MergeCraft vs Sejda: which PDF tool should you use in 2026?
TL;DR
Sejda is one of the most respectable PDF suites on the web — transparent about privacy, no dark patterns, and a genuinely good PDF text editor. Its free tier, however, allows 3 tasks per hour with a 50 MB / 200-page cap per document, and the web tools process files on Sejda's servers.
MergeCraft covers merging, splitting, compressing, extracting, and rotating with no hourly quota, no size cap beyond your device's memory, and no upload at all — files are processed inside your browser on any operating system.
Feature-by-feature comparison
| Feature | MergeCraft | Sejda |
|---|---|---|
| Where files are processed | Your browser only (Web Workers + WebAssembly) | Sejda's servers (web); local with the desktop app |
| Free usage limit | None | 3 tasks per hour |
| Free file size / page caps | Limited only by browser memory | 50 MB or 200 pages per document |
| Account / sign-up required | No | No for free tier; account for Pro |
| Watermark on output | None | None |
| Works offline | Yes (installable PWA, any OS) | Desktop app (Windows/Mac/Linux), full speed requires Pro |
| Inputs supported | PDF + JPG + PNG + WebP in the same merge | PDF (images via separate converters) |
| Merge, split, extract, compress, rotate in one tab | Yes | Separate pages per tool |
| Price | Free, no paid tier | Free tier + Pro (~$7.50/month) |
| Edit PDF text / forms / sign | Not yet | Yes — Sejda's editor is its strongest feature |
| OCR | Not yet | Yes (paid) |
How to read this table: MergeCraft wins on unlimited free use and zero-upload privacy. Sejda wins on editing depth — text editing, forms, signatures — which is exactly what its Pro subscription is for.
The 3-tasks-per-hour wall in practice
Sejda counts every tool operation as a task. Merge four files (task 1), compress the result (task 2), add page numbers (task 3) — and the free tier is exhausted for the hour. For anyone whose work involves a steady stream of PDFs, that turns a quick chore into a scheduling exercise or a subscription.
MergeCraft has no counter because there is nothing to meter: your device does the work, not a server. Merge, split, and compress all day, free.
Privacy: both try — the architecture differs
Sejda deserves credit here: it deletes uploaded files after a few hours, publishes clear policies, and offers a desktop app that keeps files local. But the default web experience still uploads your document to Sejda's servers, and the desktop app is a separate install.
MergeCraft's privacy is architectural, not policy-based: the web app itself processes files in your browser with Web Workers and WebAssembly. There is no upload to delete, on any OS, with nothing to install — and you can verify it in DevTools → Network. More on why client-side matters.
When to choose MergeCraft
- You hit Sejda's 3-tasks-per-hour limit or the 50 MB / 200-page cap.
- The document is confidential and shouldn't touch any server, even briefly.
- You want merge + split + compress + extract + rotate in one tab, unlimited and free.
- You're on macOS, Linux, or mobile and want local processing without installing anything.
When to choose Sejda
- You need to edit text inside a PDF — Sejda's editor is among the best browser-based ones.
- You need to fill forms, sign documents, or OCR scans.
- Your volume is genuinely low (under 3 tasks/hour) and you like Sejda's clean interface.
- You're happy to pay ~$7.50/month for a full editor cheaper than Acrobat.
Common questions
How does Sejda's 3-tasks-per-hour limit work?
Each tool operation counts as one task, and the free tier allows three per hour. A typical workflow — merge, then compress, then add page numbers — exhausts the quota in one sitting. MergeCraft has no task counter at all.
Isn't Sejda also privacy-friendly?
Sejda is more privacy-conscious than most: uploaded files are deleted after a few hours and it offers a desktop app that processes locally. But its web tools still upload your file to Sejda's servers. MergeCraft never uploads — processing happens in your browser on every OS, no desktop install needed.
Which handles large PDFs better for free?
Sejda's free tier caps documents at 50 MB or 200 pages. MergeCraft has no artificial cap — the practical limit is your device's memory, which on a modern laptop comfortably covers documents far beyond 50 MB.
When is Sejda worth paying for?
If you need to edit PDF text, fill forms, sign documents, or OCR scans regularly, Sejda Pro at ~$7.50/month is one of the cheaper full editors. For merge/split/compress/extract/rotate, MergeCraft does it free without limits.
Verdict
Sejda is an honest product with a real editor — if you need to change what a PDF says, it's a fine choice. For the far more common jobs of combining, splitting, compressing, and rotating, MergeCraft removes the quota, the caps, and the upload entirely.
Also see: MergeCraft vs iLovePDF · MergeCraft vs Smallpdf · MergeCraft vs PDF24