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iLovePDF vs Smallpdf: choosing a web PDF toolkit?

By Official AppDuo editorial team · Updated

iLovePDF logoiLovePDF7.7/10Freemium · $7.00/moSmallpdf logoSmallpdf7.3/10Freemium · $12.00/mo

Quick verdict

iLovePDF vs Smallpdf: choosing a web PDF toolkit.

iLovePDF: People who need to merge, split, compress or convert PDFs quickly without installing software.

Smallpdf: Individuals who occasionally need to compress, merge or convert PDFs.

Choose for your main task, existing devices and plan limits; the overall score cannot replace your requirements.

Head-to-head

iLovePDF leads on 4, Smallpdf on 1, 4 even

FeatureiLovePDFSmallpdf
Cheapest paid plan for one user[2],[10]Premium: $7/month billed monthly; $4/month billed annually ($48/year)Pro: 12 USD/month billed monthly; 9 USD/month billed yearly (108 USD/year)
→ An individual paying yearly spends noticeably less with iLovePDF than with Smallpdf.
Pricing for small teams[2],[10]The Business plan (25+ users) is quote-only. Premium is a personal plan but covers 1 to 25 users at $4/user/month billed annually, with teamsTeam (2–19 seats): 10 USD/seat/month billed monthly; 7 USD/seat/month billed yearly, with priority support
→ iLovePDF's business plan has no published price, so it cannot be compared directly with Smallpdf Team; teams under 25 can consider iLovePDF Premium, which is a personal plan.
What the free plan really allows[2],[10]Clear per-task caps: merge 25 files (100 MB), compress 200 MB, sign 3 files; web only30+ tools but a daily download limit (number not published) and limited mobile app access
→ With iLovePDF you know upfront how far the free plan goes; with Smallpdf you may hit the daily download cap without warning.
Trial and refunds[2],[10],[11]Pricing page states no trial or refund policy; cancel anytime7-day Pro trial requiring payment details; cancelling gives no refund of amounts already paid
→ Smallpdf lets you try first but you must cancel in time; iLovePDF states neither clearly.
Platforms[1],[2],[5]Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android and APIWeb, iOS and Android
→ Anyone wanting a desktop app or API access only gets it with iLovePDF.
File deletion and server location[3],[12]Auto-deleted within 2 hours; signed documents kept up to 5 years; server location not named; ISO/IEC 27001:2022Free-tool files deleted after 1 hour; servers in Ireland; self-stated ISO/IEC 27001
→ Privacy-minded users get faster deletion and a named server location with Smallpdf.
Android app data sharing[14]AppDuo found no public informationGoogle Play declares the app may share location, personal info and four other data types with third parties
→ Smallpdf Android users should review this disclosure before installing.
User ratings[7],[8],[9]Trustpilot 4.9/5 (14,113); US App Store 4.8/5 (52,458); Vietnam App Store 4.9/5 (3,664)Trustpilot 4.8/5 (5,492); US App Store 4.8/5 (6,897); Google Play 4.4/5 (125,000)
→ iLovePDF scores equal or higher across more reviews, including on the Vietnam App Store.
Student offer[2]Students and academics can get a free year of PremiumAppDuo found no public information
→ Students should check iLovePDF's offer before paying for either plan.

Choose iLovePDF if…

  • People who need to merge, split, compress or convert PDFs quickly without installing software
  • Students and teachers, who can get a free year of Premium according to the pricing page
  • Small teams wanting many PDF tools at a modest price (from $4/month billed annually)

Choose Smallpdf if…

  • Individuals who occasionally need to compress, merge or convert PDFs
  • Small teams wanting a PDF tool with e-signing at a per-seat price

How the products differ

iLovePDF: iLovePDF suits people who need quick, occasional PDF jobs in the browser without installing software, and it is very highly rated by users. The trade-offs are file-count and size caps on Free, and deep editing is still better handled by a full PDF suite.

