iLovePDF alternatives: what to pick, and how to switch without losing anything
Seven options sorted by why you're leaving, a table of real limits, and a six-step exit plan.
The short answer: PDFgear if you want a free app on Mac or Windows that also edits text; PDF24 if you want the same toolbox online with no caps, or offline on Windows; Stirling PDF if your company won't send documents to a third party; Sejda or PDF Candy for a one-off job paid by the week or once for good; PDF-XChange Editor or Adobe Acrobat if what you really need is a full editor. One thing before you go: iLovePDF is still a solid tool, based in Europe and ISO 27001 certified. If ads and quotas are your only complaints, Premium at $5 a month fixes both. We compared all seven options in this guide and checked their limits in 2026.
Our ranking is editorial: a sponsored spot is always labeled on its card, and no affiliate link changes a score.
Why people start looking beyond iLovePDF
iLovePDF built its name on one simple idea: one tool per task, no account, right in the browser. Reviews are still excellent. People leave over five specific frustrations, and the official limits table lets you put numbers on each one.
Every tool has its own cap
The free plan doesn't have one limit, it has one per tool. You can merge 25 files, but you can only compress 2 at a time. Word to PDF takes a single 15 MB file. Batch processing is "limited." So the day you need to shrink 40 receipts for an expense report, you either do 20 round trips or you pay.
Paying doesn't unlock editing
Here's the detail few people read in the pricing table: Edit PDF handles one 100 MB file per task, on Free and on Premium alike. Same story for Redact (one file, 400 MB) and for Sign, which stays capped at 50 MB. If you were planning to pay for smoother text editing, Premium changes nothing there. You need an editor.
Your files go to a server
Online, every file is uploaded to iLovePDF's servers, then deleted within two hours according to its security page. The company is Europe-based, GDPR compliant and ISO 27001 certified, so this is a serious setup. Still, a pay stub, an NDA or a patient record has no business leaving your laptop for a simple merge. Plenty of IT teams ban it on principle.
Offline is a Premium perk
iLovePDF has a desktop app for Windows and Mac that works without a connection. But the plans table puts it in Premium, along with Workflows (chaining several tools in one click). On the free plan you stay in the browser, with ads.
One subscription per person
Premium is billed per user, from 1 to 25 people, and Business moves to custom pricing. For a 10-person team, that's $600 a year for a tool most people open a few times a week. At that price, a free tool on every machine, or an in-house instance, starts to look a lot better.
You're leaving because… go with…
The right iLovePDF alternative depends on what's pushing you out. Usually only one row applies. Each card jumps to the full review below.
Free, no sign-up, on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android.
You're tired of quotas and adsPDF24Every online tool free with no artificial limits, or the offline Windows app.
Your documents can't leave the companyStirling PDFRuns on your own servers or machine, with no outside service.
You have one big project this weekSejdaA 7-day pass for $5 that doesn't auto-renew.
You never want another subscriptionPDF Candy or PDF-XChange$99 lifetime for PDF Candy, $62 one time for PDF-XChange Editor.
You need a full editorAdobe AcrobatThe reference for editing, forms and e-signatures, at a premium price.
iLovePDF alternatives, tool by tool
For each tool: why switch to it, who it's for, its catch, how to move over from iLovePDF, and what it costs. Prices are what each vendor lists in USD in 2026. Scores out of 5 come from our PDF editor comparison.
PDFgear: the free app that edits text, Mac included
Best free all-rounderWhy switch to PDFgear. Where iLovePDF limits Edit PDF to one file at a time in a browser tab, PDFgear is a real installed app: open the PDF, fix the text, merge, convert, no account and no bill. Its homepage says it plainly: "completely free and without signing up." It runs on Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android and the web. Our PDF editor comparison gives it 4.2 out of 5.
Who it's for. Mac users (PDF24's desktop app is Windows only) and anyone who wants one free app for everything, editing included.
Who should skip it. Companies that have to document where their data goes: the vendor's homepage doesn't explain how a fully free app pays for itself, and its AI assistant works online.
The catch. The built-in AI assistant sends content to an online service. For confidential files, stick to the regular tools and leave the AI off.
How to move over. Install it and redo each of your usual tasks once on a test file. If you were paying for iLovePDF Premium just for the desktop app, PDFgear replaces it with no subscription.
What it costs. Nothing. No paid plan is listed.
- Score
- 4.2/5
- Price
- Free, no sign-up
- Platforms
- Windows, Mac, mobile, web
- Catch
- online AI, unclear business model
PDF24: the same toolbox, no caps
Closest match, freeWhy switch to PDF24. It's the most direct swap: one page per task (merge, compress, convert, OCR), in the browser, no account. The difference fits in one line from the vendor: all tools are free "without any restrictions," and "there are no artificial limits." You can compress 40 files at once where iLovePDF Free takes 2. The site runs on ads and says so.
Who it's for. Freelancers and small teams who used iLovePDF Free daily, and IT admins who want a free PDF tool on every Windows machine.
Who should skip it. Mac teams that need to work offline: PDF24 Creator only runs on Windows 10 and 11.
The catch. Online, your files still go to a server, even if they're removed "after a short time." For sensitive documents, use PDF24 Creator, the desktop app: it works offline and files stay on your PC. Editing existing text is basic.
How to move over. Nothing to migrate. For a company, PDF24 ships an MSI installer built for rolling out across all machines, and Creator is free "for both private and commercial purposes."
What it costs. Nothing, online or on Windows, business use included.
