iLovePDF vs Smallpdf
We give iLovePDF a 2.8 GPA and Smallpdf a 2.6, out of 4.0. iLovePDF grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and ease of use.
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
Free plan · from $5/mo
Smallpdf
30-plus PDF tools in the browser, with Windows and mobile apps
Free plan
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAiLovePDFGood | 2.6GPASmallpdfGood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 cheap 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 confirmed dollar price: the pricing page fills prices in by location. Smallpdf's own comparison page puts Pro at $9 to $12 a month, which would sit in the normal range. With nothing confirmed, it's a C. |
| 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. | CA free plan with all 30-plus tools, but downloads are capped each day and text editing needs Pro. Fine for the odd job, not regular use. The 7-day Pro trial drops you back to free if you cancel. |
| Features | CMerges, splits, compresses, converts with OCR, redacts, compares, signs and summarizes with AI, plus saved workflows and an API. Loads of tools. But the edit tool isn't described as changing existing text, and there's no form builder on record. | CConverts, compresses, merges, and on Pro edits text and OCRs, with AI tools and Sign.com for sending to sign. Everyday jobs are well covered. But no form builder or redaction is on record, and the Windows app converts and merges rather than edits. |
| Ease of use | A4.76 from 52,031 App Store ratings. Pick a tool, drop in a file, done. There's nothing to learn. | A4.84 from 6,891 App Store ratings, about as good as it gets. Drop a file in the browser, pick a tool, download. No setup at all. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWeb, Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android, with Google Drive, Zapier, Make and WordPress, and the iLoveAPI for developers. It's on everything. | BWeb, Windows, iPhone, Android and a browser extension. Integrations are thin, though: Google Workspace and Dropbox, plus its own Sign.com. And Mac users get the browser only. |
| Best for | cheap, no-fuss PDF tools on every device | quick PDF jobs in the browser |
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 Smallpdf. How we grade
Where they differ
- Only iLovePDF lists a macOS app.
- Only Smallpdf lists a browser extension.
- iLovePDF also covers workflow automation.
In commonFree planWebWindowsiOSAndroidAI featuresPDF editing
At a glance
| iLovePDF | Smallpdf | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| 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. | The 30+ tools with a daily download limit, basic compression, limited AI and mobile app use, and a Sign.com account for 2 documents a month. |
| Free trial | None listed | 7-day free trial of Pro; cancelling returns the account to the free plan |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | iLovePDF | Smallpdf AG |
| Price read from | ilovepdf.com | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Who each one suits
iLovePDF
- Occasional users who merge or compress a PDF in the browser
- Small teams of up to 25 that want low-cost per-user licenses
- Students and teachers, who can get a year of Premium free
Smallpdf
- People who convert or shrink a PDF now and then in the browser
- Small teams that want PDF tools and e-signatures in one subscription
- Windows users who need PDF tools that work offline
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.
Smallpdf
- US dollar prices could not be read: the pricing page fills them in by location. Smallpdf's own comparison page gives Pro as $9 to $12 a month.
- The same comparison page gives Teams, for 2 to 19 seats, as $7 to $10 per seat a month; 20 or more seats are quoted by sales.
- The free plan limits downloads each day, so regular use of any tool needs Pro.
- The desktop app is for Windows only; Mac users work in the browser.
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.
Smallpdf
- Convert and compress
- Converts PDFs to and from Word, Excel, PowerPoint and images, with basic compression on the free plan and strong and batch compression on Pro.
- Edit text and OCR
- Pro edits text in a PDF and recognizes text in scans, alongside tools to merge, split, rotate, unlock and protect files.
- AI tools
- An AI PDF assistant, summarizer and question generator, limited on the free plan and unlimited on Pro.
- Sign.com included
- Pro includes an unlimited Sign.com Premium subscription for sending documents for e-signature; the free plan's Sign.com account is capped at 2 a month.
- Offline Windows app
- A desktop app for Windows converts, compresses, merges, unlocks and protects PDFs without an internet connection.
- Mobile scanning
- The iOS and Android apps scan paper to PDF, run OCR and use the same tools, limited on the free plan.
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.
Smallpdf
Pricing could not be confirmed. See smallpdf.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.
Smallpdf
No public discounts listed.
