PDF Candy alternative for Mac
By Himanshu Ranjan · Updated 8 November 2026
PDF Candy's desktop app is for Windows, so on a Mac you get its web tools with hourly limits and uploads. FileDial is the best offline match for a Mac: it covers PDF Candy's core tools, from HEIC to PDF and OCR to metadata removal, with no hourly caps, for $20 once. PDF Candy's free web plan is fine for the occasional public document.
Why people look for a PDF Candy alternative
- PDF Candy's desktop app is described as a Windows version; Mac users are limited to the website.
- The free plan has page and hourly restrictions, a file-size limit and no batch processing.
- Web tasks upload your files, which are kept for up to two hours.
- Paid web plans cap tasks at 500 MB per file, so very large scans still need splitting first.
About PDF Candy: A PDF toolkit with a long list of online tools and converters and a Windows desktop app, sold on monthly, yearly or lifetime plans. Platforms: Web; desktop app for Windows. Price: Free with page, hourly and file-size limits and no batch. Web Monthly $6 (USD) a month; Desktop + Web Yearly $4 a month billed yearly; Desktop + Web Lifetime $99 once (one version with minor updates).. Where files are processed: Web: uploaded and kept on its servers for no longer than two hours. Desktop app on Windows processes locally.
Every PDF Candy tool, and its FileDial equivalent
| PDF Candy | FileDial (offline) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Compress PDF | Compress › Email-safe (under 20 MB) | Squeezes images until under 20 MB; splits into parts if needed |
| HEIC to PDF | Convert › Convert to PDF | New copy beside the original |
| JPG to PDF | Combine › Images to PDF (Letter) | One Letter page per image |
| PDF to JPG | Convert › PDF to JPG | One JPG per page, 150 dpi |
| PDF to RTF | Convert › PDF to RTF | Text and styles; layout may shift |
| Extract text | Convert › PDF to Text | New copy beside the original |
| Edit metadata | Sign & Lock › Edit title, author, subject, keywords… | Empty fields keep what's there |
| Remove metadata | Sign & Lock › Remove metadata | Title, author, dates and app names removed |
| Header and footer | Pages › Add header/footer text… | New copy; links and form fields are flattened |
| Add watermark | Pages › Add image watermark… | New copy; links and form fields are flattened |
| Crop PDF | Pages › Crop margins | Trims white margins; nothing is deleted |
| Flatten PDF | Pages › Flatten annotations | Comments and markup become part of the page; form fields stay fillable |
| Grayscale PDF | Convert › Grayscale PDF | New copy; links and form fields are flattened |
| PDF Filler | Sign & Lock › Fill form… | Type into the form's fields, saved as a new copy |
| Translate PDF | Convert › Translate document… | Writes a translated .txt on the Mac; needs macOS 26 |
| PDF OCR | OCR › Make searchable | Adds an invisible text layer to pages without text |
What FileDial does not replace:
- PDF Candy converts dozens of niche formats to PDF, such as DjVu, MOBI, DWG, XPS and CHM, that FileDial does not.
- Whiteout PDF and Highlight PDF as dedicated tools; FileDial's Pages › Edit PDF… adds text, images, shapes and drawing instead.
- PDF Candy's web tools work on any OS, and its lifetime plan includes a Windows app.
Details about PDF Candy come from its own website, checked 2026-11-09. FileDial tool names match the app exactly.
The best PDF Candy alternatives for Mac
1. FileDial
FileDial is our app. It covers PDF Candy's everyday tools, plus target-size compression like Compress › Email-safe (under 20 MB), from a dial in Finder. Nothing is uploaded and there are no hourly or batch limits.
- Native on Mac, where PDF Candy Desktop is not
- Batch any tool
- One payment, no renewals
- Not free after the 1-day trial
- Needs macOS 14 or later on an Apple silicon Mac (M1 or newer)
- Fewer niche input formats than PDF Candy
2. PDF Candy (web)
PDF Candy's website handles an unusually long list of input formats. Files are kept on its servers for no longer than two hours, and the free plan has hourly and page restrictions.
