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Vow PDF Redaction
True PDF redaction for Windows
Black boxes that really remove the words. Checked. Private. Done.
Drawing a black box over a PDF usually leaves the words underneath, ready to copy and paste. Vow PDF Redaction cuts them out of the file, overwrites the pixels, scrubs hidden data, then proves nothing is left. Nothing is uploaded.
- No ads
- No malware
- No account
- Light & dark theme
- 5 documents a day, up to 3 redacted pages each, true redaction
No ads. Ever.No pop-ups, no banners, no "offers".
No malware or bundlewareThe installer installs one thing: this app.
No account, no uploadIt works on your PC, and your files stay there.
Free daily limits, just $4.95 unlimitedNo subscription. No trial that runs out.
The problem
Most "redacted" PDFs aren't
A black rectangle is just a drawing on top of the page. The words, the pictures and the earlier versions are often still inside the file.
Copy, paste, exposed
Select the "blacked-out" area, copy, paste into Notepad, and there are the words. It happens in court filings and government releases every year.
Old versions inside
PDFs keep earlier versions when they are saved. The original, unredacted page can still be sitting in the file.
Hidden data travels along
Author names, comments, attachments, form values and metadata leave with your document unless something removes them.
Upload it to redact it?
Online PDF editors want your contract, payslip or medical record on their servers before they will black anything out.
Or pay a subscription
Real redaction is usually locked inside expensive monthly plans, for a job you might do a few times a year.
And still miss something
Finding every name, account number and date of birth by eye across 40 pages is how mistakes slip through.
Vow PDF Redaction fixes all of it.
How it works
Open. Mark. Redact for real.
Sensitive details are found the moment the PDF opens. You check them, it removes them, then it proves it.
- 01
Open the PDF
Drop it on the window. Names, email addresses, phone, card, tax and ID numbers, dates of birth and addresses are found automatically and outlined.
Drop a PDF and black out what must stay private - 02
Mark what goes
Click a match or Mark all, select text, draw a box over a picture or signature, or mark whole pages. Preview the final boxes any time.
...and what the app removes, checks and scrubs - 03
Redact & save
Press Ctrl+S. A fresh copy is written beside your original, then a second engine re-reads it to confirm nothing is left under the boxes.
Choose where redacted copies go and how privacy is handled
Features
Redaction you can stake your reputation on
For lawyers, HR, accountants, and anyone sharing IDs, statements or court papers.
Really removed
Letters are cut out of the text, picture and scan pixels are overwritten, and shapes and annotations under each box are deleted.
Checked for you
Every saved copy is re-read by a second PDF engine to prove no text can be selected, copied or searched under any box.
Finds sensitive data on open
Names, emails, phone numbers, credit cards (Luhn-checked), IBAN, SSN, TFN, Medicare, NHS, NI, ABN, addresses and dates of birth.
Scrubs hidden data
Metadata, attachments, scripts, comments, form fields, hidden layers, bookmarks and content outside the page can all be removed.
Works on scans too
Built-in OCR reads scanned pages so names and numbers on a scan are found and redacted like any other text.
Batch whole folders
Redact a folder of PDFs with the same rules, with a preview of matches per file and verification of every copy.
Redaction codes
Label boxes with US FOIA, Privacy Act, AU FOI or UK FOI exemption codes, or your own text, in any box colour.
Repeat on every page
Mark a header, footer, logo or signature once and repeat the box on every page in one click.
Your original is never changed
The redacted copy is written fresh beside the original, with no earlier versions inside it.
A redaction log
Save a CSV log of every redaction for your records, compliance file or a court's requirements.
Light & dark theme
Easy on the eyes, day or night.
PDF Redaction comes with a crisp light theme and a calm dark theme. Switch with one click, or let it follow your Windows setting by itself. It remembers your choice.
