Ten years ago, real file work required installed software; web tools were toys that uploaded your document to who-knows-where. WebAssembly changed that: browsers now run the same processing engines desktops do, locally.
Where browser tools win
Zero installation: works on locked-down office machines, Chromebooks, and borrowed laptops. Cross-platform by definition: the same tool on Windows, Mac, and Linux. Cost: free, versus subscriptions that dwarf the occasional need. Privacy, when local: tools like this site’s PDF to Word or image compressor process on-device — the same privacy property as desktop software, verifiable per the safety guide.
Where desktop still wins
Very large batches: converting thousands of files with scripted automation. Extreme file sizes: browsers cap practical memory; multi-gigabyte video work belongs on the desktop. Deep editing: full InDesign-grade layout surgery exceeds any converter, browser or not.
The realistic answer
For the everyday 95% — compressing a PDF, signing a contract, converting formats, moderate image batches — the browser is now the rational default: no cost, no install, no upload. Keep desktop tools for the industrial 5%. And a browser tool loaded once keeps working with the connection off, as the offline guide shows.