Convert to PDF/A
Convert any PDF to PDF/A archival format (PDF/A-1a, PDF/A-2b, PDF/A-3b). Free, no signup, browser-based.
About PDF A Converter
PDF/A Converter transforms standard PDFs into ISO 19005-compliant PDF/A archives — the format required by government agencies, legal archives, healthcare systems, and long-term storage systems worldwide. PDF/A strips features that depend on external resources (embedded JavaScript, encryption, multimedia, external fonts, non-reproducible transparency) and embeds everything needed to render the document identically in 50 years without any external dependencies. The tool supports PDF/A-1b (most compatible), PDF/A-2b (supports JPEG2000 and layers), and PDF/A-3b (allows embedded files). Conversion runs in your browser via pdf-lib: fonts are subset and embedded, color spaces are converted to sRGB, and metadata XMP records are written to the document's info dictionary.
Most PDF/A tools run server-side with proprietary engines (Ghostscript or Adobe) and charge per document. This tool converts entirely in your browser — no upload, no cost, no data sent anywhere. For most standard business documents it produces fully conformant PDF/A-1b or PDF/A-2b files. It also validates existing PDFs for PDF/A compliance and reports non-conformance issues before conversion.
How We Compare
Compared to desktop alternatives like Adobe Acrobat Pro (starting at $19.99/month), Smallpdf ($12/month for unlimited), or iLovePDF ($9/month Premium), PDF AI Tools delivers comparable quality at $0 for the core feature set. We skip the subscription friction by processing most operations directly in your browser with WebAssembly — no server infrastructure costs to pass on to users. Our AI features (summarization, chat, OCR) use a pay-as-you-go backend that keeps your total cost well under $5/month even for power users.
How to Use Convert to PDF/A
- Step 1: Upload your PDF
- Step 2: Choose PDF/A level (1b for maximum compatibility, 2b for modern features, 3b for embedded files)
- Step 3: Run the compliance pre-check to see what needs to be changed
- Step 4: Click "Convert to PDF/A" and download the compliant archive PDF
Why Choose PDF AI Tools
We've built PDF AI Tools to replace expensive desktop software like Adobe Acrobat for 95% of common document workflows — at zero cost to you. Unlike competitors who gate features behind paywalls, add watermarks, or limit file sizes, our tools are genuinely free and genuinely unlimited. Your privacy matters: files processed client-side in your browser never touch our servers, and even AI-powered features use encrypted, auto-deleting processing pipelines.
Key Features
- PDF/A-1b, PDF/A-2b, and PDF/A-3b output options
- Font embedding — subsets and embeds all fonts to eliminate dependency on system fonts
- Color space normalization — converts all color spaces to device-independent ICC sRGB
- XMP metadata embedding — writes required PDF/A identification metadata
- JavaScript removal — strips all embedded JS (required for PDF/A compliance)
- Encryption removal — strips password protection (PDF/A cannot be encrypted)
- Compliance validator — checks existing PDFs for PDF/A conformance and reports issues
- 100% browser-side conversion — no upload, no API, no cost per document
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between PDF/A-1b, 2b, and 3b?
PDF/A-1b: most compatible, no transparency, no layers. PDF/A-2b: supports JPEG2000 compression, transparency, and layers (smaller files). PDF/A-3b: all of 2b plus allows attaching any file type as an embedded attachment.
Will my PDF look different after conversion?
Visually, no. The conversion embeds fonts and normalizes colors, so the document renders identically. External links still work, but JavaScript is removed.
Is this accepted by courts and government agencies?
PDF/A-1b is accepted by most legal archives, court e-filing systems, and EU government portals. Check your specific institution's requirements for the required conformance level.
What if my PDF has encrypted content?
PDF/A cannot be encrypted by definition. The tool removes password protection as part of conversion. You will be warned if the PDF is owner-protected.