The Private Smallpdf Alternative

pdfwithlove covers the same ground as Smallpdf - compress, convert, merge, split, sign, edit, e-sign prep, image tools - without the upload, the sign-up wall or the trial countdown. Every tool executes in your browser tab, so the document stays on your machine and there is no free tier to run out of.

Browse all 63 free tools →

pdfwithlove vs Smallpdf

 Smallpdfpdfwithlove
Where your file is processedUploaded over the network and processed on their servers✓ Processed in your browser tab - the file never leaves your device
Free tier shapeTime-limited trial and metered free use before a paywall✓ No tier at all - every tool is open every day
Account requiredNeeded for the full tool set and to lift free-tier metering✓ Never - there is no sign-up, no email, and no login on the site
Tools behind a paywallThe heavier conversion and editing tools sit on paid plans✓ All 63 tools are available to everyone, including OCR and conversion
File size ceilingCapped on the free tier - the file has to be uploaded first✓ Bounded only by your own device memory
Works offlineNo - every task is a round trip to their servers✓ Yes - once the page has loaded, most tools keep working with no connection
Handling of confidential documentsFiles are stored on their servers and deleted on a retention timer✓ Nothing to retain - the file lives in tab memory and dies with the tab
Cloud storage integrationsConnects to Dropbox, Google Drive and similarNo integrations - files come from, and return to, your own disk

Why people switch

No sign-up wall between you and the tool

The most common complaint about hosted PDF tools is getting three steps into a task before being asked to create an account. There is no account on pdfwithlove to ask you for, so the tool is simply open when you arrive.

No trial clock

Nothing here expires. There is no countdown, no "your free trial ends in 6 days" banner and no downgrade at the end of it, because nothing was ever being trialled.

The full tool set, not the free subset

OCR, PDF to Word, PDF to Excel, compression, redaction, e-signature preparation - the tools that tend to sit behind paid plans elsewhere are all just available here, for the same reason everything else is: they cost us nothing to run.

Your files are not stored anywhere

A retention policy is a promise to delete something later. pdfwithlove has no retention policy for your documents because it never receives them - there is nothing on any server to be deleted, leaked or subpoenaed.

Where Smallpdf is still the better choice

Where Smallpdf still wins: Smallpdf is built around a polished hosted workflow with storage, team accounts and Dropbox/Drive integration. If what you want is documents synced across a team, that is a server-side product by definition. pdfwithlove is the right tool when the file is sensitive or you simply do not want an account.

Every Smallpdf tool, and the pdfwithlove equivalent

Smallpdfpdfwithlove
Compress PDFCompress PDF
PDF ConverterPDF to Word
Merge PDFMerge PDF
Split PDFSplit PDF
Edit PDFEdit PDF
Sign PDFSign PDF
PDF to WordPDF to Word
PDF to ExcelPDF to Excel
PDF to PPTPDF to PPT
Word to PDFWord to PDF
PDF to JPGPDF to JPG
JPG to PDFJPG to PDF
Rotate PDFRotate PDF
Delete pagesDelete Pages
Protect PDFProtect PDF
Unlock PDFUnlock PDF
OCROCR PDF
Flatten PDFFlatten PDF
Compress imageCompress Image
Resize imageResize Image

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to create an account to use pdfwithlove?
No. There is no account system on the site at all - no sign-up, no email, no login. Open a tool and use it.
Is there a free trial that expires?
No. Nothing expires because nothing is being trialled. Every tool is permanently available at no cost.
Are the conversion tools limited compared to a paid plan?
There are no plans, so there is no limited version. PDF to Word, PDF to Excel, OCR and the rest run at full capability for everyone.
How does compression work without uploading the PDF?
The compression engine runs in your browser as WebAssembly. It rewrites the document with object streams, deduplicates repeated resources such as fonts and images, and re-encodes what it can - the same operations a server-side compressor performs, executed locally.
Can my employer's IT policy allow this where it blocks Smallpdf?
Often yes, and for a concrete reason: policies that block hosted PDF services do so because company documents would leave the network. With pdfwithlove the file never leaves the machine, so the thing the policy exists to prevent does not occur. Check with your own IT team - the traffic they will see is the page loading, not your documents.
Is there a file size limit?
No imposed limit. The practical ceiling is your device's available memory, since the file is held in the browser tab rather than transferred anywhere.