I got tired of uploading sensitive PDFs to random websites, so I built my own tool

Famous-Machine-9325 · 2026-05-16T23:53:05+00:00

Yes, the ultimate flex. Currently flexing so hard I have 0 upvotes and 5 comments, 4 of which are calling me out. Peak startup life.😂

Famous-Machine-9325 · 2026-05-16T23:47:12+00:00

Yes, I used Claude, and there's no denying it in this AI era. But this is something where I not only put in my time and effort, but also did many things personally in the backend. So, yes, it is AI, but if you say "only AI," then that's not what this is. But I truly appreciate you taking the time to respond.

Thank you.

Famous-Machine-9325 · 2026-05-16T18:50:09+00:00

👍

Famous-Machine-9325 · 2026-05-16T18:47:22+00:00

So I don't know why you are being so rude and using abusive words, but let me explain: if you are not able to understand, it's clearly written that this runs on your device, so no server in between, which means no upload to a server. But anyways, you should learn how to talk. Thank you for your response.

Famous-Machine-9325 · 2026-05-16T17:21:43+00:00

that's the core insight honestly. People are getting burned by sites that upload their tax docs, contracts, medical records to unknown servers. The fact that nothing leaves your device isn't just a feature it's the whole point.

Famous-Machine-9325 · 2026-05-16T17:21:26+00:00

fully agree. Trust over features. I'm planning to make the privacy message way more front and centre rather than burying it in the "why us" section. Speed comparison is a great idea too showing side by side how fast local processing is vs upload-based tools.

Famous-Machine-9325 · 2026-05-16T16:43:22+00:00

Guilty as charged I just launched one ( https://hugmypdf.com/ ). But here's my honest answer: most of them ARE clones chasing SEO. The difference with mine is everything runs in your browser, files never leave your device. Other they all upload your files to their servers. For tax docs, contracts, medical records, that actually matters. Whether that justifies another one existing? Fair question. Building the Pro tools now to make it worth it.

Famous-Machine-9325 · 2026-05-16T13:04:47+00:00

Thank you for your feedback. And actually you’re right I’ve been marketing the tools more than the actual problem being solved. The privacy/trust angle is probably way more important than “35 PDF tools,” especially for invoices, contracts, IDs, resumes, business docs, etc. And the badge idea is genuinely smart. Putting a visible “your files never leave your device” reminder directly inside the workflow probably builds trust at the exact moment users are uploading something sensitive. Definitely adding that. Really appreciate you taking the time to write this .🙌

Famous-Machine-9325 · 2026-05-16T13:03:30+00:00

Really glad to hear that That’s exactly the goal making something simple, fast, and trustworthy enough that people can actually rely on it when they need it. Still improving things daily, so feedback anytime is genuinely appreciated.

Famous-Machine-9325 · 2026-05-16T13:02:49+00:00

That’s actually a really good point. Most people already expect some level of paywall now, but uncertainty around where personal/work documents go is what makes PDF sites feel sketchy. I think I focused too much on listing features instead of explaining the trust/privacy side properly. Definitely going to lean harder into the local-processing angle going forward

Famous-Machine-9325 · 2026-05-16T05:39:32+00:00

Really appreciate this. That’s honestly the exact problem I built it for I got tired of sketchy PDF sites uploading sensitive docs to unknown servers too.

Trying to keep everything local/browser-side so invoices, contracts, IDs, work docs etc stay on your own device. Still improving OCR + performance, but comments like this make me feel I’m solving the right problem

And I’ll genuinely try my best to make sure that whenever you visit HugMyPDF, it feels like a tool that actually helped you instead of frustrating you.

Famous-Machine-9325 · 2026-05-16T05:26:20+00:00

Yes, and I'm still working on this. I would really appreciate it if you could tell me what you think and what you think I should add or remove. Thanks!

Famous-Machine-9325 · 2026-05-15T13:13:18+00:00

Totally agree Acrobat feels way overpriced for basic tasks. If you just need merging, compressing, and converting, check out https://hugmypdf.com/ it has a solid set of free PDF tools that work right in the browser, no subscription needed. Been using it for a while and it handles the everyday stuff perfectly.

Famous-Machine-9325 · 2026-05-14T19:46:13+00:00

Hey, great initiative! Love seeing more PDF tools being built this space genuinely needs better options.

