PDFMonkey vs Smallpdf
PDFMonkey and Smallpdf are both PDF & document tools tools. PDFMonkey is aimed at developers, while Smallpdf is aimed at small businesses and freelancers. Both have a free plan.
PDFMonkey
Generate PDFs from HTML templates via API
Smallpdf
Compress, convert, edit and sign PDFs online
| Pricing | Freemium | Freemium · $15 |
| Starting price | Not published | $15/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | 30 days | 7 days |
| Built for | Developers | Small businesses, Freelancers |
| Platforms | web | web, macos, windows, ios, android |
| Country | FR · 2019 | CH · 2013 |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose PDFMonkey if
Developers and no-code builders generating PDFs.
- Simple and developer-friendly
- Free tier for testing
- Templates in HTML
Look elsewhere if: Non-technical template design.
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).
PDFMonkey vs Smallpdf pricing
PDFMonkey
- Free€020 documents/mo
- Starter€5/mo€4.50/mo billed annually; 300 documents/mo
- Pro€15/mo€13.50/mo billed annually; 3,000 documents/mo
- Pro+€60/mo€54/mo billed annually; 5,000 documents/mo
- Premium€300/mo€270/mo billed annually; 60,000 documents/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
PDFMonkey · Key features
- HTML/CSS templates with Liquid
- JSON data via API
- No-code integrations
- Template preview
- Webhooks
- Free tier
Cons
- Requires HTML/CSS for templates
- Limited editing UI
- Volume pricing
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
PDFMonkey vs Smallpdf: FAQ
Do PDFMonkey and Smallpdf have a free plan?
Yes, both PDFMonkey and Smallpdf have a free plan; paid plans add more usage and features.
Which is better for small businesses, PDFMonkey or Smallpdf?
Smallpdf lists small businesses as a core audience, while PDFMonkey is aimed more at developers.