- Very broad format support
- Low monthly price
- Uploads every file
- Hourly limits and no batch on the free plan
3. Sejda Desktop
Sejda Desktop runs on Intel and Apple silicon Macs, Windows and Linux, and processes files on your computer. The free tier allows 3 tasks per day.
- Mac app with local processing
- Supports Intel Macs
- 3 free tasks per day
- Yearly subscription for unlimited use
4. Preview (built into macOS)
Preview can open HEIC and JPG images and export them as PDF, combine PDFs by dragging thumbnails, and add a signature. It has no OCR or metadata tools.
- Free and already installed
- Exports images to PDF
- One file at a time
- No OCR or metadata removal
PDF Candy on a Mac: web only
PDF Candy sells Desktop + Web plans, but its pricing page describes the desktop version as for Windows and links only to a Windows download. On a Mac, every PDF Candy task happens in the browser. The site says files are kept on its servers for no longer than two hours.
The free plan works for light use, but it has page and hourly restrictions, a file-size limit and no batch processing. If you are converting a folder of receipts, that means one file at a time with pauses.
Lifetime $99 or $20 once
PDF Candy's lifetime plan is a good deal for Windows users: $99 once for the desktop app and web access. Its FAQ notes that lifetime covers one specific version with minor updates, not future major upgrades. On a Mac, though, you would be paying for a desktop app you cannot install.
FileDial costs $20 once and runs on 2 Macs, with a 14-day refund. It covers fewer exotic input formats than PDF Candy, but it adds photo, video and audio tools that PDF Candy does not offer.
Clean a PDF before you send it
Remove metadata and Flatten PDF are two of PDF Candy's quieter favorites, usually run together before sending a file outside the company. FileDial can do both, or go further.
- Select the PDF in Finder and hold the right Option key.
- Release on Sign & Lock › Remove metadata to strip the title, author, dates and app names.
- If the file has comments, run Pages › Flatten annotations on the new copy so markup becomes part of the page.
- For a single step that also removes scripts, attachments and old revisions, use Sign & Lock › Sanitize for sending… instead.
When PDF Candy is still the better tool
If you regularly receive DjVu scans, MOBI e-books, DWG drawings or XPS files, PDF Candy converts them and FileDial does not. If you also work on Windows, its lifetime plan gives you a local desktop app there. For everything else on a Mac, an offline app avoids both the uploads and the hourly waits.
PDF Candy has also added AI tools such as Summarize PDF, Chat with PDF and Translate PDF, which run on its servers. FileDial's nearest equivalents run on the Mac: Convert › Summarize uses Apple Intelligence, and Convert › Translate document… writes a translated text file but needs macOS 26.
Questions
Is there a PDF Candy desktop app for Mac?
Not according to PDF Candy's pricing page, which describes its desktop version as for Windows and links to a Windows download. Mac users can use the web tools in a browser, or an offline Mac app such as FileDial, Sejda Desktop or Preview, depending on how much they process.
How long does PDF Candy keep uploaded files?
PDF Candy says it keeps files on its servers for no longer than two hours, and describes this as GDPR compliant. Its Windows desktop app processes files locally. On a Mac, where that app is not available, an offline app such as FileDial or Preview is the only way to avoid uploading.
What are PDF Candy's free limits?
PDF Candy's pricing page lists page and hourly restrictions, a limited file size, no batch processing and an operations limit on the desktop app for free users. Paid plans remove the hourly limits and allow files up to 500 MB per task.
Can FileDial convert HEIC photos to PDF like PDF Candy?
Yes. Select HEIC photos and use Convert › Convert to PDF for a PDF of each, or Combine › Images to PDF to put several photos into one PDF with a page per image. Both run on the Mac without uploading.