FileDial vs Sejda
By Himanshu Ranjan · Updated 8 November 2026
Sejda offers PDF tools in the browser, where files are uploaded and deleted after 2 hours, and as Sejda Desktop for Mac, Windows and Linux, which works offline. Both are free with limits, or $63 a year for unlimited use. FileDial is a $20 Mac app with 525 offline tools covering PDFs, photos, video and audio. Sejda suits occasional PDF jobs, FileDial heavier mixed work.
At a glance
| FileDial | Sejda | |
|---|---|---|
| Where files are processed | On your Mac, files are never uploaded | Web: Sejda servers, deleted after 2 hours. Desktop: your computer |
| Works offline | Yes, every tool works with Wi-Fi off | Sejda Desktop yes, Sejda Web no |
| Platforms | Mac only: macOS 14+, Apple silicon (M1 or newer) | Web, Mac, Windows, Linux |
| Price | $20 once, lifetime license for 2 Macs | $7.50 a month (web) or $63 a year (desktop and web) |
| Short-term option | 1-day trial, then $20 once | Week Pass, $5 web or $7.95 desktop |
| Free use | 1-day trial of every tool, no card | Web: 3 tasks an hour. Desktop: 3 tasks a day |
| Free file limits | No free tier after the trial | Web: 200 pages or 100 MB. Desktop: 50 MB and 200 pages |
| Account required | No account | No signup for free use |
| Batch processing | Yes, select many files and run one tool on all | Multiple files at once on paid plans |
| OCR | OCR › Make searchable on a whole selection | Free desktop up to 10 pages; paid up to 100 pages |
| File types beyond PDF | Photos, video, audio, documents, spreadsheets, archives | PDF focused |
Details about Sejda come from its own website and documentation, checked 2026-11-09. Prices and features change; check the source links below.
About Sejda
A PDF editor and toolkit available as a web service, Sejda Web, and as an offline desktop app, Sejda Desktop.
Platforms: Web, macOS (Intel and Apple silicon), Windows, Linux. Price: Free with limits; Web Week Pass $5 for 7 days; Web Monthly $7.50 a month; Desktop Week Pass $7.95; Desktop+Web Annual $63 a year, per user.. Where files are processed: Sejda Web processes files on its servers and says they are deleted automatically after 2 hours; Sejda Desktop processes files on your computer.
Choose Sejda if
- You need PDF tools a few times a week and the free tier covers it.
- You use Linux or a Chromebook, or move between several operating systems.
- You have one busy week of PDF work and a $5 Week Pass is all you need.
- You want a browser editor you can open on any borrowed computer.
Choose FileDial if
- You hit Sejda's 3 tasks an hour or 3 tasks a day limits and want no caps after paying once.
- You prefer $20 once to $63 a year.
- You want results saved beside the originals in Finder, with Undo on every one.
- You chain steps, for example a recipe that runs OCR › Make searchable then Compress › Compress PDF on every scan dropped into a watched folder.
Sejda gives you a choice
Sejda is unusual among web PDF services because it also ships a real desktop app. Its homepage says Sejda Web uses its servers to process files and permanently deletes them after processing, while Sejda Desktop works offline with the same features and files never leave your computer. Its tool pages state that uploaded files are deleted automatically after 2 hours. Desktop runs on Mac, Windows and Linux, which FileDial cannot match.
If you are a Mac user who wants offline PDF tools only occasionally, Sejda Desktop's free tier is a fair place to start.
The free tier in numbers
Sejda's free web tools allow documents up to 200 pages or 100 MB and 3 tasks per hour. Sejda Desktop's free version allows 3 tasks a day, documents up to 50 MB and 200 pages, OCR on files up to 10 pages and combining up to 30 files and 50 pages, and converts files one at a time. Paid plans remove the page and hourly limits, allow files up to 500 MB and OCR up to 100 pages.
FileDial has no free tier beyond a 1-day trial of every tool. After that it is $20 once for 2 Macs, with no task, page or file count limits stated, and a 14-day refund.
Beyond PDF
Sejda is a PDF specialist. FileDial has 155 PDF tools, including Combine › Interleave fronts and backs for duplex scans, Organize › Split by file size… for upload limits and Pages › Exhibit stamps…, and also 169 tools for photos, 134 for video and 84 for audio, all opened from the same dial in Finder. A batch of 300 photos converted in 5 seconds on a MacBook.
Questions
Does Sejda upload my files?
Sejda Web does: files are processed on its servers and its tool pages say they are deleted automatically after 2 hours. Sejda Desktop processes files on your computer. FileDial never uploads files.
Is Sejda Desktop free on a Mac?
Yes, with limits. Sejda's desktop page lists 3 tasks a day, documents up to 50 MB and 200 pages, and OCR up to 10 pages. Unlimited use is $63 a year. FileDial is $20 once after a 1-day trial.
Does Sejda run on Linux?
Yes. Sejda Desktop has .deb and .rpm Linux packages alongside Mac and Windows. FileDial is Mac only.