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Comparison

iHatePDF vs iLovePDF, Smallpdf, Adobe, Sejda, PDF24 (2026)

May 24, 2026·13 min read

Almost every PDF tool in this category calls itself free. Almost none of them are, in the way that word usually means. The free tier is where you find out which features were actually free and which were the bait.

This is a real comparison of six tools (iHatePDF, iLovePDF, Smallpdf, Adobe Acrobat online, Sejda, and PDF24) on the things that decide your day: can you edit a document without paying, can you OCR a scan without paying, will the output have a watermark, how many tasks does the free tier actually allow, and what does it cost over two years if you do end up paying. Numbers from each tool's public pricing as of May 2026. Where we are biased, we say so.

The one-line version

If you want a real documents editor (text edit, images, comments, signatures, export to Word) without a monthly subscription, iHatePDF is the only tool in this list that gives it to you free. Everything else gates the editor behind $6.61, $12, or $23.99 per month.

What the free tier on each tool actually gives you

Free means different things on different tools. Here is what each one allows on its free tier as of May 2026, based on each company's published pricing page and feature matrix.

iHatePDF. The full Editly documents editor is free, including text edits, image insertion, comments, redaction, and signatures. Export to PDF, Word, or JPG is free. OCR is free. Real redaction (permanent content removal, not overlay) is free. No watermark on any output. No daily task cap. No ads in the interface. Account optional, batch up to 4 files (120 MB combined) with one. Lightweight operations like rotate and simple merge run entirely in the browser, file never leaves your device. Heavy operations use server processing with session-end deletion.

iLovePDF. The content editor (text editing, image insertion) is Premium-only. Export edits to Word or JPG is Premium-only. OCR is Premium-only. Real redaction is Premium-only. Free output is sometimes watermarked depending on the tool (you find out after running it). No hard daily cap on free, but heavy use triggers an unofficial peak-hours queue. No account required for most tools. Max file size 200 MB on free. Server-side processing only. Premium tier is $6.61 per month, or $159 over 24 months on monthly billing.

Smallpdf. The editor is Pro-only. Export to Word or JPG is Pro-only. OCR is Pro-only. Real redaction is Pro-only. Free output is consistently watermarked. Free tier capped at 2 tasks per 24-hour window. Signup is pushed aggressively from the first interaction. Max file size 5 GB on free, but the 2-task cap makes this less generous than it sounds. Server-side only. Pro tier is $12 per month, or $288 over 24 months on monthly billing.

Adobe Acrobat online. The online free tier is largely a teaser for Acrobat Pro. The editor, OCR, redaction, and Word export all require Pro. Adobe ID account required to use any tool. Free tier has tight limits on file size and operations per day. Server-side only. Pro tier is $23.99 per month, or $575 over 24 months on monthly billing. The Acrobat Pro desktop application is a different product and the best option in this list for regulated legal and publishing workflows specifically, but unrelated to the free online comparison here.

Sejda. The most user-respectful of the server-based competitors. The editor handles annotations and basic content edits on free (more capable than iLovePDF or Smallpdf's free tiers, less than Editly). OCR is free. No watermark on any output. Free tier capped at 3 tasks per hour. No signup required for most tools. Max file size 50 MB on free. Real redaction is not available. Word export from edits is not available. Server-side only. Premium tier is $7.50 per month, or $180 over 24 months on monthly billing.

PDF24. Genuinely free with no paid tier. The editor is limited compared to Editly or Sejda (basic annotations, no real content editing). OCR is limited. No watermark on output. No task cap. No signup required. Generous file sizes. Shows ads in the web interface. German GDPR compliance is genuinely implemented. Also offers a free Windows desktop application for offline use, which is the only offline option in this list.

Where competitors genuinely win

Worth saying up front, because pure "iHatePDF is best at everything" content is not useful and not credible.

iLovePDF has the best mobile apps (iOS and Android, polished, fast). Their brand recognition is also their advantage, if you are sending a client a tool link, iLovePDF sounds reassuring. If you already pay for Premium and use the desktop and mobile apps, the ecosystem is convenient.

Smallpdf has the most polished interface of anything in this list. Every interaction feels considered. For team Pro plans with cloud sync and shared file storage, the collaboration features are genuinely good. The free tier is brutal, but the paid product is the most refined design in the category.

Adobe Acrobat Pro desktop has no peer for regulated legal and publishing workflows. Certified digital signatures with legal standing, PDF/A archive compliance, accessibility tagging, professional print colour management. If you are a paralegal, publisher, or accessibility specialist, you need Acrobat Pro desktop. The online free tier is unrelated to this and not worth using.

