PDF Candy
90-plus online PDF tools and a Windows app, free within limits
PDF Candy report card
Fair · out of 4.0 · graded Oct 18, 2026
Best for lots of PDF tools for a small one-time fee
PDF Candy is a web tool with 90-plus PDF tools, plus a Windows desktop app that works offline. The free plan needs no account and shows no ads, and paid is $4 a month on a yearly plan or $99 once. It's a converter and toolbox first, though: no OCR or form builder is on record.
Who PDF Candy is for
- Great if you convert or merge PDFs now and then without signing up
- Handy when you'd rather pay once for an offline Windows app
- A treat if you're a student or teacher, with a free year of online Pro
Who PDF Candy is not for
- Skip it if you need OCR on scanned pages, as none is on record
- Not for you if you're on a Mac and want an offline app, as it's Windows only
- Tight if you expect the $99 license to cover future major versions, as it doesn't
Why PDF Candy gets a 2.4
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- BValue for money$4 a month on a yearly plan for web and desktop, among the cheapest paid PDF tools. The $99 lifetime license, spread over three years, is cheap too, but it covers the current desktop version only, not future major ones.
- CFree plan and trialFree 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.
- CFeaturesConverts to and from Office and e-book formats, edits, merges, splits, compresses and protects, with AI summaries and chat. A big toolbox. But no OCR, form builder or signing is on record, so it's lighter as an editor.
- BEase of useNo store rating on record. No account needed: pick a tool in the browser and go.
- CPlatforms and integrationsThe web, plus a desktop app for Windows only. No phone apps and no integrations on record.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from PDF Candy's own pages on 18 October 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
Make PDF Candy? Put this grade on your site
Paste this where you want the badge. It links here and follows the grade if it changes. About badges
<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/pdf-candy#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/pdf-candy.svg" alt="PDF Candy: 2.4 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where PDF Candy stands among PDF editors
PDF Candy's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 5 of the 15 other PDF editors we grade.
It stands best on value for money (B, above 10 of 15) and worst on free plan and trial (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $4 a month, against a middle price of $6.67 for the category: 0 of the 10 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 1 tool scores higher and costs less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 16 PDF editors we grade, cut by the letter each got. PDF Candy’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 10 of 15, level with 1
- CFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 15, level with 13
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 15, level with 9
- BEase of useAbove 2 of 15, level with 11
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 15, level with 3
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 13 PDF editors. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep PDF Candy, or make your own?
Keep it
Nothing PDF Candy does is plain enough to make in a weekend. The 3 things listed below take a company.
It costs $48 a year.
What you could not
- Editing the text inside a PDF without breaking its layout.
- A real app for Windows. Something home-made would be a web page.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
What this rests on. PDF Candy’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is PDF Candy?
PDF Candy is a web tool with more than 90 PDF tools for converting, merging, splitting, compressing, editing and protecting files, plus AI tools that summarize, translate and chat with a PDF. PDF Candy Desktop is an offline Windows app with 35 of the tools. Both are free without an account within page and hourly limits, and paid plans remove the limits by the month, the year or with a one-time license.
PDF Candy has a free plan. Paid plans start at $4 per month, billed yearly. See every plan
Good for
- People who convert or merge PDFs now and then without signing up
- Windows users who want an offline PDF tool for a one-time fee
- Students and teachers, who can get a year of online Pro free
Worth knowing
- 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
- 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.
PDF Candy pricing
- Starts at
- $4 per month, billed yearly
- Free plan
- 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
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Most tools on web and desktop with page, hourly, file-size and operation limits. |
| Desktop + Web Yearly | $4per 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 | $6per month | PDF Candy Web only, with no hourly limits, 500MB files and priority processing. |
| Desktop + Web Lifetime | $99one-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. |
Read from pdfcandy.com on Oct 18, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with PDF Candy before you buy.
Ways to pay less
- Lifetime licenseLifetime license for $99
A one-time payment of $99 buys PDF Candy Web and a permanent PDF Candy Desktop license for the current version.
Stated on pdfcandy.com - EducationA free year of online Pro for education
Students and teachers can get a year of PDF Candy's online Pro subscription at no cost.
Stated on pdfcandy.com
PDF Candy alternatives
- PDF Candy vs iLovePDF
Free plan · from $5/mo
- PDF Candy vs Smallpdf
Free plan
- PDF Candy vs Sejda
Free plan · from $5 one-time
- PDF Candy vs LightPDF
Free plan · from $5.99/mo
Common questions
Is PDF Candy free?
PDF Candy has a free plan. 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. Paid plans start at $4 per month, billed yearly.
How much does PDF Candy cost?
PDF Candy lists 4 plans. Free: $0. Desktop + Web Yearly: $4 per month, billed yearly. Web Monthly: $6 per month. Desktop + Web Lifetime: $99 one-time purchase. Prices were read from pdfcandy.com on Oct 18, 2026.
What platforms does PDF Candy work on?
PDF Candy is available on Web and Windows.
Does PDF Candy offer any discounts?
PDF Candy publicly lists the following: Lifetime license for $99; A free year of online Pro for education.
Does PDF Candy have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. PDF Candy is listed for Web and Windows.
Does PDF Candy have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. PDF Candy is listed for Web and Windows.
Is PDF Candy open source?
PDF Candy is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 18, 2026.
Does PDF Candy work offline?
Yes, according to its own site. What works without a connection differs by plan and platform, so check the vendor's page for the detail.
Does PDF Candy have a student discount?
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.
Who makes PDF Candy?
PDF Candy is made by PDF Candy (Icecream Apps). It dates from 2016.
What are the alternatives to PDF Candy?
The closest alternatives to PDF Candy in our directory are iLovePDF, Smallpdf, Sejda, PDF24 Tools and LightPDF. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with PDF Candy.
How does PDF Candy compare with other PDF editors?
PDF Candy's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 5 of the 15 other PDF editors we grade. It stands best on value for money (B, above 10 of 15) and worst on free plan and trial (C, above 0).
Is PDF Candy good value for money?
ToolGPA grades PDF Candy B for value for money. Its paid plans start at $4 a month, against a middle price of $6.67 for the category: 0 of the 10 others that charge start lower. On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 1 tool scores higher and costs less.
Could I make my own version of PDF Candy?
Nothing PDF Candy does is plain enough to make in a weekend. The 3 things listed below take a company. It costs $48 a year. What you could not make: Editing the text inside a PDF without breaking its layout. A real app for Windows. Something home-made would be a web page. AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself. This is a judgement from its listing. We have not built one.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 18, 2026.