PDF Redactly vs AI-Redact
AI-Redact is a capable cloud redaction service: strong automatic detection of PII, PHI, and financial data, OCR for scanned documents, batch processing, and a compliance-focused posture. For teams processing scanned files at volume, those are real strengths.
The core difference is architecture. AI-Redact uploads your document to its servers to process it (encrypted in transit, and by its policy not stored afterward), and its free tier is capped at a few pages before it becomes pay-per-page. PDF Redactly processes everything inside your browser — the file is never uploaded — and the free tier has no page limit. Here's an honest side-by-side.
Why people switch
AI-Redact encrypts your file in transit and says it isn't stored afterward — but the file still travels to a server. PDF Redactly has no upload endpoint at all: the document is parsed, scanned, and redacted in your browser, so there's nothing on a server to breach, subpoena, or retain.
AI-Redact is free for only a few pages, then charges per page. PDF Redactly's free tier redacts unlimited PDFs with no account, and Pro is a flat $2.99/mo or a one-time $9.99.
You don't have to trust a data-handling policy. Disconnect your network after the page loads and PDF Redactly still redacts — proof the file never left.
Where AI-Redact wins: OCR for scanned documents, batch processing, and a compliance track (SOC 2 in progress, HIPAA-ready) aimed at teams handling scanned files at scale. If you need OCR and a formal compliance paper trail across a team, that's its home. If you want fast, unlimited, verifiably private redaction that never uploads your file, that's PDF Redactly.
FAQ
Yes — AI-Redact processes your document on its servers (encrypted in transit, and per its policy not stored afterward). PDF Redactly never uploads the file; redaction runs entirely in your browser.
It's free for a small number of pages (around four at the time of writing), then charges per page. PDF Redactly's free tier has no page limit.
AI-Redact offers OCR for scanned documents. PDF Redactly supports region redaction on scans today; automatic text detection focuses on digital PDFs.