PDF Squeezer vs Smallpdf (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, PDF Squeezer and Smallpdf share a 2.6 GPA, and only Smallpdf has a free plan.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
PDF Squeezer grades higher on value for money. Smallpdf grades higher on the free plan and ease of use. They get the same grade on features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
PDF Squeezer
Offline PDF compressor for Mac, iPhone, iPad and Windows
Free trial · from $9.99 one-time
Smallpdf
30-plus PDF tools in the browser, with Windows and mobile apps
Free plan
Which one is for you
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
Pick Smallpdf if
- Fits if you convert or shrink a PDF in the browser now and then
- Works for people who want PDF tools and e-signatures in one subscription
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you use it daily on the free plan, as downloads are capped each day and Sign.com stops at 2 documents a month
- Skip it if you want a Mac desktop app, as the desktop app is Windows only and doesn't edit text
- Not for you if you build fillable forms or redact, as neither is on record
- Watch out: US prices couldn't be confirmed; Smallpdf's own comparison page gives Pro as $9 to $12 a month
- Pricey if your team passes 19 seats, as 20 or more are quoted by sales
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAPDF SqueezerGood | 2.6GPASmallpdfGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | 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 | 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. | 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 | 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. | CConverts, compresses, merges, and on Pro edits text and OCRs, with AI tools and Sign.com for sending to sign. But no form builder or redaction is on record, and the Windows app converts and merges rather than edits. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating is on record, but you install it and drop files on it with nothing to set up. | A4.84 from 6,891 App Store ratings. Drop a file in the browser, pick a tool, download. No setup at all. |
| Platforms and integrations | BMac, iPhone, iPad and Windows, with Shortcuts and Automator, but no Android or web version. | 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 | making PDF files smaller on Mac, iPhone or Windows | 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: PDF Squeezer and Smallpdf. How we grade
Where they differ
- PDF Squeezer can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- PDF Squeezer also covers file compression.
In commoniOSWindowsPDF editing
At a glance
| PDF Squeezer | Smallpdf | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $9.99 one-time (iPhone, iPad and Windows) | Not published |
| Free plan | None | 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 | iOS download is free and fully testable; saving compressed files needs the in-app purchase | 7-day free trial of Pro; cancelling returns the account to the free plan |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Witt Software | Smallpdf AG |
| Price read from | witt-software.com | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
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
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.
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
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.
Smallpdf
Pricing could not be confirmed. See smallpdf.com.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, PDF Squeezer or Smallpdf?
As of Nov 13, 2026, PDF Squeezer starts at $9.99 one-time (iPhone, iPad and Windows), and Smallpdf has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, PDF Squeezer or Smallpdf?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Smallpdf has a free plan. PDF Squeezer does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do PDF Squeezer and Smallpdf run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only PDF Squeezer lists a macOS app and only Smallpdf lists a web app, an Android app and a browser extension. Both list 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.