BleachPDF

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Score6.9

Rank#3 of 27

PriceFree

Free planYes

Runs onLinux, macOS

Summary

BleachPDF is a free desktop tool for redacting PDF files on Linux and macOS, including scanned documents. It converts pages into images, applies OCR to locate specified text, covers matches with black boxes and saves a new PDF. Because the result contains images only, it has no text layer through which redacted wording could be exposed by copying and pasting. Users can match exact text or configure patterns such as case-insensitive text and digit patterns. The command line can process a file pattern or folder for batch work. BleachPDF rescans the output to verify that matches are hidden, and treats failed verification as a stop condition. It runs locally and does not upload documents. Setup uses pip and requires Tesseract; OCR language can be selected, with examples for English and English plus Korean. OCR can miss handwriting, unusual fonts, poor scans or very small, dense text, so manual review is advised. The repository displays an AGPL-3.0 license and states it grants no permission to use the software for censorship as defined in that license.

Who it is for

BleachPDF suits Linux or macOS users who need to redact PDFs locally, including batches of scanned files. It is aimed at users comfortable installing pip packages and Tesseract and checking OCR output manually.

What is good

Runs on the user's computer without document uploads.
Can redact batches from a folder or file pattern.
Output omits a hidden text layer.
Verification failures stop processing.

What to know first

Requires pip and Tesseract.
OCR can err on handwriting and poor scans.
Manual review of output is advised.
Only Linux and macOS are listed.

Verdict

BleachPDF offers local OCR-based PDF redaction with output verification and batch processing. OCR limitations make manual checking important, especially for difficult scans or text.

BleachPDF plans and pricing

All plans

BleachPDF Free No subscriptions · runs on your own computer github.com · 3 Oct 2026

Compared on document redaction software

Free plan: Yesgithub.com
Deployment: desktopgithub.com
OCR redaction: Yesgithub.com
Automated detection: Yesgithub.com
Batch processing: Yesgithub.com
Input formats: PDFgithub.com

Facts

Purpose: BleachPDF blacks out sensitive information in PDF files, including scanned documents.github.com · 3 Oct 2026
OCR workflow: It converts pages to images, uses OCR to find matching text, draws black boxes over matches, and saves a new PDF.github.com · 3 Oct 2026
Output: The output PDF contains images only, without a hidden text layer that could expose redacted text through copying and pasting.github.com · 3 Oct 2026
Privacy: The README says it runs on the user's computer and does not upload documents.github.com · 3 Oct 2026
Patterns: Users can specify exact text or configure more complex patterns, including case-insensitive matches and digit patterns.github.com · 3 Oct 2026
Verification: BleachPDF rescans the output to check that matched text is hidden, and verification failures are fatal.github.com · 3 Oct 2026
Dependencies: Installation uses pip and requires Tesseract; the README gives setup instructions for Ubuntu/Debian and macOS.github.com · 3 Oct 2026
Language support: The OCR language can be selected with --lang, with examples including eng and eng+kor.github.com · 3 Oct 2026
Limitations: Handwriting, unusual fonts, low-quality scans, and very small or dense text can cause recognition errors, so the README advises checking output manually.github.com · 3 Oct 2026
License: The repository displays an AGPL-3.0 license and states that it grants no permission to use the software for censorship as defined in the license.github.com · 3 Oct 2026
Maker: The README identifies the author as John Byrd.github.com · 3 Oct 2026