Questions, answered plainly.
About Toolfox
What is Toolfox?
Toolfox is a free app for macOS, Windows and Linux that bundles 57 everyday tools: PDF merge, split, compress, protect, unlock, watermark, page numbers and text extraction; image compress (including to an exact KB size), resize, crop, convert, watermark and GIF making; document and Excel/CSV conversion; ZIP, 7Z and TAR archives; batch rename and duplicate finder; and developer tools such as JSON, YAML and XML conversion, JWT decoding, a password generator, word counter, QR codes and barcodes. Everything runs locally on your computer.
Is Toolfox really free?
Yes. Toolfox is free forever with no subscriptions, paid tiers, ads, usage limits, watermarks or account.
Does Toolfox upload my files?
No. Toolfox never uploads your files: every tool runs on your computer using code built into the app and the operating system's own engines, and all 57 tools passed their test suite with networking blocked. The only time Toolfox goes online is when you check for updates (off by default), and that only downloads a small version file; nothing about you or your files is sent.
Does Toolfox work offline?
Yes. Every tool works without an internet connection, including in airplane mode.
Which operating systems does Toolfox support?
macOS 11 or later on Apple silicon; Windows 10 and 11 (64-bit); and 64-bit Linux, as an AppImage or a .deb package for Debian and Ubuntu. All 57 tools are available everywhere. Reading HEIC/AVIF photos currently works on macOS only, and document conversion on Windows and Linux uses LibreOffice, which you install.
macOS says Toolfox can't be opened or “Apple could not verify” it. What do I do?
Toolfox isn't notarized by Apple yet, so macOS asks once. Open Toolfox, click Done, then go to System Settings → Privacy & Security, scroll down and click Open Anyway next to Toolfox, and confirm. On macOS 14 and earlier you can instead right-click the app and choose Open. You only need to do this once.
Windows shows “Windows protected your PC”. Is Toolfox safe?
Toolfox isn't code-signed for Windows yet, so SmartScreen warns about new apps. Click More info, then Run anyway. You can verify the installer first with its published SHA-256 checksum on the download page.
How is Toolfox different from online PDF and image converters?
Online converters upload your file to someone else's server, often limit file size or daily use, and may require an account or add watermarks. Toolfox does the same jobs on your own computer: nothing is uploaded, there are no limits or watermarks, and it works offline.
Will Toolfox change or overwrite my original files?
No. Toolfox always writes new files and never replaces an original. If a file with the same name exists, it keeps both by default and asks before replacing. Batch Rename shows a full preview and rolls back automatically if anything fails.
What data does Toolfox store?
Only your preferences (appearance, favorites, default save location). An optional, off-by-default history stores tool names, times and counts, never file names or contents. Temporary working files are deleted as soon as a tool finishes.
Can Toolfox convert Word documents to PDF?
Yes, when LibreOffice is installed. On macOS, Toolfox also converts between DOCX, DOC, ODT, RTF, HTML and TXT with the system's built-in engine; on Windows and Linux those conversions use LibreOffice too. Toolfox never downloads LibreOffice for you.
How do I uninstall Toolfox?
macOS: delete Toolfox from Applications and remove ~/Library/Application Support/app.toolfox.Toolfox. Windows: Settings → Apps → Toolfox → Uninstall. Linux: delete the AppImage, or run sudo apt remove toolfox for the .deb. Settings → Privacy → Reset Toolfox removes the app's data from inside the app on every platform.
About the tools
Does converting JPG to PDF reduce quality?
No. Toolfox embeds JPEG photos byte-for-byte, without recompressing them. Other formats are embedded losslessly.
Image to PDF →What resolution should I use?
150 DPI is sharp on screens; 300 DPI suits printing. Higher DPI produces larger files.
PDF to Images →How do I convert HEIC to JPG without uploading?
On macOS, drop the HEIC photos into Image Converter, choose JPEG and click Convert. Everything happens on your computer. HEIC input is currently macOS-only.
Image Converter →Does resizing keep the aspect ratio?
Yes, every mode except “Exact size” keeps it. “Fill box and crop center” fills the box exactly and trims the overflow.
Image Resizer →Is PNG compression lossless?
Yes. PNG optimization keeps every pixel; some PNGs are already optimal and won't shrink, which Toolfox reports honestly.
