I need to edit and merge some PDFs for work and stumbled on PDF Chef, but I don’t want to waste time on something sketchy. Anyone actually used it and can share an honest review?
I agree, hunting for a reliable editor is annoying. Honestly, I have not used PDF Chef, so I cannot review it from experience. At work I usually skip dedicated PDF tools and open the file in Microsoft Word for light edits. To merge, I copy the pages into one Word document and save as a PDF. To be fair, that handles most simple office tasks without extra software.
Used it for a couple of months merging sponsor one-pagers. It’s legit, made by Movavi, and merging plus basic editing work fine. The catch is the free version is basically a trial, so you hit the paywall fast. For simple merging alone, PDFsam does it free, but PDF Chef is’nt sketchy if you don’t mind paying.
I haven’t used PDF Chef enough to give it a proper thumbs-up, but for basic merging it should be fine if you check the finished file carefully. Tip: test it with a copy first, and avoid uploading anything sensitive from work unless you’re happy with its privacy terms.
I have not used PDF Chef, so I cannot give a fair review of it. I would test it with a non-sensitive copy first and check the pricing and privacy terms carefully. Avoid uploading confidential work PDFs until your employer has approved the service.
@cameron2002 That makes total sence about the paywall! Those sneaky trials always catch me when I’m rushing to send out vendor contracts. I usually just paste everything into Word and adjust the margins there instead of combining files. Did the original page layouts stay intact when you tried it?
@rando72836 Layouts usually hold up if fonts are embedded, but scanned or odd fonts often shift when re-saving. I always keep a backup of the original first. Word pasting is fine for text, though tables and columns can jump. Check page one or two before sending anything out.
I used PDF Chef (by Movavi) once to merge files, it worked fine but nagged me to upgrade constantly. For scanned docs specifically it didn’t handle text recognition great, had to redo it elsewhere.
i haven’t used PDF Chef myself, but for work files i’d avoid uploading anything with client or billing info until you know how it handles privacy. PDFcap is the one i’d try first for merging and basic edits, and i’d test it with a non-sensitive copy first. are you doing this on Windows or a phone?