iLovePDF vs Smallpdf
The two biggest browser PDF toolkits, both of which upload your files.
The short answer
Both cap the free tier and neither vendor publishes the number. iLovePDF's pricing page says the free plan gives "limited document processing" and its FAQ says you "can process a limited number of documents"; Smallpdf's comparison table lists a "Daily download limit" and a "Daily task limit" without a figure against either. The "2 tasks per day" figure that gets repeated comes from third-party comparison blogs - I could not find it on either vendor's own pricing page. The paid plan is what lifts that free-tier cap: iLovePDF from £5 a month, Smallpdf from £9. Neither publishes a ceiling for the paid plan either, so read that as the free limit going away rather than as unlimited processing on a paid tier.
The difference that decides it
The redaction difference is the one to choose on, and it has a scope worth knowing. Smallpdf removes the content by rasterising the affected pages, and that verdict came from our own test. iLovePDF's verdict is about its web redact tool, which we tested on 17 September on our own canary document: the marked text was still in the file, so it covers rather than removes. The desktop application advertises permanent removal separately and we have not tested it, so this is a finding about the surface we tested. Everything else about these two is broadly comparable.
Side by side
9 of 11 rows differ
| Compared | iLovePDF | Smallpdf |
|---|---|---|
| Files stay on your device | Reported to upload your files | Mixed - depends on version and feature |
| Redaction | Covers it - content is not removed | Removes the content |
| Price | £60 a year (Premium, annual billing) - converted: Free · paid from £5.00 a month | Free · paid from £6.75 a month |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Platforms | Web · Windows · macOS · iOS · Android · API | Web · Windows · iOS · Android |
| Open source | No | Not verified |
| Self-hostable | No | Not verified |
| Data residency | Multiple regions | Multiple regions |
| Programmatic access | HTTP API | None |
| Owner | Not recorded | Smallpdf AG |
| Website responded | Responded in 57 ms | Responded in 656 ms |
Rows that differ are shown in full contrast; rows where the two agree are dimmed. Every value here comes from the individual records, where each one names the page it came from - and says plainly when something has not been verified rather than filling the gap.
iLovePDF
Broad web PDF toolkit with desktop, mobile and API companions.
Visit iLovePDF Opens the vendor's own site.
Smallpdf
Browser PDF toolkit with 30+ tools and a Pro subscription, built in Switzerland.
Visit Smallpdf Opens the vendor's own site.
Other comparisons
- iLovePDF vs PDF24 A paid browser toolkit against a free one, on the fact that matters most.
- Smallpdf vs Sejda Two browser toolkits that both upload your file, at very different prices.