Alternatives
Flatten PDF forms without uploading them to an online converter
Online tools such as Smallpdf, Sejda and PDF24’s web tool flatten PDF forms quickly, but they upload your file to their servers to do it. For forms containing immigration, tax, medical or client details, flatten on your own computer instead: Preview’s print to PDF for one ordinary form, or a local app for batches and XFA forms.
Last reviewed · 4 sources
What online flatteners do well
They are free or cheap, need no installation, and work on any computer. Sejda describes its tool as making fillable PDFs read-only, “Print & scan in one step,” and PDF24’s says flattening “protects forms from changes by combining the changeable elements with the actual page content.” Smallpdf offers a choice between flattening form fields only or all content.
They also say how they handle uploads. Sejda states: “Files stay private. Automatically deleted after 2 hours.”
Why uploading matters for some forms
A completed form is often the most sensitive document a person has: names, dates of birth, addresses, government ID and account numbers in one file. Even with deletion policies, uploading it means a copy exists, for a time, on someone else’s systems.
Canada’s privacy regulators ask organisations to limit disclosure of personal information “to only what is needed.” Flattening does not require a third party at all.
Who should choose which
Choose an online flattener for public forms or documents without personal details, when you are on a computer where you cannot install software.
Choose a local option for anything with personal details. Preview’s File > Print > Save as PDF handles one standard form. PiBye’s Lock PDF handles batches and XFA government forms on your Mac.
Where PiBye fits
How PiBye handles this
PiBye’s Lock PDF flattens forms on your Mac with no upload: drop one form or a folder’s worth, and each gets a static copy beside the original, with any form it could not convert listed.
1.0.1 · macOS 14.8.5 or later · Apple Silicon · 1.1 GB
Frequently asked questions
Is PDF24 local?
PDF24’s web tool processes files on its servers. Its desktop app, PDF24 Creator, runs locally but is available for Windows only.
Does flattening remove personal information?
No. Flattening keeps everything the form shows. To remove personal details, redact or replace them first.
Sources
- Flatten PDF, Smallpdf. Checked 17 September 2026.
- Flatten PDF online, Sejda. Checked 17 September 2026.
- Flatten PDF, PDF24 Tools. Checked 17 September 2026.
- Principles for responsible, trustworthy and privacy-protective generative AI technologies, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, December 7, 2023. Checked 17 September 2026.