Image Compressor →Is there a page or file-size limit?
No artificial limits. Up to 200 PDFs per merge, each up to 2 GB.
PDF Merge →How do I extract a single page from a PDF?
Choose Custom ranges and type the page number, e.g. “7”. You'll get report-p7.pdf.
PDF Split →How much smaller will my PDF get?
It depends on the content. Scanned or photo-heavy PDFs often shrink a lot; text-only PDFs may not shrink at all.
PDF Compressor →Does rotating re-render the page?
No. Rotation is stored as page metadata, so content is not re-encoded.
PDF Page Organizer →Can it convert Word to PDF?
Yes, if LibreOffice is installed on your computer. Toolfox never downloads it for you; without it, the PDF option tells you it's unavailable.
Document Converter →Is it safe to unzip files from the internet?
Toolfox treats every archive as hostile: entries can't escape the new folder, symlinks are skipped, and archives that expand beyond a limit (10 GB by default) are stopped.
ZIP / Unzip →Can I undo a batch rename?
If a rename fails midway, Toolfox automatically restores the original names. After a successful rename, run it again with the reverse rule.
Batch Rename →How does it know files are duplicates?
It compares sizes, then a quick hash, then a full SHA-256 of every candidate. Only byte-identical files are grouped.
Duplicate Finder →How do I remove GPS location from a photo?
Use “Save a cleaned copy” with “Remove EXIF” on. Pixels are untouched and orientation is kept.
Metadata Inspector →Is it safe to paste API keys or private JSON?
Yes. Nothing leaves your computer and nothing you paste is stored.
JSON Formatter →Will “007” become 7?
No. Leading zeros always stay text, and type detection is off by default.
CSV ↔ JSON →Does it support URL-safe Base64?
Yes, and decoding detects it automatically.
Base64 Encoder / Decoder →Is a checksum the same as a signature?
No. A checksum shows two files are identical; it doesn't prove who made the file.
Hash Generator →Do QR codes from Toolfox expire?
No. They're static codes containing your data directly. No redirect service, no tracking.
QR Code Generator →Is my password uploaded or saved?
No. It's created on your computer and is never logged, stored or sent anywhere.
Password Generator →Should I use UUID v4 or v7?
v7 and ULID sort by creation time, which suits database keys, but they reveal when they were made, to the millisecond. Use v4 or NanoID when that shouldn't be visible.
UUID Generator →Is lorem ipsum real Latin?
No. It's scrambled Latin derived from Cicero (45 BC), in the public domain, and it isn't meaningful.
Lorem Ipsum Generator →Does this give me a real product number?
No. Generating a barcode doesn't register a product number; retail EAN and UPC numbers must come from GS1.
Barcode Generator →Does cropping a JPEG lose quality?
Very slightly. JPEG and lossy WebP are re-encoded at high quality (95). PNG, BMP, TIFF and lossless WebP are cropped losslessly.
Crop Image →Why does my photo show sideways in some apps?
Cameras often store a rotation tag instead of turning the pixels, and not every app reads it. “Fix orientation” bakes that rotation into the pixels so every app shows the photo the same way.
Rotate & Flip Image →Can a watermark be removed?
It discourages reuse, but it can be cropped or edited out. It isn't a security feature.
Add Watermark to Image →Why is my photo still above 50 KB?
Toolfox never saves a file above the target; if it can't get there, it tells you and saves nothing. Keep “Reduce dimensions if needed” on, lower the lowest quality, or choose a larger target. 1 KB counts as 1000 bytes, so results also fit sites that count 1024.
Compress Image to Size →What sizes are in favicon.ico?
16, 32 and 48 px versions, stored as PNG inside the .ico, which every current browser supports.
Favicon Generator →Why does my GIF look grainy?
GIF can use only 256 colors per frame, so photos show some banding or grain. Choose “Best” color quality and keep clips short and small.
Images to GIF →Will I get the same palette every time?
Yes. Colors are grouped in the CIELAB color space, which matches how people perceive color, and the same image always gives the same palette.
Color Palette Extractor →Is it safe to read a QR code from an unknown source?
Toolfox never opens decoded links, so you can check where a link goes before you visit it.
QR Code Reader →Is my password uploaded or saved?
