Free iLovePDF alternatives compared

The three kinds of tool

• Server-based websites (for example iLovePDF, Smallpdf, Sejda, PDF24's online tools). You upload a file, a server processes it and you download the result. They are often powerful and handle heavy jobs, and most say they delete uploads after a period. Read each site's own policy for its exact terms.
• In-browser tools (for example BentoPDF and FreePDFScanner). Processing happens on your device, so the file does not need to be uploaded. They depend on your device's memory and the browser's capabilities.
• Self-hosted software (for example Stirling-PDF). You run it on your own computer or server, which gives you the most control and needs some technical setup.

Where FreePDFScanner fits

FreePDFScanner is free, supported by ads, and runs in your browser. It can scan with a phone or computer camera, turn images into PDFs, convert Word and Excel to and from PDF, edit, sign and annotate PDFs, compress PDFs, images and Office files, extract text with OCR, and add passwords to PDF and Office files. The core tools do not need an account. For checking the privacy claim yourself, see our guide to testing whether a site uploads your file.

What FreePDFScanner does not do

• OCR reads English only, up to 30 pages at a time, and the result is text you copy or correct. It does not add a hidden text layer to make the PDF itself searchable.
• PDFs we create from scans are made of page images, so their text is not selectable.
• Very large files or batches depend on your device's memory.
• It is a website, not software you can run on your own server. If you need that, look at a self-hosted option instead.

Which should you pick?

• You need a quick one-off job and do not mind uploading: a server-based site is fine for non-sensitive files.
• You want to avoid uploading and prefer a website: an in-browser tool such as FreePDFScanner or BentoPDF.
• You want a camera scanner in the browser with conversions and signing in one place: FreePDFScanner.
• You need open-source code, automation or a private server: Stirling-PDF or another self-hosted tool.
• You need a searchable PDF from a scan, in another language, or heavy editing: use a tool built for it and check its current features.

A note on this comparison

We publish FreePDFScanner, so we are not a neutral reviewer. This page describes categories rather than rating products, and tools change, so check each tool's own site for current features, limits and terms before you decide.