 tasks per hour, 50 MB per file, and 200 pages per document. PDFBook Free is capped at 50 books in your library but has no per-file size, per-page, or per-hour limit. Open a 1,000-page Sanskrit scripture or a 500 MB academic journal: no upload, no page cap, no per-file limit (only your device's memory).

Sejda Desktop costs $63/year

To stop the upload requirement, Sejda's Desktop edition is included only in the Desktop+Web Annual plan at $63/year (the $7.50/month plan is web-only). PDFBook Lifetime is $89 once: break-even versus Sejda Desktop annual in about 17 months, and after that PDFBook is free forever. No "renew or files start uploading again".

Sejda is a PDF utility, not a library tool

Sejda is a workflow tool: convert, compress, merge, split, OCR. It's good at those tasks. But it has no library, no reading modes, no per-book notes: once the PDF is processed it's done. PDFBook is a library tool, with folders, tags, ratings, reading state, and search by title, author, tag, and path across hundreds of PDFs.

No bookreading-style UI

Sejda's interface is built around forms: drop a file, pick a task, get a file back. PDFBook's interface is built around reading, with a page-flip mode that mimics a book, a vertical scroll mode for long documents, and a library shelf for everything you own.

Sejda Desktop is a Java-based app

Sejda Desktop is built on a Java engine and ships with its own bundled runtime, which makes the installer large (around 200 MB+). PDFBook ships lean native binaries for Windows, macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel), and Linux (AppImage and .deb).

Feature comparison

Where Sejda wins, we say so. Honest comparison beats marketing.

FeatureSejdaPDFBook
Files stay on your computer
Free tier uploads to Sejda servers (deleted in 2 h); Desktop edition keeps them local
Always local. Desktop app never uploads PDFs
Free tier
3 tasks/hour, 50 MB/file, 200 pages. Uploads required
50-book library, no size/page/rate limit, fully local
Pricing for local processing
Sejda Desktop: $63/yr (Desktop+Web Annual); monthly plan is web-only
$89 Lifetime once, or $6.99/mo Pro
Library management
None. Utility focus
Folders, tags, ratings, reading state, notes, search by title/author/tag/path
Reading modes
None. Utility focus
Page-flip (book-like) and vertical scroll
PDF utility tasks (convert, compress, merge, split)
Strong. Core product
Limited: Creator (image→PDF) + Extractor (PDF→image) only
Convert ebooks & docs to PDF (offline)
Office/PDF conversions, but not ebook or comic formats
Built-in Converter: EPUB/Kobo, Word, DRM-free Kindle, CBZ/CBR, Markdown, HTML, text → PDF, all on-device
OCR
Yes (free up to 10 pages, unlimited on paid)
No OCR
Cross-platform native
Web everywhere; Desktop is Java-based (large installer)
Native Win/macOS/Linux binaries
Account required
Yes for Pro / Desktop
No account. License key only.
Telemetry
Not publicly documented
None on desktop. Once-a-day license check (14-day offline grace)
Refund / cancellation
Subscription cancellation via account portal
14-day no-questions refund; Stripe-hosted manage page
Lifetime option
Subscription only
$89 once, three devices forever
Devices per license
Per-account, subscription-tethered
3 devices, any mix of Win/Mac/Linux
Heavy PDFs (500 MB, 1000+ pages)
Blocked on free. Slow uploads on paid
Opens locally. No size or page cap
Web reader privacy
Cloud upload required
PDFBook Web Reader runs in browser, files never leave your machine

Stop paying rent on your PDF reader.

Try the Free tier today. Upgrade to Lifetime when you're sure. 14-day money-back guarantee, no questions asked.

Download PDFBook freeSee Lifetime ($89)

Frequently asked questions

Why is Sejda quoted on a competitor's page?+
Because Sejda themselves market a Desktop edition on the explicit grounds that "files never leave your computer." That's PDFBook's exact positioning. If even Sejda agrees that local PDF processing is the right model for privacy-sensitive work, that's strong third-party validation, except PDFBook ships it as a $89 one-time Lifetime rather than a $63/year subscription.
What's the difference between PDFBook and Sejda Desktop?+
Sejda Desktop is a utility tool (convert, compress, merge, split, OCR) running locally. PDFBook is a reader + library tool: it organises your collection of PDFs and gives you two reading modes. If you need both, they coexist fine: keep Sejda Desktop for utility tasks, use PDFBook for daily reading.
Can PDFBook do the things Sejda does, like merge, split, compress?+
Some, but not all. PDFBook has a Creator (combine images into a PDF) and an Extractor (pull embedded images out of a PDF). It doesn't do PDF→Word, OCR, or arbitrary page splitting. For those, Sejda Desktop or an open-source tool like qpdf is the right fit. PDFBook's scope is reading + library.
Is using Sejda's free web tier risky?+
Sejda is a legitimate Dutch company with reasonable security (TLS, 2-hour automatic file deletion, no apparent ad-tech). For non-confidential PDFs it's fine. For anything sensitive (legal documents, financial records, unreleased research, PII), uploading to any third-party server (Sejda, Smallpdf, iLovePDF) is the structural problem. Sejda agrees, which is why they sell Desktop.
How much does Sejda Desktop cost vs PDFBook?+
Sejda Desktop is $63/year (the Desktop+Web Annual plan. The $7.50/month plan is web-only). PDFBook Lifetime is $89 once. If you'd use Sejda Desktop for more than about 17 months, PDFBook Lifetime is cheaper, and after that PDFBook keeps working forever with no ongoing payment.
What about PDF utility tasks I do once a year?+
For occasional tasks, just install qpdf (free, open-source, command-line) or use Sejda Desktop's 7-day trial. There's no point paying a subscription for tasks you do twice a year.
Does PDFBook upload anything?+
The desktop app reads PDFs from the folders you point it at and stores everything locally. The only outbound call is once-a-day license validation (14-day offline grace) containing the license key and a device fingerprint, never PDF contents, file names, paths, or reading history.
Is the Web Reader cloud-based?+
No. PDFBook Web Reader runs in your browser and opens local files via the File System Access API. The PDF never touches our servers. It's the same privacy posture as the desktop app, just delivered as a web page.
Linux support?+
Yes. PDFBook ships native AppImage and .deb builds. No Java dependency. Same Lifetime license unlocks Win/Mac/Linux.
Refund policy?+
14 days no questions asked on Pro or Lifetime. Email support@pdfbook.app and we process within 5 business days through Stripe.
Use Cases·Tools·Pricing

Sejda is a trademark of Sejda BV. This comparison page is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Sejda BV. Claims about Sejda pricing and behaviour are sourced from the vendor's pricing and legal pages and from public community discussions; we've linked sources where applicable.