Online2PDF vs PDF Candy (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Online2PDF grades higher than PDF Candy: 3.0 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Online2PDF grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Online2PDF
Free browser tool to convert, merge, edit, compress and unlock PDFs
PDF Candy
90-plus online PDF tools and a Windows app, free within limits
Which one is for you
Pick Online2PDF if
- Fits if you convert or merge a PDF now and then
- Works for people who will not make an account
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you need to edit text or sign, which the pages read do not describe
- Watch out: form fields are removed when a PDF is edited or unlocked
- Not for you if you want an API or scripts, as the FAQ says heavy or scripted use is not allowed
- Skip it if you want an app, as there is no downloadable version
- Watch out: the site shows ads
Pick PDF Candy if
- Fits if you convert or merge PDFs now and then without signing up
- Works for Windows users who'd rather pay $99 once for an offline app
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you need OCR on scanned pages, forms or signing, as none is on record
- Not for you if you're on a Mac or a phone, as the only app is for Windows
- Tight if you expect the $99 license to cover future major versions, as it doesn't
- Watch out: the free plan caps pages, hourly use and file size, with no batch processing
- Pricey if you pay monthly: Web Monthly is $6 and leaves out the desktop app
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAOnline2PDFVery good | 2.4GPAPDF CandyFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AEvery service is free with no account, and the site shows ads and takes donations. | B$4 a month on a yearly plan for web and desktop, among the lowest-priced paid PDF tools. The $99 lifetime license, spread over three years, is low too, but it covers the current desktop version only, not future major ones. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright with no cap a normal person would reach, though PDF export stops at 500 pages without OCR or 100 with it. | CFree on web and desktop with no account and no ads, but with page and hourly limits, smaller files and no batch processing. Fine for the odd job. |
| Features | CConverts to and from Office formats and images, merges, splits, rotates, compresses, unlocks and runs OCR. No text editing or signing is described, so it is a smaller job. | CConverts to and from Office and e-book formats, edits, merges, splits, compresses and protects, with AI summaries and chat. But no OCR, form builder or signing is on record, so it's lighter as an editor. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record. You upload a file on one screen and download the result. | BNo store rating on record. No account needed: pick a tool in the browser and go. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only. The FAQ says there is no downloadable version and no web API. | CThe web, plus a desktop app for Windows only. No phone apps and no integrations on record. |
| Best for | free, no-account PDF conversions and page tools | PDF conversions with a $99 one-time license |
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: Online2PDF and PDF Candy. How we grade
Price against what you get
Online2PDF has no paid plan and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. PDF Candy starts at $4 a month and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and Online2PDF starts $4 a month lower. Of the other PDF editors on the chart, none scores higher than Online2PDF for less, and 3 score higher than PDF Candy for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- PDF Candy can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Online2PDF also covers file compression.
At a glance
| Online2PDF | PDF Candy | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $4 per month, billed yearly |
| Free plan | Every feature is free with no account; the site shows advertisements and accepts optional donations. | Free on web and desktop with no account or ads: page and hourly limits, smaller files, no batch processing and a cap on desktop operations. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Windows | ||
| Made by | Online2PDF.com | PDF Candy (Icecream Apps) |
| Price read from | online2pdf.com | pdfcandy.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Online2PDF
- Its editing is page-level (select, rotate, reorder, split, merge); the pages read describe no text editing or signing.
- Interactive form fields are removed when a PDF is edited or unlocked, according to the FAQ.
- The FAQ says there is no downloadable version and no web API, and heavy or scripted use is not allowed.
- PDF export is limited to 500 pages without OCR or 100 pages with OCR.
PDF Candy
- The free plan limits pages, hourly use and file size, with no batch processing.
- The desktop app is for Windows only, and the Web Monthly plan does not include it.
- The lifetime license covers the current desktop version and its minor updates, not future major versions.
- Refunds within 30 days are given if errors keep happening and support cannot fix them.
Key features
Online2PDF
- Convert to PDF
- Turns Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, OpenOffice files, images and XPS into PDF, merged together or one by one.
- Export from PDF
- Exports PDFs to Word, Excel, PowerPoint and JPG, up to 500 pages without OCR or 100 pages with OCR.
- Page tools
- Select, extract, rotate, reorder and split pages, and merge several files, using the options beside each file.
- OCR
- Character recognition for scanned PDFs and images, with about 30 languages listed on the page.
- Compress and unlock
- Reduces file size by lowering image quality and removes edit, copy and print restrictions; opening passwords need the password.
- Header, footer and layout options
- Sets header and footer, page layout and compression for the output PDF before conversion.
PDF Candy
- Convert to and from PDF
- Converts PDFs to and from Office files, images and e-book formats such as MOBI, and between many other formats.
- Edit and organize
- Edit PDFs and their metadata, merge, split, compress, rotate and reorder pages, and add or remove passwords.
- AI tools
- Summarize a PDF, translate it or chat with it from the web tools.
- Offline Windows app
- PDF Candy Desktop brings 35 tools to Windows for editing, converting and organizing files without an internet connection.
- Short file retention
- Uploaded files and results are kept for no longer than 2 hours, and the free plan needs no account.
Plans
Online2PDF
Free$0
All features at no charge; the FAQ says every service is completely free of charge.
PDF Candy
Free$0
Most tools on web and desktop with page, hourly, file-size and operation limits.
Desktop + Web Yearly$4
per month, billed yearly
Shown as 75% off a crossed-out $18 a month: web and desktop with no hourly limits, 500MB files, priority processing, plus Video and Image Candy.
Web Monthly$6
per month
PDF Candy Web only, with no hourly limits, 500MB files and priority processing.
Desktop + Web Lifetime$99
one-time purchase
Pay once for PDF Candy Web and a permanent desktop license for the current version, with its minor updates but not major upgrades.
Ways to pay less
Online2PDF
No public discounts listed.
PDF Candy
- Lifetime license
Lifetime license for $99
A one-time payment of $99 buys PDF Candy Web and a permanent PDF Candy Desktop license for the current version.
- Education
A free year of online Pro for education
Students and teachers can get a year of PDF Candy's online Pro subscription at no cost.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Online2PDF or PDF Candy?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Online2PDF is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $4 a month for PDF Candy. Online2PDF is free, and PDF Candy starts at $4 per month, billed yearly.
Which has a free plan, Online2PDF or PDF Candy?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Online2PDF and PDF Candy have a free plan.
Which platforms do Online2PDF and PDF Candy run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only PDF Candy lists a Windows app. 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.