Convert files without uploading them

Last updated 3 September 2026

What “without uploading” means here

Most online converters work the same way: you send them your file, their server converts it, you download the result, and you trust them to delete the original. OneClick Convert is built the other way round. The converter is downloaded into your browser, once, and then it does the work on your own device. The file is opened by your computer or phone, converted by your computer or phone, and saved by your computer or phone. Nothing is sent to us, because there is nothing for us to receive.

You can see this for yourself: open a tool, let the page load, switch on airplane mode, and convert. It still works. A tool that needed a server could not.

Which tools run entirely on your device

Every tool on this site except the three listed in the next section. That includes:

<a href="/pdf-to-word">PDF to Word</a>, <a href="/word-to-pdf">Word to PDF</a>, <a href="/pdf-to-jpg">PDF to JPG</a>, <a href="/jpg-to-pdf">JPG to PDF</a>, <a href="/merge-pdf">merge</a>, <a href="/split-pdf">split</a> and <a href="/compress-pdf">compress PDF</a>, including the exact-size pages such as <a href="/compress-pdf-to-100kb">compress PDF to 100 KB</a>
<a href="/heic-to-jpg">HEIC to JPG</a>, <a href="/compress-image">image compression</a> to an exact size, <a href="/resize-image">resizing</a>, <a href="/remove-background">background removal</a> and the <a href="/visa-photo-maker">visa and passport photo tool</a>
<a href="/image-to-text">OCR</a>, including <a href="/arabic-ocr">Arabic OCR</a>: the recognition model is downloaded into your browser and reads the page there
<a href="/mp4-to-mp3">audio extraction</a>, <a href="/compress-video">video compression</a>, <a href="/video-to-gif">GIF making</a> and the <a href="/voice-changer">voice changer</a>: the video engine (about 30 MB) is fetched once and cached
<a href="/split-excel">splitting large spreadsheets</a> and converting CSV, Excel and JSON

The three tools that do use a server, and why

We would rather say it plainly than pretend. Three things cannot run on a phone in reasonable time, so they go to our server, are processed, and are deleted afterwards. Each carries a blue “Cloud step” badge on its page.

<a href="/transcribe-audio">Audio transcription</a>: speech recognition of a long recording is too heavy for a browser. The audio is sent, transcribed, and not kept.
Converting from a pasted link: the site has to fetch the link on your behalf, because your browser is not allowed to.
Sharing a file by link: the file has to sit somewhere for the other person to download it. It expires and is deleted.

Why this matters more than a privacy policy

A policy is a promise about behaviour. Local processing is a fact about architecture. When a document with your passport number, salary or medical history never leaves your device, there is nothing to leak, nothing to subpoena and nothing to breach. For visa applications, bank paperwork, legal documents and anything about your health, that difference is the whole point.

It also explains a few things you will notice: the first use of a heavy tool downloads its engine (a few seconds on Wi-Fi), a very large video takes as long as your device needs rather than as long as a data centre would, and everything keeps working when the connection drops.

Frequently asked questions

Does “no upload” apply on a phone too? Yes. The same code runs in Safari and Chrome on iPhone and Android. Very large videos are the one case where a laptop is more comfortable.

Do you see my file names? No. Our anonymous usage counts record the file type, the size bucket and whether the conversion worked, never the name or the content.

Is it free? Yes, all of it, paid for by ads. There is no per-file charge and no account needed.

Can I use it offline? Once a tool’s page has loaded, yes. Install the site to your home screen and the tools you have opened stay available without a connection.