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GoCalma
What it is
GoCalma is a free, open-source browser application for finding and handling sensitive information in PDF files. It runs as a self-hosted or web tool and keeps PDF parsing, detection, OCR, redaction, and restoration in the browser rather than sending plain document content to external servers. The software identifies more than 30 personal-information categories and validates checksums across more than 10 European identity-document formats. For each PII type, users can choose redaction, masking, hashing, highlighting, or synthetic replacement. OCR runs locally for scanned or image-heavy PDFs. Detection results can be reviewed with the strategy, pattern, and confidence behind each flag. Compliance profiles include Swiss DPA, EU GDPR, Healthcare, Financial, and Full Scan. Encrypted .gocalma recovery keys can restore originals later. The software removes PDF author, title, and timestamp metadata during redaction and is released under the MIT License.
For and against
For
- Local browser processing for PDF content
- Detects over 30 PII types
- OCR handles scanned PDFs locally
- Several redaction modes and profiles
- Encrypted recovery-key restoration
Against
- No-password keys have a reported raw-storage concern
- Vercel demo uses regex detection only
- Requires Node.js 18+, npm, and modern desktop browser
The verdict
GoCalma combines broad PII detection with local OCR and several ways to transform flagged data. Its deployment caveat and reported no-password key-storage concern should be considered before choosing a setup.
Who it suits
GoCalma suits people who need browser-based PDF PII detection and redaction, including users working with scanned documents. It is also relevant to teams that want local processing and configurable compliance profiles.
Plans and prices
Open-source
Browser-based PDF redaction; repository provides local setup instructions
Read 9 Oct 2026 · github.com
On the record
- Compliance profiles
- The listed profiles are Swiss DPA, EU GDPR, Healthcare, Financial, and Full Scan.github.com · read 9 Oct 2026
- Deployment limit
- The repository says its Vercel demo deployment uses regex-based detection only because the NER model files are too large for Vercel's 250MB limit.github.com · read 9 Oct 2026
- Detection review
- Users can review detected candidates and see why each was flagged, including strategy, pattern, and confidence.github.com · read 9 Oct 2026
- Languages
- The listed interface and OCR languages are English, German, French, Italian, and Spanish.github.com · read 9 Oct 2026
- License
- The software is distributed under the MIT License.github.com · read 9 Oct 2026
- PII detection
- The repository says GoCalma detects more than 30 PII types and validates checksums across more than 10 European ID formats.github.com · read 9 Oct 2026
- Privacy
- The repository says PDF parsing, detection, OCR, redaction, and restoration happen locally in the browser, and plain document content is not sent to external servers.github.com · read 9 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- GoCalma detects and redacts sensitive information in PDFs in the browser without sending document contents to a server.github.com · read 9 Oct 2026
- Redaction modes
- Users can choose redact, mask, hash, highlight, or synthesize modes by PII type.github.com · read 9 Oct 2026
- Reversible redaction
- Users can export an encrypted .gocalma recovery key and later restore the original document with the matching key.github.com · read 9 Oct 2026
- Scanned PDFs
- The app runs OCR locally for image-heavy or scanned PDFs.github.com · read 9 Oct 2026
- Security
- The repository states that .gocalma key payloads use AES-GCM encryption and that redaction scrubs PDF author, title, and timestamp metadata.github.com · read 9 Oct 2026
- Security caveat
- The repository's audit summary reports a design-level finding: raw key storage when no password is set.github.com · read 9 Oct 2026
- Setup
- The repository's local setup instructions require Node.js 18 or later, npm, and a modern desktop browser.github.com · read 9 Oct 2026
