WebPDF by Tanmay Rathod

When I decided to build WebPDF, I had a specific technical constraint: Zero Server Costs.

Handling PDFs is usually expensive. You upload a file to a server, the server processes it (using CPU and RAM), and sends it back. This costs money. I wanted to build a tool that was free for everyone, forever.

The Tech Stack

Framework: Next.js 14 (App Router)

Styling: Tailwind CSS (for that clean, Apple-style aesthetic)

Core Logic: `pdf-lib` and `jspdf`

Hosting: Vercel (Edge Network)

The Architecture: Client-Side Processing

Instead of using a Python or Node.js backend to manipulate files, I moved the logic to the browser.

When you use the Merge Tool on this site, your files technically never leave your computer. The JavaScript code runs inside your Chrome/Edge tab.

The Challenges:

1. Memory Management: Loading 20 PDFs into browser memory can crash a tab. I solved this by using `ArrayBuffers` and processing streams instead of full file objects where possible.

2. UI Feedback: Since there is no server response, I had to build a robust loading state in React to tell the user what is happening.

Why Tailwind CSS?

I wanted the site to feel fast. Tailwind allowed me to build a responsive, grid-based layout without writing bloaty CSS files. The entire CSS bundle for this site is incredibly small, leading to a perfect 100/100 Lighthouse Performance score.

What I Learned

Building WebPDF taught me that you don't always need a heavy backend. Modern browsers are powerful operating systems. By leveraging client-side libraries, we can build tools that are faster, more secure (privacy-first), and cheaper to host.