SmallPDF has the polished interface in the PDF tool world — but the 2-tasks-per-day free limit is the strictest in the industry. Hit it once and you're locked out for 24 hours. The Pro tier ($12/month) is genuinely useful, but for users who don't want to subscribe, the free alternatives below offer the same operations without the daily ceiling.
Disclosure: we make ShrinkTo. We've ranked our own tool fairly and acknowledged where SmallPDF still wins — their UI polish remains best-in-class, their mobile apps are excellent, and for a single-task occasional user, SmallPDF's free tier is fine. For anyone using PDF tools regularly, the alternatives here are categorically better.
Try ShrinkTo as your SmallPDF replacement
Unlimited free use, browser-based privacy, 27 PDF tools. Same operations as SmallPDF, none of the daily limit pain.
Side-by-side comparison (12 tools)
Quick scan of what each tool offers. ShrinkTo (our tool) is highlighted at the top — full reviews of all 12 are below.
| Tool | Type | Free tier | Privacy |
|---|---|---|---|
| ShrinkTo ⭐ | Browser-based | Unlimited | Browser-only |
| iLovePDF | Online (server-based) | ~5 tasks/session, 15 MB | Server upload |
| PDF24 | Web + desktop | Unlimited | Desktop offline; web uploads |
| PDFsam Basic | Desktop (cross-platform) | Fully free | Fully offline |
| Sejda | Online + desktop | 3 tasks/day, 200 pages, 50 MB | Server upload |
| Stirling-PDF | Self-hosted | Fully free | Self-hosted |
| Adobe Acrobat online | Online (Adobe cloud) | Limited free use | Adobe cloud |
| PDF2Go | Online (server-based) | Reasonable free tier | Files uploaded |
| Foxit Online | Online (server-based) | Limited | Files uploaded |
| DeftPDF | Online (server-based) | Reasonable free | Files uploaded |
| PDFescape | Online + desktop | 10 MB / 100 pages | Files uploaded |
| ComfortablePDF | Online (server-based) | 24+ tools, no signup | Files uploaded |
How we tested
Each alternative was tested against SmallPDF's 5 most-used operations: compress, merge, split, PDF-to-Word, and add password. Same 4.2 MB source PDF, same default settings. We measured: feature parity, output quality, free-tier limits, and privacy model.
Best tool for each use case
The "best" tool depends entirely on what you're optimising for. Pick from this list rather than reading every review.
Detailed reviews (12 tools)
ShrinkTo Our pick
shrinkto.com/all-typesBest for: Daily SmallPDF users hitting the 2/day cap
Browser-based with 27 tools — covers everything SmallPDF does plus a few extras (real AES encryption, Hindi/Tamil/Telugu OCR). Less polished UI than SmallPDF but no daily limits and your file never uploads. The obvious replacement for power users.
- ✓ No daily limit
- ✓ Browser-only privacy
- ✓ 27 tools
- ✓ Real AES encryption
- ✕ UI less polished than SmallPDF
- ✕ No native mobile app
- ✕ Files >50 MB challenging
iLovePDF
ilovepdf.comBest for: Users wanting more tasks per session
More generous than SmallPDF's daily limit (5 tasks per session vs 2 per day) and has more tools (25+ vs 21). Same upload-to-server model. The most popular SmallPDF alternative for users not bothered by uploads.
- ✓ More generous than SmallPDF
- ✓ 25+ tools
- ✓ Cloud integration
- ✕ Still session-limited
- ✕ Files uploaded
- ✕ 15 MB free cap
PDF24
pdf24.orgBest for: Power users wanting unlimited offline use
The desktop version is the answer for SmallPDF refugees who want unlimited free use. 25+ tools, no limits, runs offline. Web version uploads but has a generous 100 MB cap.
- ✓ Desktop = no limits ever
- ✓ 25+ tools
- ✓ Genuinely free
- ✕ Dated UI
- ✕ Web version uploads
- ✕ Installer has bundled offers
PDFsam Basic
pdfsam.orgBest for: Open-source split, merge, rotate
Open-source desktop tool focused on split, merge, rotate, extract. Doesn't try to match SmallPDF's full toolset but does the basics excellently. Free Basic doesn't include compress/OCR/convert — Enhanced (paid) does.
