PDFZora vs iLovePDF vs Smallpdf vs PDF24 – Free PDF Tools Comparison
Trying to pick the best free PDF tool? This sourced comparison of four free PDF tools - PDFZora, iLovePDF, Smallpdf and PDF24 - covers accounts, size and task caps, apps and deletion windows.
Free PDF Tools Compared at a Glance
Quick answer: among free PDF tools, choose PDFZora or PDF24 if you want no account and no watermark — PDF24 adds an offline Windows app. iLovePDF and Smallpdf are more polished, and capped.
We build one of these free PDF tools, so this is a disclosed comparison rather than independent testing. Every competitor claim comes from that provider’s own page, linked under Sources checked below.
Free PDF Tools: Quick Comparison Scorecard
Every row about these free PDF tools is read from the provider’s own pages. A ❓ cell means we could not verify it on a page we could open.
| Feature | PDFZora | iLovePDF | Smallpdf | PDF24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free? iWhether the job costs nothing at all. | ✅ Free | ✅ Free | ✅ Free, metered | ✅ Free (ad-supported) |
| Account needed? iSign-up required before you can convert. | ❌ No | ❌ No | ⚠️ For some actions | ❌ No |
| Free tool count iTools on the free tier, in their own words. | ✅ 45 (31 PDF + 14 utility) | ❓ Not published | ✅ 30+ “document management tools” | ❓ Not published |
| File-size cap iPublished ceiling per file on the free plan. | ⚠️ 50 MB per file (stated) | ⚠️ Per tool: 15–400 MB | ⚠️ Listed as “Limited” | ✅ No stated cap* |
| Daily limit iTasks allowed per day, if stated. | ❌ None published | ❌ None published | ⚠️ Download limits | ❌ None published |
| Watermark on output iDoes the free plan brand your file? | ❌ None (stated) | ❌ None stated | ❌ None stated | ❌ None (stated) |
| OCR iTurns scanned pages into searchable text. | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes (daily download limit) | ✅ Yes |
| Batch processing iSeveral files in one job. | ✅ Yes (stated on its tool pages) | ⚠️ Only “Limited” | ⚠️ Documented as a paid feature | ✅ Yes (Creator) |
| PDF/A output iArchival profile for long-term storage. | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes (100 MB cap) | ✅ Yes (daily limit) | ✅ Yes (Creator) |
| Uploads deleted iHow long files stay on the server. | ✅ 60 min (policy: 1 h) | ❓ No interval on the pages we could open | ❓ Plans page is silent on timing | ⚠️ “After a short time” |
| Offline option iA desktop app that runs without uploading. | ❌ No | ❌ Web tools only | ❌ No | ✅ Windows, free |
*PDF24 publishes no figures: its tools page says “there are no artificial limits”. Caps differ per tool, so check the page for the job you have.
Deep Dive – Each Tool Reviewed
PDFZora runs in the browser; its home page advertises “45+ PDF & Utility Tools”, and the two grids behind that badge list 31 PDF tools and 14 productivity utilities. Its FAQ calls the tools free “without hidden fees, trial restrictions, or credit card requirements”. Uploads are deleted after 60 minutes, the figure the home page, tool pages and privacy policy all give.
Pros
- No account, no card, no watermark
- Batch, OCR, PDF/A and redact, free
- Uploads cleared in 60 minutes
Where it fits
- One-off conversions, no setup
- Students and freelancers
- Small-business admin
iLovePDF’s free plan covers “essential iLovePDF tools” with “Limited document processing”. Caps sit per tool rather than per day — 100 MB for Merge and PDF to PDF/A, 15 MB for Office conversions — and most conversions take one file per task. Its plan table lists ISO 27001 certification and states no retention interval.
Pros
- Polished, familiar interface
- Wide tool coverage
- Roomy caps on organising tools
Cons
- Ads on the free web app
- One file per task on most jobs
- Size limits vary per tool
Smallpdf — “Made in Switzerland in 2013” — keeps the tightest free tier of the four: “30+ document management tools” with limited downloads, limited mobile-app access and a daily download limit, against a file-size row that reads only “Limited”. Offline use is a separate Windows app, and neither page states a retention interval.
Pros
- Cleanest single-task flow
- Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive imports
- Offline Windows app exists
Cons
- Downloads are metered
- File size only “Limited”
- Mobile app access limited
PDF24 comes from geek software GmbH in Berlin, founded in 2006. Its tools page promises work “without limits or watermarks” and “there are no artificial limits”, funded by advertising it discloses openly. Uploads are encrypted and “completely removed from our servers after a short time”. PDF24 Creator runs the same tools offline on Windows, free for private and business use.
Pros
- No caps stated, no watermarks
- Free offline Windows app
- Batch processing in Creator
Cons
- Web tools carry ads
- Windows only — no macOS or Linux
- Functional rather than polished
Sources Checked
Every figure for these free PDF tools was read from the provider’s own page on 16 September 2026:
- iLovePDF — plan comparison — free-plan tool list, per-tool caps, app access and plan terms.
- Smallpdf — pricing and plans — free-plan tools, download limits, mobile access, file-size row.
- PDF24 — online tools — the tools page and the Creator download.
- NIST — Information Technology Laboratory — general guidance on protecting files online.
Retention timing is the least documented item of the eleven, so wherever no interval was published the scorecard carries a ❓ and no figure is asserted. Two pages are named rather than linked to keep this article to four outbound links. Free-tier rules move, so re-check the provider before relying on a number.
Frequently Asked Questions
AFor free browser conversions with no account, yes. iLovePDF covers more in one click but caps size, file count and app access.
AIt is fast and tidy, with cloud imports and a clean interface. The limits are real: metered downloads and limited mobile-app access.
AA free Windows app that runs the tools offline, plus batch processing and a PDF printer. The web tools carry advertising.
APDF24 Creator, because nothing leaves your machine. PDFZora states 60 minutes; iLovePDF and Smallpdf publish no interval.
AAll four of these free PDF tools work in a mobile browser; iLovePDF and Smallpdf also ship apps, and Smallpdf’s are limited on the free plan.
APDF24 Creator — free on Windows, the same tools locally, batch processing and a virtual PDF printer included.
Final Verdict: PDFZora vs iLovePDF vs Smallpdf vs PDF24
Our take (we make PDFZora, so weigh that accordingly):
- 🏆 Choose PDFZora for free browser conversions with no account, no card and no watermark.
- 💻 Choose PDF24 for a free, fully offline desktop app on Windows.
- 🎨 Choose iLovePDF or Smallpdf for the more polished interface, inside their free-plan limits.
Ready to Try a Free PDF Utility?
45 free PDF tools, no account, no card, no watermark — uploads deleted after 60 minutes.