iLovePDF vs PDFSimpli (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, iLovePDF grades higher than PDFSimpli: 2.8 against 2.2 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. PDFSimpli grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money.
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
PDFSimpli
Online PDF editor and converter from WorkSimpli, paid by subscription
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 PDFSimpli if
- Fits if you need a one-off PDF edit in a browser
- Makes sense if you will cancel the trial in time
Look elsewhere if
- Watch out: the trial renews automatically every 4 weeks after 3 days
- Skip it if you want a visible price, as none could be read
- Tight if you upload big files, with 5 files of up to 20 MB each
- Skip it if you want a desktop app, as none is listed
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAiLovePDFGood | 2.2GPAPDFSimpliFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | CNo price could be read because the pricing page fills it in by script, so it sits mid-range for PDF editors. |
| 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. | DA 3-day trial that auto-renews every 4 weeks unless canceled, which is under a week. |
| 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. | BEdit, convert, merge, split, compress, rotate, watermark, sign, translate and AI tools plus a forms library. The listing names no gap in the core job. |
| 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 on record. It is a browser tool where you upload a file and work. |
| 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. | CWeb only, with no desktop app or integrations list on the pages read. |
| Best for | quick PDF merges and conversions on any device | a quick web PDF editor with a trial |
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 PDFSimpli. How we grade
Where they differ
- iLovePDF also covers workflow automation.
- PDFSimpli also covers forms.
At a glance
| iLovePDF | PDFSimpli | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $5 per user / month, billed annually ($9 billed monthly) | Not published |
| 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 | 3-day trial access that auto-renews every 4 weeks unless canceled |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | iLovePDF | WorkSimpli |
| Price read from | ilovepdf.com | Not confirmed |
| 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.
PDFSimpli
- The pricing page fills its amounts in with a script, so no price could be read; confirm it before signing up.
- The trial renews automatically every 4 weeks after 3 days, so cancel before it ends if unwanted.
- Uploads are limited to 5 files of up to 20 MB each on the pages read.
- It is a web product; the pages read list no desktop app.
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.
PDFSimpli
- Edit PDF online
- Upload a PDF, edit and format it in the browser and download it, with the vendor saying formatting stays intact.
- Conversion
- Converts PDF to Word, JPG and PNG, and Word, JPG, PNG, TIFF, PowerPoint and Excel files to PDF.
- Page tools
- Split, merge, compress, rotate and watermark PDFs from the Tools menu.
- E-signature
- Sign PDFs with an electronic signature; the vendor lists free digital signatures, and the annual plan adds sharing for e-signature.
- Translate, AI and forms
- The site menu includes PDF translation, AI solutions and a forms library alongside the editor.
- Team plan
- A bulk plan for teams of 8 or more users is priced monthly or annually by user count.
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.
PDFSimpli
Pricing could not be confirmed. See pdfsimpli.com.
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.
PDFSimpli
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, iLovePDF or PDFSimpli?
As of Nov 13, 2026, iLovePDF starts at $5 per user / month, billed annually ($9 billed monthly), and PDFSimpli has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, iLovePDF or PDFSimpli?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only iLovePDF has a free plan. PDFSimpli does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do iLovePDF and PDFSimpli run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only iLovePDF lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. 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.