iLovePDF vs PDF Squeezer (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, iLovePDF grades higher than PDF Squeezer: 2.8 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
iLovePDF grades higher on the free plan, ease of use and platforms. PDF Squeezer grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
iLovePDF
Online PDF tools with desktop and mobile apps, free for light use
PDF Squeezer
Offline PDF compressor for Mac, iPhone, iPad and Windows
Which one is for you
Pick iLovePDF if
- Fits if you merge, compress or convert a PDF a few times a week
- Works for small teams of up to 25 on $5-a-month per-user licenses
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you need to rewrite existing text or build forms, as neither is on record
- Tight if you stay on the free plan, with caps on documents and file size, plus ads
- Watch out: the desktop and phone apps, digital signatures and workflows need Premium; the free desktop app is a reader
- Not for you if you want to try Premium first, as there's no trial
- Pricey if you pay monthly, at $9 a user against $5 on a yearly plan, and teams over 25 are quoted
Pick PDF Squeezer if
- Fits if you shrink PDFs often and would rather pay once than subscribe
- Works for people who want files compressed on their own machine, offline
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to edit PDF text, pages or forms, because it only compresses
- Watch out: each platform is bought separately and no bundle is described
- Not for you if you want a free trial that finishes a job, as iOS saving needs the purchase
- Tight if your Mac is older, since the App Store version needs macOS 13 and the direct download macOS 11
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAiLovePDFGood | 2.6GPAPDF SqueezerGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CPremium is $5 a user a month on a yearly plan, $60 a year, or $9 month to month. That's the low side of normal for PDF editors, and it covers every tool on web, desktop and phone. Students and teachers can get a year free. | A$19.99 once on Mac and $9.99 once on iPhone, iPad and Windows, each under a year of the category's $7.99 middle subscription. |
| Free plan and trial | CThe Basic plan is free and does the essentials, with ads. But it caps how many documents you process and how big they are, and the desktop and phone apps need Premium. There's no trial. | DOnly the iOS app can be tried free, and saving a compressed file needs the in-app purchase, so you cannot finish a real job for nothing. |
| Features | CMerges, splits, compresses, converts with OCR, redacts, compares, signs and summarizes with AI, plus saved workflows and an API. But the edit tool isn't described as changing existing text, and there's no form builder on record. | CBatch and folder compression, profiles, side-by-side comparison and automation. It does the compressing job fully, but it is a smaller job: it does not edit text, pages or forms. |
| Ease of use | A4.76 from 52,031 App Store ratings. Pick a tool, drop in a file, done. There's nothing to learn. | BNo store rating is on record, but you install it and drop files on it with nothing to set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWeb, Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android, with Google Drive, Zapier, Make and WordPress, and the iLoveAPI for developers. Five platforms in all. | BMac, iPhone, iPad and Windows, with Shortcuts and Automator, but no Android or web version. |
| Best for | quick PDF merges and conversions on any device | making PDF files smaller on Mac, iPhone or Windows |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: iLovePDF and PDF Squeezer. How we grade
Where they differ
- PDF Squeezer can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- iLovePDF also covers workflow automation.
- PDF Squeezer also covers file compression.
At a glance
| iLovePDF | PDF Squeezer | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $5 per user / month, billed annually ($9 billed monthly) | $9.99 one-time (iPhone, iPad and Windows) |
| Free plan | Basic plan: the essential tools with a limited number of documents and smaller file size limits per task, with ads; the desktop app works as a free PDF reader. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | iOS download is free and fully testable; saving compressed files needs the in-app purchase |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | iLovePDF | Witt Software |
| Price read from | ilovepdf.com | witt-software.com |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
iLovePDF
- The free plan limits how many documents you can process and the file size per task, and shows ads.
- The desktop and mobile apps, digital signatures and workflows are Premium features.
- Premium can be bought for up to 25 users; larger teams are quoted through the Business plan.
- There is no free trial of Premium on the pricing page; the free plan is the way to try it.
PDF Squeezer
- It compresses PDFs; it does not edit text, pages or forms.
- The Mac version needs macOS 13 or later per its App Store listing; the vendor's site states macOS 11+ for the direct download.
- Each platform is bought separately; the pages do not describe a bundle.
Key features
iLovePDF
- Merge, split and compress
- Browser tools to combine, split, compress, rotate, repair and number PDF pages, with files picked from the computer or Google Drive.
- Convert with OCR
- Converts PDFs to Word, PowerPoint and Excel with OCR on scans, and converts Office files and images to PDF.
- Edit, sign and redact
- Tools to edit, crop and watermark PDFs, fill forms, sign, redact, compare two files and protect or unlock them; Premium adds digital signatures.
- AI summaries and translation
- Summarizes and translates PDFs with standard or advanced AI; Premium includes 2,000 AI credits.
- Workflows
- Premium can save a chain of tools as a workflow, and integrations with Zapier, Make and WordPress and the iLoveAPI connect it to other apps.
- Offline desktop app
- Apps for Windows and Mac process PDFs offline; without a subscription the desktop app is a free PDF reader.
PDF Squeezer
- Batch and folder compression
- Drop several files or a whole folder, including subfolders, and compress them in one pass.
- Compression profiles
- Choose a predefined profile or build your own, and export profiles to share with colleagues.
- Side-by-side comparison
- Compare the original with the result and try different settings to check visual quality before saving.
- Fine-grained cleanup
- Set image quality and resolution, drop unused fonts, remove metadata, thumbnails and duplicate resources.
- Automation
- A Shortcuts action, Automator action, Quick Action, Folder Action and command line interface on the Mac.
- On-device processing
- Files are processed on the device and no internet connection is required. Password-protected PDFs are supported.
Plans
iLovePDF
Basic$0
Essential tools for light use, with limited document processing and file size caps.
Premium$5
per user / month, billed annually ($9 billed monthly)
For 1 to 25 users: every tool, unlimited processing, web, mobile and desktop, digital signatures, workflows, no ads and 2,000 AI credits.
BusinessCustom
For 25 or more users: Premium plus custom contracts, a dedicated account manager and single sign-on.
PDF Squeezer
Mac$19.99
one-time purchase
Mac App Store price in the US store; the vendor also offers a free download from its site.
iPhone and iPad$9.99
one-time, bought in the app
Free download that compresses unlimited PDFs for testing; saving results needs the full version.
Windows$9.99
one-time purchase
Page shows $19.99 crossed out for a limited-time offer with no end date, so $9.99 is recorded.
Ways to pay less
iLovePDF
- Annual discount
Save 42% with yearly billing
iLovePDF's pricing page lists Premium at $5 per user a month billed annually ($60 a year) against $9 billed monthly, marked as 42% off.
- Education
A year of Premium free for education
Students, teachers and academic staff who join iLovePDF's education program get a full year of Premium at no charge.
PDF Squeezer
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, iLovePDF or PDF Squeezer?
As of Nov 13, 2026, iLovePDF starts at $5 per user / month, billed annually ($9 billed monthly), and PDF Squeezer starts at $9.99 one-time (iPhone, iPad and Windows).
Which has a free plan, iLovePDF or PDF Squeezer?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only iLovePDF has a free plan. PDF Squeezer does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do iLovePDF and PDF Squeezer run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only iLovePDF lists a web app and an Android app. Both list macOS, Windows and iOS apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.