PDF Redactly vs Xodo
Xodo (part of Apryse) offers a clean online redaction tool. The catch on the free plan: it's limited — at the time of writing, one redaction per day before it pushes you toward a trial — and, like most online tools, it processes your file on a server.
PDF Redactly has no daily cap on the free tier and never uploads your file. Here's the comparison.
Why people switch
Xodo's free redaction is capped. PDF Redactly's free tier lets you redact as many PDFs as you need, with no account.
Xodo processes your file on a server. PDF Redactly keeps it in your browser — verifiable in your network tab.
Auto-detection of 30+ categories is part of the free tier, not a paid add-on.
Where Xodo wins: it's a capable, well-designed PDF app with viewing, editing, and annotation across platforms, backed by Apryse's mature PDF engine. If you want a full editor and the free cap doesn't bother you, it's a good option. For unlimited, never-uploaded redaction, PDF Redactly is the focused alternative.
FAQ
On the free plan Xodo limits how many PDFs you can redact (e.g. one per day at the time of writing) before prompting a trial. PDF Redactly's free tier has no such cap.
Yes, the online tool processes files on a server. PDF Redactly never uploads the file — redaction runs in your browser.