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PDF Pals vs ChatPDF: catalog facts
PDF Pals	ChatPDF
Paid Paid license with a free trial; AI usage needs your own API key or a rented one.	Freemium Free to use, with a paid Plus upgrade.
macOS	Web
Native app rather than Electron OCR for scanned PDFs and forms	Answers cite the passages they come from Folders for chatting across several files
macOS Ventura 13 or later only Needs an external AI API, so text is sent to that provider	Documents are processed on a remote service Chat history is only saved after signing up
Downloadable app	Downloadable app, Web application
Closed source	Closed source
License not stated	License not stated
Not stated if an account is needed	No account needed
Needs internet	Needs internet
Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 2, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.