PDFjet vs Reducto
Two RAG-native parsers that both take data privacy seriously. The differences are output formats, pricing transparency, and scope.
Reducto is a serious RAG-native parser: a vision-first, multi-pass pipeline with an agentic OCR review loop, structured LLM-ready output, and a genuinely strong privacy stance — configurable zero data retention, SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA with BAA, and VPC/air-gapped deployment for regulated teams. On privacy, it's one of the few tools in PDFjet's league.
PDFjet overlaps heavily on the RAG job and on zero retention, and differs on output breadth and transparency: it returns clean Markdown, CSV, JSON, editable Word or a searchable PDF directly, adds convert/merge/split/encrypt and an MCP server, and publishes simple per-page pricing (Reducto's dollar rates aren't public). If you need air-gapped/on-prem, Reducto has options PDFjet doesn't.
Reducto vs PDFjet, feature by feature
| Capability | PDFjet | Reducto |
|---|---|---|
| PDF → CSV (tables) | Partial | |
| PDF → Markdown (RAG-ready) | Partial | |
| PDF → structured JSON | ||
| PDF → editable Word (.docx) | ||
| OCR of scans / searchable PDF | Partial | |
| AI / vision-model extraction | ||
| RAG chunking (heading-aware) | Partial | |
| Per-element bbox provenance | Partial | |
| Schema-guided field extraction | Partial | |
| Convert files → PDF | ||
| Merge / split / encrypt | ||
| Files never stored |
Comparison reflects each vendor's public documentation as of July 2026. Capabilities change — check the source links below before relying on a specific detail.
When Reducto may fit better
- •You're in a regulated industry and need air-gapped or VPC deployment, SOC 2 Type II and HIPAA with a BAA.
- •You want a vision-first, multi-pass agentic parser tuned for maximum accuracy on very complex documents.
- •Configurable zero retention (including immediate-deletion mode) is a hard requirement — Reducto is built around it.
When PDFjet is the better call
- •You want CSV, editable Word or a searchable PDF directly, plus convert/merge/split/encrypt — beyond Reducto's parsing scope.
- •You want transparent, published per-page pricing — Reducto's dollar rates aren't public (credit-based, contact sales).
- •You want a simple hosted API with an MCP server and no sales cycle to get started.
- •You also get zero data retention with PDFjet — so on privacy you're not trading anything away.
Try PDFjet in one call
Point your PDF at one endpoint and pick the output — CSV, Markdown, JSON, editable Word, or a searchable PDF. No SDK required.
curl -X POST https://pdfjet.dev/extract/md \
-H "Authorization: Bearer pj_live_..." \
-F [email protected]FAQ
Is PDFjet a good alternative to Reducto?
Yes if you want direct CSV/Markdown/Word/searchable-PDF output, convert/merge/split, transparent per-page pricing, and a self-serve API — while keeping zero data retention. Reducto is the better fit when you need air-gapped/VPC deployment and regulated-industry compliance (SOC 2, HIPAA).
How do PDFjet and Reducto compare on data privacy?
Both are strong: Reducto offers configurable zero retention (auto-delete within 24h, immediate-deletion mode on Enterprise) plus SOC 2 and HIPAA; PDFjet processes in memory and stores nothing. On privacy you're not compromising with either — the differences are scope, pricing transparency, and deployment options.
What does PDFjet do that Reducto doesn't?
Direct CSV, editable Word and searchable-PDF output, file-to-PDF conversion, merge/split/encrypt, an MCP server, and published per-page pricing. Reducto focuses on parsing and offers air-gapped/on-prem deployment PDFjet doesn't.
Switching from Reducto? Start free.
100 pages/month, every feature, zero data retention. No credit card.
Get your free API key →More comparisons
Sources: reducto.ai/·llms.reducto.ai/trust-center-on-prem-zero-retention-hipaa-soc2-baa·llms.reducto.ai/supported-file-types-pdf-pptx-xlsx