Use case
PDF editor for lawyers
Legal work lives in PDFs. Here's what lawyers actually do with them, translated into tool cost:
• **Combine exhibits into one court-ready PDF in 30 seconds** — /merge, free, client-side (file never uploads). • **Redact privileged content before discovery production** — /redact, free, true content removal via pikepdf (not black-rectangle theatre). • **Bates-number a 300-page deposition transcript** — /page-numbers with the Bates preset, free. • **OCR scanned case law so you can search it** — /ocr, 3 coins (~12¢) per document. • **Send engagement letters with signed counterpart from your client** — /sign, 3 coins per signer, E-SIGN / eIDAS audit trail appended.
PennyPDF's redaction is the one that matters most here. It rewrites the PDF content stream to actually remove the text, not overlay a black rectangle. This is the bar required for discovery production and FOIA responses — a redacted PDF on Smallpdf or iLovePDF frequently leaks via copy-paste; ours doesn't.
Pay-as-you-go matches the shape of legal work. A big case generates 10,000 operations in a week; a slow week is 10. Subscription pricing is strictly worse than per-operation for that profile. A single Pro pack ($14.99 / 500 coins) typically covers a mid-sized case through discovery and production.
How it works
- 1Big case drop? /merge all exhibits into one production-ready PDF. Free.
- 2Before producing to opposing counsel: run /redact for privileged material. True removal, free client-side.
- 3Bates-stamp with /page-numbers — 'Bates' preset with prefix, starting number, zero-padding. Free.
- 4For scanned case law or old PDFs: /ocr makes them searchable. 3 coins per doc.
- 5Engagement letters, retainer agreements, settlement docs: /sign with multi-party workflow. 3 coins per signer.
Frequently asked
Is PennyPDF's redaction court-admissible?+
Our redaction uses pikepdf to rewrite the content stream, not overlay a black box. This is the approach recommended by the National Archives for FOIA responses and is accepted in federal court filings. As always, consult your local rules.
Bates numbering supported?+
Yes — /page-numbers has a Bates preset with prefix, starting number, and zero-padding. Export as a signed PDF if production integrity is required.
Can I redact by pattern (every SSN in a 500-page production)?+
Yes — pattern-based redaction is 5 coins per document, covering SSN, phone, email, credit card, DOB by default, plus custom regex.
Privilege log generation?+
On the roadmap. For now, the redact tool outputs a log of redacted regions per page, which can be imported into most privilege-log templates.
Data retention — for privileged material?+
Server-side operations auto-delete within 2 hours. Client-side operations (most organize/edit/sign/redact) never upload the file. For maximum privilege protection, prefer client-side tools.
Why PennyPDF
- No subscription. Ever.
- Coins never expire — use them in 5 years.
- Client-side processing for 14 of 22 tools.
- No watermarks at any tier.
- Per-operation pricing, shown before you click.
- Same coins for web + public API.