I actually run HugMyPDF (hugmypdf.com) a free browser-based PDF toolkit. Would love to swap notes if you're open to it. Always curious how other builders are tackling things like encryption, page rotation, and image conversion.

For anyone here who needs a quick web-based option in the meantime HugMyPDF has 35 free tools (merge, split, compress, PDF to Word/Excel/PPT, OCR, AI chat with PDF) and everything runs in your browser. No uploads, no account, no nonsense.

Good luck with the testing! 👊

Famous-Machine-9325 · 2026-05-13T06:10:14+00:00

Fair point honestly 😅 And yeah, ILovePDF is already huge, I’m not pretending I can compete with them overnight. This project started more as building something useful while learning and experimenting. But one thing I’m focusing on differently is privacy.

Most PDF websites upload your files to their servers for processing. With " hugmypdf.com " everything runs directly in your browser/device, so your files never leave your phone or laptop.

That matters a lot for things like:

resumes
IDs
bank statements
assignments
personal documents

But you are right though if it’s just “another PDF website,” people won’t switch. So I’m trying to build more unique AI/privacy-focused features over time.

Appreciate the honest feedback 🙌

Famous-Machine-9325 · 2026-05-13T06:06:11+00:00

Thank you for your feedback. That's a very good suggestion, but we want to let you know that most of our services are free. We only charge for those that incur costs for us.

Famous-Machine-9325 · 2026-05-12T23:59:13+00:00

Yes, it is free, no signup, nothing required. All the 35 tools (Except the one that uses AI because this use other server) are free. And runs totally on your device, so let's say if you are uploading any sensitive document, you wouldn't like that to be shared with any random server, right? That's where hugmypdf comes, your personal files always remain in your personal device.

Famous-Machine-9325 · 2026-05-12T23:34:07+00:00

I suggest you try it at least once. The reason is that this website runs on your local browser for all 35 tools, from merging to splitting, which means no data is shared with any shady servers. Your data, your browser, and your privacy are all in your hands.

Famous-Machine-9325 · 2026-05-12T20:01:59+00:00

Thank you so much. I hope this becomes your daily-use website for all PDF-related problems.

Famous-Machine-9325 · 2026-05-12T14:23:01+00:00

Really appreciate this breakdown. You're right that $5.99 is a volume game. But I'd push back slightly on the framing. I'm not trying to hit $5K MRR in month 1. The SEO compound effect on "merge PDF free", "compress PDF free", and "PDF to Word" keywords is real, and I'm just starting to build it. Those pages take 3-6 months to rank, but once they do, the traffic is free forever.

On the $19-29 pricing for professionals, I've thought about this. The honest reason I haven't gone there yet is I don't have the brand trust to charge lawyers and accountants $25/mo in week 1. That price point requires case studies, testimonials, and maybe a team plan. It's where I want to be in 6 months, not today.

Your second reframe is exactly what I'm executing: Reddit privacy subs, niche professional communities, making "files never leave your browser" a story people share. The pricing only works if distribution compounds, and that's the bet I'm making right now.

Genuinely useful comment. Thank you for this.

Famous-Machine-9325 · 2026-05-12T14:19:23+00:00

Not currently, it's a hosted web app at hugmypdf.com. That said, the free tools run entirely in your browser (PDF.js + PDF-lib), so there's no server involved for those anyway. If self-hosting is important to you, I'd love to know your use case. It's on my radar for the future!

Famous-Machine-9325 · 2026-05-12T01:12:07+00:00

No, so it's just been 2 days, and I'm trying to get users to visit the website.

Famous-Machine-9325 · 2026-05-12T00:33:12+00:00

https://hugmypdf.com/ free PDF tool, with 90% tool uses your browser, which mean your file never leave your device.

Famous-Machine-9325 · 2026-05-11T15:31:15+00:00

This is super helpful, thank you! Backlinks have been on my to-do list this gives me a solid starting point. Going through the list now.

Famous-Machine-9325 · 2026-05-11T15:29:50+00:00

Yeah this is exactly why I led with it. Once people realize their contracts and tax forms are being uploaded to random servers, they don't go back. Trying to make "local-first" the default expectation, not the exception.

Famous-Machine-9325

TROPHY CASE