Question 1

Why do most free PDF redaction tools require sign-up?

Accepted Answer

Most tools process PDFs on their own servers, which costs money. They collect your email to monetize the service through marketing or paid upgrades. MyPDFBoy processes your PDF entirely in your browser, so there is no server cost to recover — which is why it can be free without requiring your email.

Question 2

Is MyPDFBoy really free, or is there a paid tier?

Accepted Answer

MyPDFBoy is free. There is no paid tier, no usage limit, and no feature locked behind a paywall. Redact as many PDFs as you need.

Question 3

What happens to my document after I close the browser tab?

Accepted Answer

Nothing. Your PDF was never stored anywhere outside your browser's memory. When you close the tab, the file is gone. There is no copy on any server.

Question 4

Do I need to install anything?

Accepted Answer

No. MyPDFBoy runs in any modern browser — Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge. No extensions, plugins, or desktop apps required.

Question 5

How is MyPDFBoy's redaction different from drawing a black box in a PDF editor?

Accepted Answer

Drawing a black shape in a basic PDF editor places a visual overlay on top of the text, but the text remains in the file. Anyone can remove the overlay and read what was underneath. MyPDFBoy deletes the content from the PDF content stream, so the original data no longer exists in the file.

Free PDF Redaction — No Sign Up

How it works

Frequently Asked Questions