- LightClear and bright for daytime and busy offices
- DarkGentle on tired eyes late at night
- Follow WindowsChanges by itself when your PC does
Screenshots
See Vow PDF Redaction in action
Real screenshots of the real app, in both of its themes: 5 light, 5 dark. Click any picture to see it full size.
Light theme
Dark theme
Who it's for
Who relies on true redaction
Lawyers and paralegals
Court filings, discovery and exhibits with privileged details removed for real, and a log to prove it.
HR teams
Share employee letters, investigations and payroll records without exposing personal data.
Accountants and bookkeepers
Send statements and tax documents with account and tax file numbers removed.
FOI and records officers
Release documents with exemption codes in the boxes and nothing recoverable underneath.
Health and care providers
Strip patient names, dates of birth and Medicare or NHS numbers before documents leave the practice.
Everyone sending IDs
Black out the numbers on a licence, passport, payslip or bank statement before you email it.
Compare
Vow PDF Redaction vs the usual ways to black out a PDF
Why a highlighter tool, an online editor or a pricey subscription isn't the answer.
| Feature | Vow PDF Redaction | Black-box tools & online editors |
|---|---|---|
| Removes the text under the box | Yes, cut out of the file | Often just draws a shape on top |
| Overwrites picture and scan pixels | Yes | Rarely |
| Checks the saved copy | Automatically, with a second engine | No |
| Removes earlier versions | Always: fresh file | Not always |
| Finds names, IDs and card numbers | Automatically on open | Manual search, or a paid tier |
| Your document is uploaded | Never | Yes, for online editors |
| Price | Free every day, or $4.95 once | Monthly subscription for real redaction |
| Ads and watermarks | None | Common on free tools |
"Typical" describes what we found across the most-downloaded alternatives when we built PDF Redaction. Your mileage with any one of them may vary; ours won't.
Pricing
Free every day. Just $4.95 once for the lot.
That is not a typo. Software this powerful usually means a monthly subscription; PDF Redaction is $4.95, once, for life: it's almost a giveaway. Use it free for as long as you like, and unlock Unlimited only if you need more.
Free
$0forever
5 documents a day, up to 3 redacted pages each, true redaction.
- True redaction: text, pixels and shapes removed
- 5 documents a day (resets at midnight)
- Up to 3 redacted pages per document
- Automatic detection of names, IDs and numbers
- Verification of every saved copy
- Built-in OCR for scanned pages
Best valueUnlimited
$4.95USD, once. Yours for life.
Almost a giveaway. Less than a coffee for software this powerful: no subscription, no renewals, yours for life on 2 PCs.
Any length, one-click redact-all, batch folders, scrub hidden data.
- Any number of pages and documents
- Mark every match in one click
- Batch redaction of whole folders
- Scrub metadata and hidden data
- One payment, yours for life on 2 PCs
- Every future update included
How unlocking works
- 1Use it free first Install Vow PDF Redaction and use it on your own files. No card, no account, no time limit.
- 2Click "Unlimited" in the app Pay $4.95 USD once by card, securely through Stripe in your browser.
- 3It unlocks itself Within seconds, for life, on up to 2 of your PCs. Your license key is emailed to you, and every future update is included.
Payments by Stripe: we never see or store your card. Questions? Ask a real person.
Clean software
Safe to install. Nothing else comes with it.
Most "free" Windows downloads pay for themselves with ads, bundled extras or your data. Vow PDF Redaction doesn't need to: it's paid for honestly, once, by the people who find it useful.
Download PDF Redaction free- No ads, toolbars or "offers"The installer installs one thing: Vow PDF Redaction. No pre-ticked boxes to watch out for.
- No administrator rights neededIt installs just for you, in your own user folder, and leaves the rest of Windows alone.
- Nothing running in the backgroundNo startup programs, no tray nags, no services. When you close it, it's closed.
- Everything includedAll it needs is inside the installer, so you never have to fetch a "required component" from somewhere else.
