PDF.co vs Smallpdf
PDF.co and Smallpdf are both PDF & document tools tools. PDF.co is aimed at developers, while Smallpdf is aimed at small businesses and freelancers. PDF.co costs less, from $8.99/mo versus $15/mo for Smallpdf. Only Smallpdf has a free plan.
PDF API for parsing, generation and extraction
Compress, convert, edit and sign PDFs online
| Pricing | Paid · $9 | Freemium · $15 |
| Starting price | $8.99/mo | $15/mo |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Free trial | — | 7 days |
| Built for | Developers | Small businesses, Freelancers |
| Platforms | web | web, macos, windows, ios, android |
| Country | US · 2016 | CH · 2013 |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose PDF.co if
Developers and automators processing PDFs.
- Broad PDF API
- No-code friendly
- Credit-based plans
Look elsewhere if: Manual one-off edits.
Choose Smallpdf if
Individuals and small teams needing occasional PDF tasks.
- Very easy to use
- Works in any browser
- Good security (Swiss)
Look elsewhere if: Heavy editing workflows (Acrobat, Foxit).
PDF.co vs Smallpdf pricing
PDF.co
- Basic$8.99/moBilled annually ($107.89/yr); 16,500 credits/mo
- Personal$22.49/moBilled annually ($269.89/yr); 37,000 credits/mo
- Business 1$44.99/moBilled annually ($539.89/yr); 80,500 credits/mo
- Business 2$89.99/moBilled annually; 159,850 credits/mo
- Business 3$270/moBilled annually; 483,000 credits/mo
Smallpdf
- Free$0About 2 tasks/day, ~5 MB files
- Pro$15/moUnlimited tasks, all tools; yearly billing is 25% cheaper
- Pro for Teams$12/user/mo2+ users; team management, central billing
- BusinessCustomQuote-only; custom roles, priority support
PDF.co · Key features
- Table and text extraction
- Document parser templates
- PDF generation from HTML
- Form filling
- Conversion and manipulation
- No-code integrations
Cons
- Credit pricing can be confusing
- Template setup for parsing
- UI dated
Smallpdf · Key features
- Compress, merge, split and rotate PDFs
- Convert PDF to/from Word, Excel, PPT, JPG
- Edit text and annotate
- OCR for scanned documents
- E-signatures and signature requests
- AI PDF summaries and chat
Cons
- Free tier limited to 2 tasks/day
- Editing less powerful than Acrobat
- Subscription for occasional use
PDF.co vs Smallpdf: FAQ
Which is cheaper, PDF.co or Smallpdf?
PDF.co starts at $8.99/mo and Smallpdf at $15/mo. Both prices are checked on the vendors' own pricing pages.
Do PDF.co and Smallpdf have a free plan?
PDF.co has no free plan. Smallpdf has a free plan.
Which is better for small businesses, PDF.co or Smallpdf?
Smallpdf lists small businesses as a core audience, while PDF.co is aimed more at developers.