I merge and compress PDFs almost daily for work and keep going back and forth between ilovepdf and smallpdf. Has anyone actually used both recently and can share honest pros and cons before I pay for a subscription?
I’ve used both, and Smallpdf feels cleaner on a phone, while iLovePDF usually gives you more batch options for the money. Compression quality was close enough that I couldn’t see a consistent winner. For daily work, I’d compare their file limits and privacy terms, especially if documents contain customer info. I’d pay for one month first, because annual subscriptions are where I learned the hard way.
@podcast_dude Solid advice on the one month trial. I’d add: check whether your bookmarks survive the merge, that’s what decides it for me as a translator. Not sure if it’s the same on Mac, but on my old laptop one of them flattened them every time.
I use both at work honestly, smallpdf feels cleaner and the compression is faster for me, but ilovepdf has more tools for free. For merging daily I would just pick whichever loads faster on your end.
I’ve used both, and iLovePDF feels better for frequent merging and compression because the controls are more direct and batch work is less fiddly. Smallpdf has the cleaner interface, but I found myself clicking through more prompts before getting the file I needed. For confidential paperwork, check the privacy and retention settings first, and don’t treat drawing a black box over text as real redaction.
Before paying for either, check if you really need a subscription. I deal with onboarding packets all day and learned the hard way that simple tricks like saving from Word at minimum size shrink things enough. For everyday merging, your computer’s built-in print options or standard office apps might already cover you.
I use both depending on the day. Ilovepdf compression has messed with embedded fonts for me before, had a disclosure packet where headers turned into a generic serif after compressing. Smallpdf merge has been fine so far.
Always keep the original uncompressed file before running either one, saved me more than once.
I’ve used both for quick everyday jobs. They are convenient, but I would not upload anything sensitive or official unless your workplace has approved it. For daily merge and compression, PDFcap has been simpler for me, and I can check the final file size and PDF/A compliance when a form has submission rules.
Honestly I’ve bounced between both for school and medical form stuff and they’re near identical, the free tiers cover most daily tasks and the paid plans mostly just lift file size limits. Before subscribing, check what your device already does, Preview on a Mac merges and compresses free and most browsers print to PDF. What are you working from, laptop or tablet?
Honestly I’d be wary of paying for either before checking what you already have. Preview on a Mac merges PDFs natively, and on Windows you can combine files with print to PDF in the browser. Since this is tagged accessibility: both services tend to mangle tags when merging or compressing, so check the output with a screen reader before sending anything out.
I process 100s of receipts and statements, so I have tried both. Ilovepdf is cheaper and solid for basic merging, but smallpdf compresses my giant invoice batches faster.
What device are you using them on mostly?
@mysterious_silver The first thing I check is if the fonts still look right after compressing, same as you. I send proofs to clients all the time and a weird serif would look unprofessional. I always keep the original too, just in case the invoice comes out fuzzy.
@caleb_hill Yeah, the font swap always shows up at print time, not on screen. I zoom to 400% and check print preview before anything goes out. Keeping the original in its own folder has saved me more than once too.
I’ve used both. Smallpdf feels a little cleaner, while iLovePDF has been quicker for batch merging; compression results depend more on the document than the service. Try each free tier on the same files, and use desktop tools if documents are confidential.
@football_gramps When I was switching between those two for my restaurant invoices last year, the batch merge on iLovePDF saved me time during lunch rush prep. Smallpdf did look nicer but I got impatient with extra clicks too. I still test both free versions on a sample menu PDF before anything else. Desktop print to PDF covers the confidential supplier stuff for me.