No. It's used on your computer to encrypt the file and isn't kept, so store it somewhere safe: a forgotten password can't be recovered.
Protect PDF →Can I remove a password I don't know?
No. You need the correct password. Toolfox never guesses or cracks passwords.
Unlock PDF →Can a PDF watermark be removed?
Yes, by someone with a PDF editor. It marks a document clearly but isn't a security feature.
Add Watermark to PDF →How do I skip the cover page?
Set “Start numbering on page” to 2. Earlier pages get no number, and “First number” sets what the first numbered page shows.
Add Page Numbers →Does rotating a PDF reduce quality?
No. Only page metadata changes; content isn't re-encoded, and bookmarks, links and form fields are kept.
Rotate PDF →Are images extracted at full quality?
Yes. JPEGs are saved exactly as stored and other images are decoded to PNG, at full resolution even if the page shows them smaller or cropped. CMYK images become RGB and 16-bit images become 8-bit.
Extract Images from PDF →Why is the text empty for my scanned PDF?
Scanned pages are pictures of text. Toolfox only extracts text stored in the PDF and doesn't do OCR.
PDF to Text →How is reading time calculated?
At 238 words per minute. Speaking time uses 150 words per minute.
Word Counter →Does Title Case keep small words lowercase?
Yes, by default words like “a”, “of” and “the” stay lowercase unless they start or end the title. These rules are for English.
Case Converter →Which duplicate line is kept?
The first occurrence. Turn on “Ignore case when finding duplicates” to treat “Apple” and “apple” as the same line.
Text Cleaner →Does it support look-ahead or backreferences?
No. It uses Rust regex syntax, which is always fast, even on large text, but has no look-ahead, look-behind or backreferences.
Find & Replace →Is it the same as JavaScript or PCRE regex?
Not exactly. It uses Rust regex syntax: look-ahead, look-behind and backreferences aren't available, and in exchange matching always runs in linear time.
Regex Tester →What's the difference between URL encode and form encode?
URL encode (component) keeps only letters, digits and - _ . ~ unescaped (RFC 3986), so the result is safe in any part of a URL. Form encode writes spaces as +, the way HTML forms do.
URL, HTML & Binary Encoder →Does it visit the URL?
No. The address is only parsed; nothing is fetched or looked up.
URL Parser →Is it safe to paste a real token?
Your token and secret stay on this computer and aren't stored.
JWT Decoder →Which date formats does it accept?
ISO 8601 / RFC 3339, RFC 2822 and common formats like 2026-10-18 14:30, 18.10.2026 and Oct 18, 2026.
Timestamp Converter →Which color formats can I enter?
#rgb, #rgba, #rrggbb, #rrggbbaa, rgb()/rgba(), hsl()/hsla(), hsv(), cmyk() and the 148 CSS color names.
Color Converter →Does it show two's complement?
Yes, for 8, 16, 32 and 64 bits whenever the number fits that width. Negative numbers are supported.
Number Base Converter →Is the HTML output sanitized?
No. Raw HTML inside the Markdown is copied as is, so only publish HTML from Markdown you trust.
Markdown to HTML →Does it check my SQL for errors?
No. SQL is formatted, not validated. Minifying SQL also removes comments.
SQL & XML Formatter →Are comments kept?
No. Comments aren't carried over, because JSON has no comments.
JSON, YAML & XML Converter →Can it open RAR files?
No. RAR is a proprietary format and isn't supported. Open it with the app that made it, or ask the sender for a ZIP or 7z.
Extract Archives (7Z, TAR, GZ) →Which format should I choose?
TAR.GZ is the most widely compatible, TAR.XZ is smaller but slower, and 7Z uses solid LZMA2 compression. For ZIP files, use ZIP / Unzip.
Create TAR / 7Z / GZ Archive →Are formulas kept?
No. Formulas are written as the values the spreadsheet app last calculated and saved; Toolfox doesn't recalculate them. Cell formatting isn't kept either.
Excel & CSV Converter →Can someone without Toolfox join the parts?
Yes. “cat name.0* > name” joins them, and “sha256sum -c” verifies them with the standard .sha256 file.
Split & Join Files →
Your files. Your computer. Done.
Free forever. No account. Works offline. For macOS, Windows and Linux.