PDF.chat
PDF.chat: Affordable PDF chat with citations, OCR, model comparison, and API access. Ranked #5 of 27 in AI PDF Assistants by our editors (8.8/10); pricing: Free plan; best for affordable cited PDF chat with API access.
At a glance
- Editor score8.8 / 10
- PricingFree plan
- Best forAffordable cited PDF chat with API access
- Free planYes
- Paid from$5/mo
- Multiple PDFs per chatYes
- Facts checked20 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Page-cited answers link responses to supporting passages.
- OCR handles scanned or photographed PDFs.
- REST API, model comparison, memory, and exports support varied workflows.
Where it doesn't
- Access is centered on web and API rather than a broader platform range.
- API access starts with the $19-per-month Pro plan.
- Priority queue and support are limited to the $49-per-month Business plan.
Our verdict on PDF.chat
PDF.chat is a browser-based AI assistant for asking questions about PDFs and other documents. It suits researchers, students, analysts, legal and operations teams, and anyone working through contracts, manuals, reports, textbooks, or other long files. Its core workflow combines document chat with page-cited answers, summaries, suggested starter questions, side-by-side reading, and multi-turn conversations that retain document context. OCR extends that workflow to scanned or photographed PDFs, while support for TXT, MD, DOCX, searchable PDF, JSON, and CSV broadens the types of material it can process.
Pricing is structured around free access, monthly plans, and one-time packs. Starter costs $5 per month and includes the highest-accuracy AI models for hard documents, supported file formats, and email support. Pro costs $19 per month and adds API access and batch processing. Business costs $49 per month and adds a priority queue and priority support to the Pro feature set. The Small pack costs $5 one time, Medium costs $15, and Large costs $40; these packs include pages that never expire, supported formats, the highest-accuracy AI models, and API access. This gives occasional users a non-subscription route while keeping recurring plans available for regular work.
The standout fit is document-focused question answering with citations and multiple AI models available in one chat. The REST API supports document upload and chat, and processed content can be exported in TXT, MD, DOCX, PDF, CSV, and JSON. The trade-off is a focused web-and-API footprint. Users who need cited answers, OCR, document memory, or developer access at a low entry price should consider PDF.chat. Teams needing broader platform coverage or priority handling should look at the Business plan or choose an alternative built around those requirements.
Your product? Our editors can test PDF.chat in depth and publish a review, labelled as paid · from $149/mo →
PDF.chat pricing
All 6 PDF.chat plans and prices →
PDF.chat fact sheet
| Free plan | Yes |
|---|---|
| Paid from | $5/mo |
| Maximum file size | Not verified |
| Maximum PDF pages | Not verified |
| Multiple PDFs per chat | Yes |
| Source citations | Yes |
| Scanned PDF support | Yes |
| Export formats | TXT, MD, DOCX, PDF, CSV, JSON |
| Access platforms | web, api |
| Money-back guarantee | 30 days |
| Deployment | Cloud, Browser extension |
| Platforms | Web |
| Support | Email, Docs |
| Built for | Solo, Small business, Mid-market (editorial estimate) |
| Pricing | Free plan (source) |
| Website | pdf.chat |
| Facts checked | 20 Sep 2026 |
Alternatives to PDF.chat
- AI PDF ReaderA low-cost, local-first PDF assistant for private analysis across Windows, macOS, and iOS.9.4
- AnaraA citation-focused AI research workspace with broad connectors and multi-document analysis.9.2
- docAnalyzerA citation-rich document workspace with OCR, workflows, APIs, and broad exports.9.1
See all PDF.chat alternatives →
PDF.chat vs the competition
- PDF.chat vs AI PDF Reader
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- PDF.chat vs docAnalyzer
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- PDF.chat vs Sharly AI
- PDF.chat vs pdfAssistant.ai
Compare PDF.chat with any tool side by side →
Also Ranked In
PDF.chat is ranked in 2 of our directories.
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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