Comparisons · Privacy
iLovePDF vs Smallpdf vs DoYourPDF: which free PDF tool to use
iLovePDF and Smallpdf upload your files and limit free use. DoYourPDF works on your device with no limits. Where each one wins, with sources.
HarshFounder, DoYourPDF3 min read
Use DoYourPDF when the document is private or you've hit a free limit: all 75 tools are free, with no limits, and your file never leaves your device. Use iLovePDF or Smallpdf when you need what they have and DoYourPDF doesn't: phone and desktop apps, signature requests to other people, or PDF translation.
Side by side
| iLovePDF | Smallpdf | DoYourPDF | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where your file is processed | iLovePDF's servers | Smallpdf's servers in Ireland | Your own phone or computer |
| How long they keep it | Up to 2 hours | 1 hour | Never receives it |
| Free use | Limited per task, with ads | Limited daily use | No limits, no account |
| Paid plan needed for | OCR to Word or Excel, workflows, bigger batches | Batch processing, the strongest compression, editing existing text | Nothing |
| Tools on offer | 33 | 48 | 75 |
| Phone and desktop apps | Yes | Yes | No; works in the browser |
| Ask others to e-sign | Yes | Yes | No |
| Translate a PDF | Yes | Yes | No |
| GST invoices, Aadhaar and PAN redaction | No | No | Yes |
Figures come from each site's own tool list, pricing and security pages, checked in October 2026 (sources below). Free-plan details change often, so check before you rely on one.
When DoYourPDF is the better choice
- The document is private. Aadhaar, PAN, bank statements, salary slips and contracts never leave your device, so there is nothing to delete later. Why that matters.
- You've hit a free limit. There are no task, file or page limits, and nothing is stamped on your files.
- Your paperwork is Indian. GST invoices, POS receipts and GST filing summaries, redaction that finds Aadhaar, PAN, GSTIN and UPI IDs, and guides to the passwords Indian banks and departments use.
- Your connection is slow. Nothing has to travel to a server and back, so a file opens the moment you choose it.
When iLovePDF or Smallpdf is the better choice
- You want an app. Both have phone and desktop apps; DoYourPDF runs in the browser only.
- Other people need to sign. Both can send a document for signature and track it. DoYourPDF lets you sign yourself, but doesn't send requests.
- You need translation. Both translate PDFs; DoYourPDF doesn't yet.
- The file is huge and your phone is small. Server-based tools don't depend on your device's memory, although their free plans cap file sizes.
Check the claims yourself
You don't have to take any site's word for where your file goes. Open a DoYourPDF tool, switch off your internet, and run it: it still works, because nothing needed to be uploaded. Try the same with an upload-based site and it can't. The meter in DoYourPDF's top bar also counts every byte of your files sent anywhere, and it stays at 0 B.
Questions people ask
What is the best free alternative to iLovePDF?
It depends on why you want one. If you want no upload and no limits, DoYourPDF runs all 75 tools on your device for free. If you need desktop apps or signature requests, Smallpdf is the closest match, though it also limits free use.
Is DoYourPDF really free?
Yes. Every tool is free, with no account, no daily limit and no watermark.
Why doesn't DoYourPDF need to upload files?
Modern browsers can run full PDF engines. DoYourPDF loads them into the page, so your phone or computer does the work and the file never leaves it.
Can DoYourPDF handle very large files?
Your device does the work, so its memory is the limit. A computer handles large files comfortably; on a phone, very large files may be slow. Upload-based sites don't depend on your device, but they cap file sizes on free plans.
Does DoYourPDF have an app?
Not yet. It works in any modern browser on Android, iPhone, Windows, Mac and Linux, with nothing to install.
Sources
- iLovePDF: tools, pricing, security
- Smallpdf: tools, pricing, is Smallpdf safe?
- DoYourPDF: all tools, how privacy works