- ✓ Open-source
- ✓ Cross-platform desktop
- ✓ Reliable for 15+ years
- ✕ Free tier excludes compress/OCR/convert
- ✕ Java-based
- ✕ Functional UI
Sejda
sejda.comBest for: PDF text editing (rare in free tools)
Slightly more generous than SmallPDF (3 tasks/day vs 2). Genuine PDF text editing is the differentiator — most free tools only let you annotate. Desktop app available for offline use.
- ✓ Genuine text editing
- ✓ Desktop app option
- ✓ 50 MB free file cap
- ✕ 3 tasks/day limit
- ✕ Files uploaded
- ✕ Less polished than SmallPDF
Stirling-PDF
github.com/Stirling-Tools/Stirling-PDFBest for: Tech-savvy users wanting Adobe-class self-hosted
50+ features — the most powerful free tool. Self-hosted via Docker. Replaces SmallPDF for tech-savvy users willing to do the setup. Not realistic for most individual users.
- ✓ 50+ features
- ✓ Open-source
- ✓ Self-hosted privacy
- ✕ Docker required
- ✕ Not for non-technical users
- ✕ No support
Adobe Acrobat online
adobe.com/acrobat/onlineBest for: Mission-critical compatibility
The gold standard for output quality and PDF compatibility. Free tier is very limited. Worth using when output quality matters more than free volume.
- ✓ Best output compatibility
- ✓ Excellent quality
- ✓ Trusted enterprise tool
- ✕ Very limited free tier
- ✕ Files uploaded
- ✕ Account required quickly
PDF2Go
pdf2go.comBest for: Conversion-heavy workflows
More generous free tier than SmallPDF. UI is functional, not polished. PDF-to-Word and PDF-to-Excel conversions are decent. Good fallback when bigger names' limits hit.
- ✓ 100 MB cap
- ✓ Generous free tier
- ✓ OCR included
- ✕ Files uploaded
- ✕ Less polished
- ✕ Heavy ads
Foxit Online
foxit.com/pdf-onlineBest for: Foxit Reader users
Free online tools from Foxit (the Adobe alternative for desktop). Reasonable feature set, comparable to iLovePDF in quality. Familiar to anyone using Foxit Reader desktop.
- ✓ Reliable Foxit ecosystem
- ✓ Solid output quality
- ✓ Cloud integration
- ✕ Free use limited
- ✕ Files uploaded
- ✕ Less generous than PDF24
DeftPDF
deftpdf.comBest for: Variety without aggressive paywall
Mid-tier PDF tool that doesn't push paid plans aggressively. 30+ tools, decent free tier. Comparable in quality to PDF2Go. Smaller user base but reliable.
- ✓ 30+ tools
- ✓ Less aggressive paywall
- ✓ No signup needed
- ✕ Less polished than SmallPDF
- ✕ Files uploaded
- ✕ Smaller user base
PDFescape
pdfescape.comBest for: Form filling specifically
Specifically strong at form filling — a niche where SmallPDF and iLovePDF are weaker. Free tier limits are tight (10 MB) but for one-off form filling, reliable and free.
- ✓ Excellent form filling
- ✓ Annotation tools
- ✓ Reasonable free
- ✕ 10 MB file cap
- ✕ Files uploaded
- ✕ Compression weak
ComfortablePDF
comfortablepdf.comBest for: iLovePDF-style breadth without signup
A newer tool consciously offering what iLovePDF used to — many tools, no signup, no aggressive paywall. Quality is comparable to mid-tier alternatives. Bookmarkable when SmallPDF's limit hits.
- ✓ 24+ tools, no signup
- ✓ Less aggressive paywall
- ✓ Modern UI
- ✕ Files uploaded
- ✕ Smaller user base
- ✕ No mobile app
Frequently asked questions
Why is SmallPDF's free tier so limited?
What's the best free SmallPDF alternative?
Are alternatives' compression as good as SmallPDF?
Is iLovePDF better than SmallPDF?
Can I use SmallPDF Pro features for free elsewhere?
Are SmallPDF mobile apps better than alternatives?
Can I trust SmallPDF with sensitive PDFs?
- Tested in May 2026 against the workflow described in "How we tested"
- Free tier limits verified directly on each tool's pricing/limits page
- Privacy claims for server-based tools sourced from each provider's published privacy policy
- Browser-only privacy verified via Chrome DevTools Network tab
Last verified: February 14, 2026. Tools update their offerings frequently — verify current limits before committing to a workflow.
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