5 Best iLovePDF Alternatives (2026)

Updated October 25, 2026 · By Rakibul Hasan, TypeorDrop

We built TypeorDrop, so it's listed first. Here's an honest comparison.

The best iLovePDF alternative depends on what you use it for. PDF24 Tools is free with no stated limits. Sejda has a $5 pass for one week of work. Smallpdf is the closest full PDF suite. CloudConvert handles far more formats. TypeorDrop Pro costs $4 a month or $38.40 a year and adds Word merging and PDFs compressed to an exact size. Every fact below was checked on each company's own website on October 25, 2026.

Comparison table

	iLovePDF (baseline)	TypeorDrop	Smallpdf	PDF24 Tools	Sejda	CloudConvert
Free limit	"Limited document processing"	2 jobs a day; 10 with a free account	Limited daily downloads	No limits ("without any restrictions")	3 tasks an hour, documents up to 200 pages	10 conversions a day
Max free file size	Not stated	50 MB for Compress PDF; 5 MB other tools	Not stated	Not stated	100 MB (Compress PDF)	1 GB
Signup needed	Not stated	No	No	Not stated	No	Not stated
Watermark	Not stated	No	Not stated	Not stated	Not stated	Not stated
File deletion	Within 2 hours	Uploads within about 24 hours, results after 7 days	After 1 hour	After 1 hour	After 2 hours	After processing, at the latest after 24 hours
Cheapest paid plan	$7/month or $48/year	$4/month or $38.40/year	$12/month or $108/year	None: free, paid for by ads	$5 for 7 days; $7.50/month	$9/month
PDF tools	31 on its homepage	24 PDF tools, counting each fixed-size compressor	30+	Over 100 tools listed	30+	Not stated
Non-PDF tools	Images on sister site iLoveIMG	Image, audio and video converters, image resizing	Not stated	A few image converters, QR codes	Not stated	Images, video, audio, e-books, archives, CAD, fonts
Apps	Web, desktop, mobile	Web; installable web app	Web, Windows app, mobile scanner	Web; PDF24 Creator for Windows	Web; desktop for Windows, Mac, Linux	Web and API
Standout	Edit, sign, OCR, compare, redact	Merge Word keeping layout; compress to an exact size	AI tools for PDFs	Free with no stated limits	Week pass; offline desktop app	212 formats

"Not stated" means we couldn't find the fact on the company's own site. Plans change; check the sources for the latest.

1. TypeorDrop

TypeorDrop is a general file tool site with a focused set of PDF tools: Compress PDF, Merge PDF, Split PDF and conversions to and from PDF.

Strengths: compresses to an exact size, with ready pages for 100 KB, 200 KB, 500 KB and 1 MB; Merge Word Documents for DOCX files; 136 format converters beyond PDF.
Weaknesses: no PDF editing, signing or OCR; 5 MB limit on most tools; 2 jobs a day without an account; no desktop app; English only.
Best for: shrinking PDFs to a size limit, merging and splitting, and Word files.

Try TypeorDrop's Compress PDF →

Why TypeorDrop

Lower price: Pro is $4 a month or $38.40 a year, against iLovePDF Premium's $7 a month or $48 a year. It removes the daily limit and the ads.
Merge Word documents that keep their formatting: each file keeps its page layout, headers and footers, images, tables and lists. iLovePDF's tool list has no Word merge.
Compress a PDF to a size you choose: 100 KB, 200 KB, 500 KB, 1 MB or any number, stopping at the best quality that fits.
Resize images with templates for social networks and passport photos, in the same place as your PDF tools.
136 format conversions, most of them for images, audio and video.
No signup to start, and files deleted automatically.

Where iLovePDF is still better

Many more PDF tools: editing, signing, OCR, compare, redact, forms, watermarks and page numbers, none of which TypeorDrop has.
Apps: desktop and mobile apps; TypeorDrop runs only in the browser.
Languages: iLovePDF has a language menu; TypeorDrop is English only.
Free use: iLovePDF doesn't publish a daily number; TypeorDrop allows 2 jobs a day without an account and 10 with one.
Faster deletion: files are deleted within 2 hours, where TypeorDrop keeps results for 7 days so you can download them again.
Workflows, AI tools and cloud storage: chain tools into workflows, summarize and translate PDFs, and open files from Google Drive or Dropbox.

2. Smallpdf

Strengths: a complete suite of 30+ tools, including editing, signing and OCR; AI tools to chat with and summarize PDFs; files deleted after one hour.
Weaknesses: Pro costs $12 a month or $108 a year; free downloads are limited.
Best for: daily PDF work in a company that will pay for it.

3. PDF24 Tools

Strengths: free with no stated limits, paid for by ads; over 100 tools on its All Tools page, from compressing to e-invoices; a free Windows program, PDF24 Creator, for offline work.
Weaknesses: ads on the pages; the desktop program is for Windows only.
Best for: anyone who wants iLovePDF's range without paying.

4. Sejda

Strengths: 30+ PDF tools, including a full editor; a $5 Web Week Pass that doesn't renew; a desktop app for Windows, Mac and Linux that works offline.
Weaknesses: the free tier allows 3 tasks an hour and documents up to 200 pages.
Best for: a short burst of PDF work, such as one week of paperwork.

5. CloudConvert

Strengths: 212 formats in 11 categories; 1 GB uploads on the free plan; a well-documented API.
Weaknesses: a converter, not a PDF editor; 10 conversions a day for free.
Best for: converting PDFs to and from unusual formats, and large files.

How to choose

Edit, sign and OCR, with apps: stay with iLovePDF, or try Smallpdf.
Free with no daily limit: PDF24 Tools.
One busy week: Sejda's week pass.
Odd formats or big files: CloudConvert.
PDFs that must fit a size limit, Word merging, a $4 monthly plan: TypeorDrop.

FAQ

What is the best free alternative to iLovePDF?

PDF24 Tools, if you want a large set of tools for free: it lists over 100, states no limits and is paid for by ads. If you mainly compress, merge or split PDFs, TypeorDrop and Sejda are free to start without an account.

Is there an iLovePDF alternative that doesn't need an account?

Yes. TypeorDrop, Smallpdf and Sejda let you start without signing up.

How much do these iLovePDF alternatives cost?

PDF24 Tools is free. TypeorDrop Pro is $4 a month or $38.40 a year. Sejda's Web Week Pass is $5 for 7 days, or $7.50 a month. CloudConvert subscriptions start at $9 a month, and Smallpdf Pro is $12 a month or $108 a year. iLovePDF Premium is $7 a month or $48 a year.

Can TypeorDrop edit or sign PDFs?

No. TypeorDrop compresses, merges, splits and converts PDFs. For editing and signing, use iLovePDF, Smallpdf, PDF24 or Sejda.

Sources

All checked on October 25, 2026.

iLovePDF: pricing, homepage and tool list, FAQ, features
Smallpdf: pricing, all tools, Compress PDF
PDF24: homepage, all tools, FAQ
Sejda: pricing, homepage, Compress PDF, desktop
CloudConvert: pricing, homepage, privacy