Sejda is the most user-respectful of the server-based competitors. No watermarks on free output, limits stated upfront, no signup theatre. If you specifically need a server-based tool for a one-off job and privacy is not a concern, Sejda is the cleanest option among the big names.

PDF24 is genuinely free with no signup and no watermarks. The German GDPR compliance is real rather than checkbox-level. They also have a free Windows desktop application for offline use. The trade-off is ads in the web interface and a less polished UX than premium tools.

The five places free tiers actually break

Forget tool-by-tool analysis for a moment. These are the five specific friction points where "free" usually stops being free, across every tool in this category.

1. The editor lockout

You can merge and split for free almost anywhere. The moment you need to edit content (change a number on an invoice, replace text in a contract, add an image, leave a comment), the free tier ends. iLovePDF Premium, Smallpdf Pro, and Adobe Acrobat Pro all gate the actual editor behind a subscription.

Editly is iHatePDF's documents editor. It handles text editing, image insertion, page background changes, comments, redaction, signatures, and exports to PDF, Word, or JPG. Free with no signup. This is the single biggest structural difference between iHatePDF and everyone else in the table.

See the Editly walkthrough for what it can actually do.

2. The OCR lockout

A scanned PDF is technically a photo wrapped in PDF packaging. The text inside is pixels, not selectable text. OCR (Optical Character Recognition) makes it editable. iLovePDF, Smallpdf, and Adobe lock OCR behind their paid tiers. On iHatePDF and Sejda, OCR is free. The choice matters if you work with scans (invoices, contracts, receipts, old documents). See our scanned PDF to Word guide for the workflow.

3. The watermark roulette

iLovePDF's free output is sometimes watermarked, sometimes not, depending on the tool. You discover which is which after running the conversion. Smallpdf consistently watermarks free output. iHatePDF, Sejda, and PDF24 never watermark free output. Of all the friction points, this one stings the most because you only find out after you have already done the work.

4. The signup theatre

Smallpdf pushes signup hard. Adobe requires an Adobe ID even for the limited free online tools. iHatePDF, iLovePDF for most tools, Sejda, and PDF24 do not require an account. iHatePDF offers an optional free account that adds batch operations, larger files (120 MB combined batch), and a 24-hour file history, but it is not required for single jobs.

5. The task cap

Smallpdf caps free users at 2 tasks per day. This is a 24-hour trial that resets, not a free tier. Sejda allows 3 tasks per hour. iLovePDF has an unofficial queue during peak hours. iHatePDF and PDF24 have no task cap. If you have more than a couple of operations to do in an evening, the cap is the difference between getting the work done and giving up.

The free account on iHatePDF

Worth being clear about. iHatePDF works without an account. Every tool, every conversion, no watermark, no daily limit. For one-off jobs, you do not need to sign up.

A free account adds power-user features for people working with PDFs daily:

No card on file. No paid tier. Free means free, and the account exists to remove friction, not to gate features behind a paywall. If you do not need the batch features, anonymous use stays equally functional.

The pricing math, if you do end up paying somewhere

Most PDF tool subscriptions feel small ($6 to $24 per month). Compounded over two years, the numbers get less small.

  • Smallpdf Pro: $12/month × 24 = $288. A laptop accessory budget.
  • iLovePDF Premium: $6.61/month × 24 = $159. Less, still real money.
  • Sejda Premium: $7.50/month × 24 = $180. Middle of the pack.
  • Adobe Acrobat Pro: $23.99/month × 24 = $575. A weekend trip somewhere.
  • iHatePDF: $0/month × 24 = $0. No ads, no card on file, no paid tier exists.
  • PDF24: $0/month × 24 = $0 (ad-supported).

Annual billing reduces all paid figures by roughly 25-40 percent. The math is the same shape regardless: zero is zero.

Four real workflows, how each tool handles them

To make the table less abstract, here is how each tool actually performs on four common workflows.

The job seeker tailoring 5 resumes

You have a PDF resume. You need 5 customised versions for 5 applications: edit the summary, tweak the skills section, swap a project for each role. On Smallpdf free, you get through 2 versions before hitting the daily cap. On iLovePDF free, you cannot edit text content at all without Premium. On Adobe online, you need an account and most editing is gated. On Editly (iHatePDF), all 5 versions in one evening. Export each as PDF or Word for online applications that ask for either format. See the related AI CV optimiser guide.

Redacting a bank statement before sending to an accountant

You need to black out an account number and beneficiary names on a 12-page bank statement. iLovePDF, Smallpdf, and Adobe gate real redaction behind paid tiers. Free overlay tools just put a black rectangle on top, the underlying text is still extractable. On iHatePDF redact, the redacted content is permanently removed from the document, not hidden. Read our redact PDF guide for the full workflow.

