Alternatives to Smallpdf
Smallpdf is the most polished of the browser toolkits and among the pricier ones. It also genuinely removes redacted content, which is rarer in this category than it should be. Everything below handles a comparable set of jobs; what separates them is what they charge and whether your file leaves your machine.
Smallpdf, as the index records it
- Files:
- Mixed - depends on version and feature
- Redaction:
- Removes the content
- Price:
- Free · paid from £6.75 a month
- Platforms:
- Web · Windows · iOS · Android
Worth knowing before you stay or go: Using a web tool uploads the file to Smallpdf's servers to be processed, so the answer for a confidential document depends on the policy of the organisation holding it rather than on a blanket rule. By default, a document you process is reachable by anyone holding its unique sharing link, which the notice says the user can turn off - check that before processing anything confidential. The free tier is capped by daily download limits on most tools rather than by watermarks. The AI tools add their own 50 MB file cap on every plan. The free plan's limits are not only downloads: the pricing comparison lists limited mobile app access, limited file size and a Sign.com free account capped at 2 documents a month, while the AI tools cap files at 50 MB and word counts differ by plan. Files uploaded to the web tools are deleted after one hour unless saved. Direct text editing in the editor and the OCR option for scanned PDFs in the converter are Pro features, so the free editor adds text, shapes, images, highlights and sticky notes but does not edit existing text. The macOS desktop application is not supported as of 1 October 2021, so desktop coverage is Windows only; the iOS and Android download links redirect to the Smallpdf PDF Scanner mobile app rather than a full editor. Signing inside Smallpdf is an electronic signature; certificate-based digital signing is not documented for it, and the separate Sign.com e-signing platform is the service named for team e-signature workflows.
The short answer
The closest Smallpdf alternatives in this index are Adobe Acrobat , Foxit PDF Editor and PDF Candy . They share enough of the job to be worth comparing, which is why they are on this page - a shared job tag is a candidate, not a finding that they work the same way. What separates them from Smallpdf is what they charge and whether your file leaves your machine. Smallpdf processes some versions on your device and runs others on a server, which the vendor documents, and 1 of the 6 listed have no vendor service in the path .
What else does the same jobs
7 or more of the same jobs, ordered by how many jobs they share - not by who pays us.
| Tool | Price | Licence | Your files | Redaction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adobe Acrobat 7 jobs in common: Edit, Convert, Compress, Merge, OCR, Protect, Sign | Free · paid from £14.99 a month | Not verified | Mixed - depends on version and feature | Removes the content |
| Foxit PDF Editor 7 jobs in common: Edit, Protect, OCR, Convert, Merge, Sign, Compress | From £8.15 a month | Not verified | Mixed - depends on version and feature | Removes the content |
| PDF Candy 7 jobs in common: Convert, Edit, Compress, Merge, OCR, Protect, Sign | Free · paid from £4.00 a month | Proprietary | Mixed - depends on version and feature | Covers it - content is not removed |
| PDF Studio 7 jobs in common: Edit, Merge, Protect, Sign, Convert, OCR, Compress | Paid | Proprietary | No server involved | Removes the content |
| Power PDF 7 jobs in common: Edit, Protect, Convert, Sign, Merge, OCR, Compress | From £95.00 one-off | proprietary | Mixed - depends on version and feature | Not determined |
| Master PDF Editor 7 jobs in common: Edit, Merge, Protect, Convert, Sign, OCR, Compress | From £59.30 one-off | proprietary | Mixed - depends on version and feature | Removes the content |
A tool marked same owner is operated by the same company as Smallpdf. That does not make it bad, but it is not an independent alternative - switching to it does not change who holds your documents or sets your terms.
1 of the 6 is desktop or command-line software, so there is no server in the path at all - PDF Studio. That is a statement about how the software is built rather than something we measured, which is why the files column words it differently from a tool we tested.
Smallpdf compared head to head
- Smallpdf vs iLovePDF The two biggest browser PDF toolkits, both of which upload your files.
- Smallpdf vs Sejda Two browser toolkits that both upload your file, at very different prices.