Smallpdf: Smallpdf suits people who need quick PDF jobs in a browser or on a phone, and it rates well on both the app stores and Trustpilot. The trade-offs are a limited free tier, no refunds on amounts already paid, and some reviewers complaining about unexpected charges.

Choose around your use case

iLovePDF: Fits People who need to merge, split, compress or convert PDFs quickly without installing software; Students and teachers, who can get a free year of Premium according to the pricing page. Strengths: About 30 tools on the homepage: merge, split, compress, OCR, Word/Excel/PowerPoint/JPG conversion, sign, redact, compare, AI Summarizer and PDF translation; Low price: Premium at $4/month billed annually or $7/month billed monthly.

Smallpdf: Fits Individuals who occasionally need to compress, merge or convert PDFs; Small teams wanting a PDF tool with e-signing at a per-seat price. Strengths: 30+ PDF tools in the browser, plus iOS and Android apps; Trustpilot 4.8/5 (5,492 reviews), App Store 4.8/5, Google Play 4.4/5.

Costs and limits to check

iLovePDF: Premium: 7 USD/user/month, as recorded in the review. Trade-off: Free is limited in file count and size and is web only; Smart Split and Smart Redact are paid-only. Smallpdf: Pro: 12 USD/user/month, as recorded in the review. Trade-off: The Free plan caps daily downloads and limits mobile app access. Prices retain the currency and billing units recorded in the source profiles; no currency conversion or plan equivalence is assumed. Check official prices, limits and terms before payment.

Frequently asked questions

Should I choose iLovePDF or Smallpdf?

iLovePDF vs Smallpdf: choosing a web PDF toolkit. iLovePDF: People who need to merge, split, compress or convert PDFs quickly without installing software. Smallpdf: Individuals who occasionally need to compress, merge or convert PDFs. Choose for your main task, existing devices and plan limits; the overall score cannot replace your requirements.

Does a higher score always mean a better fit?

No. Overall scores are editorial judgements across several criteria. Your task, allowance and existing ecosystem may matter more; the table separates those differences so you can decide.

Where do prices and limits come from?

From each product’s researched profile, with source links and check dates in the review. This comparison reuses that evidence; its compilation date does not mean every price was rechecked that day.

Sources

Numbers in the table refer to these sources, read on the dates shown.

  1. 1.iLovePDF homepage · Vendor-provided · Nov 10, 2026
  2. 2.iLovePDF pricing page · Vendor-provided · Nov 10, 2026
  3. 3.iLovePDF security and data protection · Vendor-provided · Nov 10, 2026
  4. 4.iLovePDF privacy policy · Vendor-provided · Nov 10, 2026
  5. 5.iLovePDF press page · Vendor-provided · Nov 10, 2026
  6. 6.iLovePDF blog: happy anniversary (2020-02-24) · Vendor-provided · Nov 10, 2026
  7. 7.iTunes Lookup API: iLovePDF app (US) · store · Nov 10, 2026
  8. 8.iTunes Lookup API: iLovePDF app (Vietnam) · store · Nov 10, 2026
  9. 9.Trustpilot: ilovepdf.com · review-site · Nov 10, 2026
  10. 10.Official pricing page · Vendor-provided · Nov 10, 2026
  11. 11.Smallpdf Terms and Conditions · Vendor-provided · Nov 10, 2026
  12. 12.Smallpdf blog: Is Smallpdf Safe? · Vendor-provided · Nov 10, 2026
  13. 13.App Store listing (US) · store · Nov 10, 2026
  14. 14.Google Play listing · store · Nov 10, 2026
  15. 15.Wikipedia: Smallpdf · Community-reported · Nov 10, 2026
  16. 16.Trustpilot: smallpdf.com · review-site · Nov 10, 2026

Prepared by the AppDuo Editorial Team from the sources cited in this article. AI assists with organising and cross-checking data; editorial responsibility remains with AppDuo.

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