ChatPDF vs Pdfy

ChatPDF

The quickest way to interrogate one long PDF without building retrieval yourself, and the page-level citations are what keep it honest. But ChatGPT and Claude now read PDFs natively, so ChatPDF only earns its subscription if you need those citations, the multi-file view, or the API.

Pros

• +answers cite specific pages, so you can check them instead of trusting them
• +handles Word, PowerPoint, Markdown and text files, not only PDF
• +REST API supports streaming and multi-turn conversations
• +free tier works with no account and no card

Cons

• −two documents a day on free runs out fast during real research
• −Plus pricing is not published anywhere on the site
• −no team plan, SSO or shared document library
• −hard per-file limit of 2,000 pages or 32 MB

Pdfy

Taking audio files and YouTube links as first-class sources alongside PDFs is the part worth paying attention to — most competitors in this bracket handle documents only, so lecture recordings and interviews need a separate transcription step first. Citations back to the source are present, which is the minimum bar for trusting an answer. It is a small, cheap tool with a 2023 copyright and no company details, so plan for it being a personal utility rather than something to standardise a team on.

Pros

• +Handles four source types — documents, audio, web pages and YouTube — in one workspace
• +Answers carry source attribution rather than free-floating text
• +Questions run across all sources in a workspace, not one file at a time
• +Cheapest paid tier sits under €10 a month

Cons

• −Free tier is five sources and fifty questions a month, which is a trial in all but name
• −A permanent-looking '50% off' banner makes the real list price hard to trust
• −No company name, country or team is disclosed; the copyright still reads 2023
• −No API, integrations or team features are offered

Is ChatPDF cheaper than Pdfy?

Pdfy starts at $10/mo. ChatPDF has a free tier; what its paid plans cost is not confirmed by us yet.

Does ChatPDF or Pdfy have a free tier?

Both: ChatPDF has a free tier, and Pdfy has a free tier.

Which has a public API, ChatPDF or Pdfy?

ChatPDF ships a public API, as of our last verification. A public API for Pdfy is not confirmed by us — check its developer docs before you plan an integration.