The Best Free Online File Converters, Compared Honestly
We built TypeorDrop, so it's listed first. Here's an honest comparison.
For big or unusual files, CloudConvert, FreeConvert and Convertio accept free uploads of up to 1 GB and support far more formats than TypeorDrop. For PDF work, PDF24 is free with no stated limits. TypeorDrop is a good fit for everyday files under 5 MB, Word merging that keeps the layout, and PDFs that must fit a size such as 100 KB. Every fact below was checked on each company's own website on October 25, 2026.
Comparison table
| Service | Free limit | Max free file size | Signup needed | Watermark | File deletion | Cheapest paid plan | Standout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TypeorDrop | 2 jobs a day; 10 with a free account | 5 MB (Compress PDF and video 50 MB, image editing 15 MB) | No | No | Uploads within about 24 hours, results after 7 days | Pro $4/month or $38.40/year | Merge Word files keeping layout; PDF to an exact size |
| CloudConvert | 10 conversions a day, up to 5 minutes each | 1 GB | Not stated (free plan button: "Sign Up") | Not stated | After processing, at the latest after 24 hours | $9/month subscription; packages from $17 | 212 formats in 11 categories, API |
| FreeConvert | 20 conversion minutes a day (about 20 files) | 1 GB | No | Not stated | After 8 hours | Basic $12.99/month | 1,500+ conversions, advanced options |
| Convertio | 10 conversion credits per 24 hours | 1 GB | Not stated | Not stated | Uploads at once, results after 24 hours | Lite $6.99/month, billed yearly | Large free uploads |
| Zamzar | 2 conversions and 2 compressions per 24 hours | 50 MB | No | Not stated | Free results kept up to 24 hours | Basic $12/month | Desktop app, email conversion |
| iLovePDF | "Limited document processing" | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Within 2 hours | Premium $7/month or $48/year | Full PDF suite: edit, sign, OCR |
| Smallpdf | Limited daily downloads | Not stated | No | Not stated | After 1 hour | Pro $12/month or $108/year | 30+ PDF tools, AI tools |
| PDF24 Tools | No limits ("without any restrictions") | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | After 1 hour | None: free, paid for by ads | 100+ tools, free Windows desktop app |
| Online-Convert | Free test credits, renewed every 24 hours | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | "Only as long as needed" (no period stated) | $6.42/month, billed yearly | Free paid tools for students and teachers |
| Convert.Online | 1 GB of conversions a month | Not stated | No | Not stated | Uploads after conversion, results within 24 hours | $4/month | 37,000 conversion combinations |
"Not stated" means we couldn't find the fact on the company's own site. Plans change; check the sources for the latest.
Try TypeorDrop's free converters →
TypeorDrop
TypeorDrop has 150 tools, 136 of them format converters for documents, spreadsheets, presentations, images, audio and video.
- Strengths: you can start without an account; Merge Word Documents keeps each file's page layout, headers and footers; Compress PDF can aim at an exact size such as 100 KB and says so when it can't; Pro is a flat $4 a month with no credits to count.
- Weaknesses: a 5 MB limit on most tools is small next to the 1 GB of CloudConvert, FreeConvert and Convertio; far fewer formats than CloudConvert; only 2 jobs a day without an account; no desktop app; English only.
- Best for: everyday documents and photos, Word merging, and PDFs or images that must fit an upload limit.
CloudConvert
- Strengths: 212 formats across documents, images, video, audio, e-books, archives, CAD and fonts; 1 GB uploads on the free plan; a mature API; files deleted after processing.
- Best for: unusual formats and large files, and developers who want an API.
FreeConvert
- Strengths: works without an account; 1 GB uploads; more than 1,500 conversions with advanced options for video and audio.
- Best for: large video and audio files when you need a few conversions a day.
Convertio
- Strengths: 1 GB per file on the free tier; uploaded files are deleted at once and results after 24 hours; low yearly price.
- Best for: occasional large conversions. Note that its Terms page lists a 100 MB free limit while its help center says 1 GB.
Zamzar
- Strengths: no account needed; running since 2006; a desktop app and conversion by email.
- Best for: a couple of conversions a day of files up to 50 MB.
iLovePDF
- Strengths: 31 tools on its homepage, including edit, sign, OCR, compare and redact; desktop and mobile apps; files deleted within 2 hours.
- Best for: PDF work beyond converting, such as signing and editing. See our iLovePDF alternatives comparison.
Smallpdf
- Strengths: a polished PDF suite of 30+ tools; AI tools for summarizing and chatting with PDFs; files deleted after an hour.
- Best for: people who work with PDFs every day and will pay for a subscription.
PDF24 Tools
- Strengths: free with no stated limits, paid for by ads; over 100 tools on its All Tools page; a free Windows desktop program, PDF24 Creator.
- Best for: free PDF work without daily limits.
Online-Convert
- Strengths: many converters, including presets for apps such as WhatsApp; free test credits renewed every 24 hours; paid tools free for students and teachers.
- Best for: students and teachers, and occasional conversions.
Convert.Online
- Strengths: a monthly free quota of 1 GB instead of a daily file count; 37,000 conversion combinations across more than 400 file types; OCR and an API.
- Best for: many small conversions spread over a month.
How to choose
- Large files or rare formats: CloudConvert, FreeConvert or Convertio.
- Lots of PDF work for free: PDF24 Tools.
- Editing and signing PDFs: iLovePDF or Smallpdf.
- Word documents, size-limited PDFs and everyday photos: TypeorDrop.
FAQ
Which free file converter has the largest upload limit?
Of the services here, CloudConvert, FreeConvert and Convertio state 1 GB per file on their free plans. TypeorDrop allows 5 MB on most tools and 50 MB for Compress PDF and video.
Which converters work without an account?
TypeorDrop, FreeConvert, Zamzar, Smallpdf and Convert.Online state that you can start without one. The other sites don't say clearly.
Are online file converters safe?
Each service here says it deletes files automatically, after anything from an hour to 7 days. Don't upload documents you aren't allowed to share, and read the privacy policy of the service you choose.
Do free converters add watermarks?
TypeorDrop doesn't. None of the other sites state their watermark policy on the pages we checked, so we wrote "Not stated" rather than guess.
Sources
All checked on October 25, 2026.
- CloudConvert: pricing, homepage, privacy
- FreeConvert: pricing, homepage
- Convertio: pricing, free tier limits, homepage, terms
- Zamzar: FAQ, plans
- iLovePDF: pricing, FAQ, homepage
- Smallpdf: pricing, Compress PDF, all tools
- PDF24: homepage, FAQ, all tools
- Online-Convert: pricing, security
- Convert.Online: homepage, plans, privacy
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