Converting 8 scanned receipts to editable Word for an expense report

Eight phone photos of receipts. You need them as text in Word so you can sum totals and paste into a template. iLovePDF Premium needed. Smallpdf Pro needed. Adobe Pro needed. On iHatePDF OCR with a free account batch upload, all 8 process in one job, output as editable Word. On Sejda free, you would hit the 3-tasks-per-hour limit after 3 receipts and wait 60 minutes for the next batch.

Signing and returning a contract on your phone

A contract arrives by email. You are on your phone, no laptop nearby. You need to sign on the signature line, initial the bottom of each page, and email it back. iLovePDF mobile app works well here, this is one of the workflows where their app is genuinely strong. iHatePDF sign works in any mobile browser with touch input, no app install. Smallpdf signature on free is limited and adds a watermark. See our sign PDF guide.

The decision tree

Simplified for the common cases.

Frequently asked questions

Is the comparison fair? Aren't you biased toward iHatePDF?

Yes, we are biased. We also tried to be honest about it. The table data and pricing come from each tool's published policy and tier pages. Where competitors genuinely win (iLovePDF mobile apps, Smallpdf Pro team features, Adobe Acrobat for legal workflows), we say so. Where iHatePDF has trade-offs (newer brand, server-side speed on heavy files), we say that too.

Editly is a documents editor. How is that different from a PDF editor?

A PDF editor edits PDF files. Editly edits documents across formats: PDF, Word, scanned files. You can add text, insert images, change page backgrounds, leave comments, redact, sign, and then export the result as PDF, Word (.docx), or JPG. It is closer to a lightweight Adobe Acrobat plus Word combination than a simple PDF annotator. Free, no signup.

iLovePDF says they have an editor on the free tier. Why does the table say Premium-only?

iLovePDF's free editor handles page-level operations (reorder, rotate, delete pages) and basic annotations. The full content editor with text editing, image insertion, and advanced editing requires Premium. We checked this in May 2026 on iLovePDF's published feature matrix. If they change this, we will update the table.

How do you do the math on $288 for Smallpdf Pro?

Smallpdf Pro is $12 per month on monthly billing, or $108 per year on annual billing. Over 24 months on monthly billing, that is $288. On annual billing it works out to $216. We used the monthly figure because that is what most individual users actually pay. The same logic applies to Adobe Acrobat Pro at $23.99 monthly: $575 over 24 months.

Does iHatePDF really upload my file to a server?

It depends on the tool. Lightweight operations like rotate, simple merge, page delete, and watermark run entirely in your browser. Your file stays on your device. Open browser DevTools and watch the Network tab while using those tools, the upload column shows zero bytes. Heavier operations (OCR, format conversion, AI summarisation, complex edits) run on our servers because the compute is too much for a browser. Server-side files use HTTPS encryption, process in isolated containers, and delete at session end. No file content is logged or used for AI training.

What does a free account add over anonymous use?

Larger file size ceiling, batch up to 4 files at once (120 MB total combined), priority queue during peak hours, 24-hour file history for re-downloading recent outputs, and higher concurrent processing. Anonymous use still works for one-off jobs. The account exists to remove friction for frequent users, not to gate features.

Why isn't iHatePDF more popular if it is genuinely free?

iLovePDF launched in 2010 and has over a decade of SEO authority. Smallpdf is the same. Most people search 'PDF tool' and click the top result without comparing. iHatePDF is newer. The product is built specifically around the gaps in competitor free tiers, but brand recognition takes time. That is the honest answer.

Should I switch tools right now?

If you are already paying a competitor's premium tier and the workflow is reliable, do not switch for the sake of switching. If you keep hitting the 2-tasks-per-day Smallpdf cap, getting OCR locked behind iLovePDF Premium, or paying $24 a month for Adobe Acrobat Pro to use the editor occasionally, the switch makes sense. The free account is reversible. There is no card on file to cancel.

What about Sejda and PDF24?

Sejda has the most honest server-based free tier among the big names: no watermarks, 3 tasks per hour, no signup for most tools. Good for non-sensitive single-document jobs where you need a server-based tool. PDF24 is genuinely free with no limits but shows ads, is less polished, and requires server upload. Both are valid choices. The comparison table covers both rows explicitly.

Is iHatePDF GDPR compliant?

Yes. GDPR compliant by design. File content is not logged or used for AI training. Server-side files delete automatically at session end. Browser-side tools never send files to a server. See the security guide linked at the bottom for the full breakdown.

Try the documents editor that is premium everywhere else

Editly: text editing, image insertion, comments, redaction, signatures. Export to PDF, Word, or JPG. Free, no signup, no watermark.

Open Editly
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