- Uninstalls cleanlyOne click in Windows Settings > Apps. Your own files are never touched.
- A real company behind itMade, published and supported by XTO Pty Ltd, an Australian company, with real people answering every message.
Step-by-step guide
How to redact a PDF properly on Windows
Permanently remove names, numbers and pictures from a PDF in a few minutes, without uploading it anywhere.
Step 1: get it freeInstall Vow PDF Redaction free
Download it from this page and run the installer. There is no account and nothing is uploaded: every step happens on your own PC.
Open your PDF
Drop the PDF on the window or press Ctrl+O. Password-protected files ask for their password. Sensitive details are detected and outlined in orange straight away.
Mark what to remove
Click the matches you want gone, or use Mark all. Select other text with the Text tool (T), draw boxes over pictures or signatures with the Box tool (A), or mark whole pages (P).
Preview, then press Redact & save
Use the eye button to preview the final boxes. Press Ctrl+S, review what will be removed and where the copy will be saved, and confirm.
Check the result
The app re-reads the saved copy and reports "Nothing left under the boxes". Open it, drag it into an email, or save a CSV redaction log.
Technical details
PDF Redaction at a glance
- Works on
- Windows 10 (1809+) and Windows 11, 64-bit
- Redacts
- Text, images, scans, vector shapes, annotations, form fields
- Verification
- Second engine (PDFium) re-reads every saved copy
- OCR
- Built in (Tesseract), for scanned pages
- Hidden data
- Metadata, XMP, attachments, scripts, comments, layers
- Internet
- Not needed: works fully offline
- Install
- Per-user, no administrator rights, no account
- Languages
- English
- Theme
- Light, dark or follow Windows: one click to switch
- Version
- 1.0.0, released 7 November 2026
- Publisher
- XTO Pty Ltd (Australia)
FAQ
Questions about PDF Redaction
Why isn't a black box in a normal PDF editor enough?
Most editors and highlighter tools draw a black rectangle on top of the page and leave the text, pictures and earlier versions underneath. Anyone can select and copy the words, search for them, or remove the box. Vow PDF Redaction removes what is under each box from the file itself and checks the result.
Is Vow PDF Redaction free?
Yes. You can truly redact up to 3 pages per document, 5 documents a day, for free, with automatic detection, OCR and verification included. Unlimited, a one-time $4.95 USD payment, removes the limits and adds one-click redact-all, batch folders and hidden-data scrubbing.
Does it upload my documents?
No. Everything happens on your own PC. There is no account, no cloud and no upload, so it is safe for contracts, payslips, medical records and court papers.
Can it redact scanned PDFs?
Yes. Built-in OCR reads scanned pages so names and numbers on them can be found, and the pixels under each box are overwritten in the image itself.
What personal data can it find automatically?
Email addresses, phone numbers, names of people, credit card numbers (Luhn-checked), IBAN, bank and BSB account numbers, US SSN and EIN, Australian TFN, Medicare and ABN, UK National Insurance and NHS numbers, Canadian SIN, IDs after labels, dates of birth, street addresses, IP and web addresses, plus your own words, wildcards and regular expressions.
Will my original PDF be changed?
Never. The redacted copy is saved as a new file beside the original ("contract (redacted).pdf" by default), written fresh with no earlier versions inside.
How is it different from Adobe Acrobat's redaction?
It does true redaction without an Acrobat subscription: $4.95 once for Unlimited, or free within the daily allowance. Detection runs the moment a document opens, the review step can't be skipped, and every saved copy is verified automatically.
Is it safe to install?
Yes. It is made and published by XTO Pty Ltd, an Australian company. There are no ads, no bundled software and no account, it needs no administrator rights, and it uninstalls cleanly from Windows Settings.
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Done searching. Get PDF Redaction.
Redact PDFs for real: nothing left under the black boxes. Free to use every day, $4.95 once if you ever want Unlimited.
- No ads
- No malware
- No account
- No subscription