PDF redaction · Mac & Windows
Redact it.
Don’t just hide it.
Truly remove what you mark from PDFs, scans, photos and Word files — checked before saving, never uploaded.
3 free redactions included. No account, no subscription.
01 · The problem
A black box is not a redaction.
Drawing a rectangle over text only covers it. The words are still in the file — select, copy, paste, and there they are. It is how redacted court filings and government reports keep leaking.
02 · True redaction
Gone from the file. Not just from view.
VaultSort deletes the text under every box, the letter shapes in the embedded fonts, and the other places a PDF keeps copies: metadata, bookmarks, comments, form fields and attachments.
- Text
- Font glyphs
- Metadata
- Form fields
- Comments
03 · Verified
Checked before it’s saved.
Every changed page is rendered and compared with the original. Then a second, independent PDF reader goes through the result looking for anything you marked. If one character survives, nothing is saved.
A file that only looks redacted never leaves the app.
04 · Suggestions
Finds what you’d miss.
Card numbers, IBANs, Social Security numbers, emails, phone numbers, dates of birth and passwords — validated by check digit, so a random string isn’t a false alarm. Names and addresses come from an on-device AI model.
Search a word and “Redact all” takes every occurrence, on every page.
05 · Every format
Scans, photos and Word files too.
Scanned pages are read by the text recognition built into macOS and Windows. Photos are re-encoded from pixels alone, so GPS location and camera data stay behind. Word documents are redacted in the text itself.
- Scanned PDF
- JPEG · PNG · HEIC
- Word .docx
06 · Private by design
Never uploaded. Not once.
Online redaction tools ask you to upload the very document you are trying to protect. VaultSort does everything — redaction, text recognition, AI suggestions — on your own Mac or PC. No account. Works offline.
Want a way back? Save an optional restore file: the original, encrypted with your password.
Redaction you can trust. For $24.99, once.
Try 3 redactions free. Then one payment unlocks it on up to 6 Macs or PCs — along with everything else VaultSort does.
Lifetime license · No subscription · 30-day money-back guarantee
VaultSort Redact
3 free · then $24.99 once
Who it’s for
Anyone who shares documents with something to hide.
Lawyers and paralegals
Court filings, discovery productions and exhibits, with client names and account numbers removed before they leave the office.
Therapists and clinics
Records, letters and insurance paperwork shared with patient details taken out, without uploading them to a website.
HR and recruiting
Investigation files, references and payroll documents with employee IDs, salaries and home addresses removed.
Accountants and tax preparers
Returns, statements and W-2s sent to third parties with SSNs, EINs and bank details gone.
Real estate and mortgage
Pay stubs, bank statements and IDs for applications and listings, sharing only what the other side needs.
Insurance
Claims, policies and adjuster reports with policy numbers and personal details removed for subrogation or review.
Journalists and researchers
Leaked or sourced documents published without exposing the people in them — including in scans.
Government and FOIA officers
Records released to the public with exempt material truly removed, page after page.
Schools and universities
Student records and reports shared with names, IDs and grades taken out.
Landlords and property managers
Applications, leases and ledgers shared with a tenant’s bank and ID numbers removed.
Everyone else
A statement for a visa, an ID for a rental, a bill for a dispute: send proof without sending your whole life.
How it compares
Pay once. Keep your documents to yourself.
| Feature | VaultSort | Subscription PDF editors | Free online redaction sites |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you pay | One payment, yours to keep | A monthly or yearly subscription | Free, paid for with your document |
| Your document stays on your computer | Always | Usually | No — you upload it |
| Removes the text, not just covers it | Always | Yes, with the right tool | Varies |
| Independent check before the file is saved | Every redaction | Rarely | Rarely |
| Card, IBAN and SSN numbers validated by check digit | Yes | Pattern search | Varies |
| Scans, photos and Word files | Yes | PDF-focused | Varies |
| Optional encrypted restore file | Yes | No | No |
Categories, not named products: capabilities vary by tool and plan.
Questions
Redaction, answered.
Why isn’t a black box enough to redact a PDF?
Drawing a black rectangle over text only covers it. The text is still in the file underneath, so anyone can select it, copy and paste it, or read it with a PDF tool. A real redaction removes the text, the letter shapes in the embedded font, and every other copy of it in the document.
How does VaultSort know a redaction worked?
After redacting, VaultSort renders every changed page and compares it with the original, then a second, independent PDF reader re-reads the result looking for anything you marked. If anything survives, the file is not saved. You get an error instead of a file that only looks redacted.
Are my documents uploaded anywhere?
No. Redaction, text recognition for scans and the optional AI suggestions all run on your own Mac or PC. There is no account and no server that ever sees the document.
Can VaultSort redact scanned PDFs?
Yes. Pages without a text layer are read with the text recognition built into macOS and Windows, on your computer, so search and “Redact all” work on scans and on pictures inside typed PDFs too.
What does VaultSort find automatically?
Card numbers, IBANs and other account numbers, Social Security numbers, email addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth and credentials. Numbers with check digits are validated, so a random 16-digit string is not flagged as a card. Names, addresses and organisations can be suggested by an on-device model: Apple Intelligence, or Ollama running locally.
Which files can I redact?
PDFs (typed or scanned), images (JPEG, PNG, HEIC, WebP, GIF and BMP), and Word documents (.docx). Images are re-encoded from pixels alone, so EXIF, GPS location and embedded thumbnails do not come along.
Can I undo a redaction?
The redacted copy itself cannot be undone; that is the point. If you want a way back, VaultSort can save an optional restore file next to it: the original, encrypted with a password you choose. Creating restore files is a Premium feature; opening one is free in every edition.
How much does it cost?
Every copy of VaultSort includes 3 free redactions. Unlimited redaction comes with VaultSort Premium: a one-time payment for a lifetime licence on up to 6 Macs or PCs, with a 30-day money-back guarantee. No subscription.
Try it on your own document.
3 redactions free, no account. Read the guide: how to redact a PDF properly.
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