Best Smallpdf alternatives in 2026
The best Smallpdf alternatives in 2026 are Foxit PDF Editor, iLovePDF, Adobe Acrobat. iLovePDF has a free plan. Save Gmail Emails as PDF in Bulk costs less, from $4.99/mo versus $15/mo for Smallpdf.
Why people look for Smallpdf alternatives
Smallpdf is a browser-based PDF toolkit that individuals and small teams use to compress, convert, edit and sign files, and it is known for a clean interface that needs no installation.
People look for alternatives because the free tier allows only two tasks a day, large files hit limits, editing is less capable than Acrobat, and a $15 monthly subscription is hard to justify for occasional use. When choosing a replacement, weigh how often you work with PDFs, whether you need a desktop app or OCR, e-signature volume, privacy of uploaded files, and whether short-term passes suit you better than a subscription.
- Free tier limited to 2 tasks/day
- Editing less powerful than Acrobat
- Subscription for occasional use
- Large file limits
- Smallpdf starts at $15/mo (Freemium).
Best Smallpdf alternative by need
| # | Tool | Pricing | Starts at | Best for | Platforms | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Foxit PDF Editor Full-featured PDF editor and eSign | Paid | $11/mo | Small businesses, Enterprise | web, macos, windows, ios, android | 0 |
| 2 | iLovePDF Free online PDF toolkit | Freemium | $7/mo | Small businesses, Freelancers | web, macos, windows, ios, android | 0 |
| 3 | Adobe Acrobat Adobe's PDF editor, converter and e-signature suite with AI tools | Freemium | $15/mo | Enterprise, Small businesses, Freelancers | web, windows, macos, ios, android | 0 |
| 4 | pdfFiller Online PDF editor and form filler with a large US forms library | Paid | $8/mo | Freelancers, Small businesses | web, macos, ios, android | 0 |
| 5 | Nitro PDF PDF editor and e-signature suite positioned against Adobe Acrobat | Paid | $15/mo | Small businesses, Enterprise, Freelancers | windows, macos, web, ios | 0 |
| 6 | Lumin Cloud PDF editor and e-signature built around Google Drive | Freemium | $9/mo | Small businesses, Freelancers, Enterprise | web, macos, windows, ios, android | 0 |
| 7 | Sejda Browser and desktop PDF editor with a free tier and cheap passes | Freemium | $8/mo | Freelancers, Small businesses | web, macos, windows, linux | 0 |
| 8 | DocHub Online PDF editor and e-signature tool built around Google Workspace | Freemium | $8/mo | Small businesses, Freelancers | web | 0 |
| 9 | PDF Expert Readdle's PDF editor for Mac, iPhone and iPad with AI tools | Freemium | — | Freelancers, Small businesses | macos, ios | 0 |
| 10 |  Save Gmail Emails as PDF in Bulk Bulk export Gmail to PDF and print, 100% in your browser | Freemium | $5/mo | Freelancers, Small businesses, Agencies | browser-extension | 0 |
10 Smallpdf alternatives compared
- 1
Foxit PDF Editor
Full-featured PDF editor and eSign
Why pick it over Smallpdf: Foxit PDF Editor is a full desktop editor with e-signatures from $10.99 a month, below Smallpdf's $15, and handles heavier editing and large files on your computer instead of in a browser tool.
- 2
iLovePDF
Free online PDF toolkit
Why pick it over Smallpdf: iLovePDF covers the same everyday online tasks, such as merging, compressing and converting, with a free tier and Premium from $7 a month, less than half of Smallpdf's $15.
- 3
Adobe Acrobat
Adobe's PDF editor, converter and e-signature suite with AI tools
Why pick it over Smallpdf: Adobe Acrobat costs about the same at $14.99 a month but goes further on editing, OCR and e-signatures, which suits people who work with PDFs daily and outgrow Smallpdf's editor.
- 4
pdfFiller
Online PDF editor and form filler with a large US forms library
Why pick it over Smallpdf: pdfFiller starts at $8 a month and pairs browser editing with a large library of standard US forms, so offices that fill and send the same forms repeatedly save time compared with Smallpdf.
- 5
Nitro PDF
PDF editor and e-signature suite positioned against Adobe Acrobat
Why pick it over Smallpdf: Nitro PDF also starts at $15, like Smallpdf, but offers an Acrobat-class editor and e-signatures with central admin, which suits mid-size and larger organizations rolling PDF tools out to many seats.
Paid · $15Smallpdf vs Nitro PDF - 6
Lumin
Cloud PDF editor and e-signature built around Google Drive
Why pick it over Smallpdf: Lumin works directly with files in Google Drive and offers a free tier with paid plans from $9 a month, so Workspace teams can edit and sign PDFs without downloading and re-uploading them to Smallpdf.
- 7
Sejda
Browser and desktop PDF editor with a free tier and cheap passes
Why pick it over Smallpdf: Sejda has a free tier, plans from $7.50 a month and short-term passes, so occasional users pay only when they need it instead of keeping a $15 Smallpdf subscription; a desktop version is also available.
- 8
DocHub
Online PDF editor and e-signature tool built around Google Workspace
Why pick it over Smallpdf: DocHub plugs into Google Workspace and costs from $8 a month with a free tier, a low-cost option for teachers and small teams who edit and sign PDFs in the browser more often than Smallpdf's free tier allows.
- 9
PDF Expert
Readdle's PDF editor for Mac, iPhone and iPad with AI tools
Why pick it over Smallpdf: PDF Expert is a native app for Mac, iPhone and iPad with AI summaries, so Apple users get fast on-device editing and annotation instead of uploading every file to Smallpdf's web tools.
- 10
Save Gmail Emails as PDF in Bulk
Bulk export Gmail to PDF and print, 100% in your browser
Smallpdf alternatives: FAQ
What is the best alternative to Smallpdf?
Based on features, audience and market presence, the strongest Smallpdf alternatives are Foxit PDF Editor, iLovePDF, Adobe Acrobat. Foxit PDF Editor is the closest match for most teams.
Is there a free alternative to Smallpdf?
iLovePDF has a free plan with limits; paid plans unlock more. Other alternatives to Smallpdf with a free or freemium option include Adobe Acrobat, Lumin, Sejda.
What is cheaper than Smallpdf?
Save Gmail Emails as PDF in Bulk starts at $4.99/mo, while Smallpdf starts at $15/mo. Prices are checked on each vendor's own pricing page.