- Price
- Free, business use included
- Offline
- Creator, Windows only
- Rollout
- MSI installer
- Catch
- ads online, basic editing
Stirling PDF: the toolbox you host yourself
Keeps data in-houseWhy switch to Stirling PDF. It's the answer to the privacy problem. Stirling PDF follows the iLovePDF idea (50+ tools: merge, compress, convert, OCR, redact, sign) but runs on your machine or your servers. The project puts it this way: process PDFs "without sending documents to external services." The code is public on an open-core model: the core is open, some enterprise features are paid.
Who it's for. Law firms, HR teams, public agencies and any team with someone who can start a Docker container. One command is enough for a first install.
Who should skip it. The solo user who doesn't want to run anything: an instance needs updates, backups and monitoring.
The catch. The free tier is for individual use. For a team with single sign-on (SSO) and central control, the Team plan is $99 a month per block of 100 users. That only pays off past a certain team size.
How to move over. Install the desktop app (Windows, Mac or Linux) for one machine, or run the Docker image for a team. Then rebuild your iLovePDF routines one by one, noting the compression and OCR settings you used.
What it costs. Free for individuals; Team at $99 a month for 100 users; Enterprise on quote.
- Price
- Free for individuals, Team $99/mo
- Hosting
- your machine or servers
- Tools
- 50+
- Catch
- an instance to maintain
Sejda: a one-week pass for a big job
One-off projectsWhy switch to Sejda. Sejda covers the same ground as iLovePDF, online and on desktop, plus text editing in the browser. Its edge is the short plan: the Web Week Pass is $5 for 7 days and drops back to free on its own. The vendor spells it out: it "does not automatically renew." For tax season or a bid deadline, nothing on the market is cheaper. Our comparison gives it 3.9 out of 5.
Who it's for. People who hit a PDF crunch two or three times a year and don't want a subscription running in the background.
Who should skip it. Daily users on the free plan: 3 tasks a day goes fast.
The catch. Free caps you at 3 tasks a day, 50 MB and 200 pages per document, and 10 pages of OCR. Paid plans raise that to 500 MB per file and 100 pages of OCR.
How to move over. Nothing to migrate. Teams get a volume discount: 10% for 2 to 4 users, 20% for 5 to 24.
What it costs. $5 for 7 days, or $63 a year for desktop plus web.
- Score
- 3.9/5
- Paid
- $5 for 7 days, or $63/yr
- Free
- 3 tasks a day
- Catch
- 10-page OCR on free
PDF Candy: online, ad-free, and payable once
No subscriptionWhy switch to PDF Candy. It's the closest look-alike, with two differences that matter: the free plan is listed as "No ads" and "No account needed," and the paid plan comes as a lifetime license. If you're done with subscriptions, that settles it.
Who it's for. Freelancers who convert and compress a lot and would rather pay once.
Who should skip it. Anyone working in batches: the free plan has no batch processing.
The catch. Free has hourly and page limits, with no public numbers on the pricing page. Paid removes the hourly limit and raises files to 500 MB.
How to move over. Nothing to migrate. Run your usual tasks on the free plan for a week before buying the lifetime license.
What it costs. $6 a month for web, $4 a month billed yearly for desktop plus web, or $99 once.
- Paid
- $6/mo, or $99 lifetime
- Free
- no ads, no account
- Files
- up to 500 MB paid
- Catch
- no batch on free
PDF-XChange Editor: a real Windows editor for $62
Budget editorWhy switch to PDF-XChange. If you're leaving iLovePDF because you edit PDFs every day, you need an editor, not a toolbox. PDF-XChange Editor is the cheapest serious one: a perpetual license, plus a free version where about 70% of features are unrestricted. Our comparison gives it 4.1 out of 5.
Who it's for. Windows users who annotate, fill and fix PDFs all day.
Who should skip it. Mac users: it only runs on Windows 10 and later.
The catch. The license includes one year of maintenance. After that, it stays valid for versions released during that year, and newer versions need a maintenance renewal. Some features require Editor Plus.
How to move over. Start with the free version. Within a week you'll know whether the remaining 30% matters to you.
What it costs. $62 one time for Editor, $79 for Editor Plus.
- Score
- 4.1/5
- Paid
- $62 once (Plus: $79)
- Free
- about 70% of features
- Catch
- Windows only
Adobe Acrobat: the full editor, if you really need one
Most completeWhy switch to Acrobat. If your needs have grown (forms, fine editing, e-signatures, version comparison), Acrobat is still the reference. Our comparison gives it 4.3 out of 5. It does everything iLovePDF does, without per-tool caps.
Who it's for. Teams that live in PDFs all day and trade files with clients or agencies who use Acrobat.
Who should skip it. Anyone who merges and compresses a few files a week: you'd pay several times more for the same clicks.
The catch. The headline price is the annual plan billed monthly. Cancel after 14 days and Adobe charges up to half of what's left on the year. The month-to-month plan costs more: $24.99 for Standard. Read our guide to switching from Adobe Acrobat before you commit.
How to move over. Run the inventory in step 1 below first. If fewer than three people truly edit PDFs, give Acrobat to them only and keep everyone else on a free tool.
What it costs. Standard $14.99 a month, Pro $19.99 a month on the annual plan billed monthly; $24.99 and $29.99 month to month.
- Score
- 4.3/5
- Paid
- from $14.99/mo (annual)
- Month to month
- from $24.99/mo
- Catch
- fee if you cancel after 14 days
All 7 alternatives side by side
Our default picks: PDFgear for a free all-rounder, PDF24 to replace iLovePDF Free on Windows, Stirling PDF when documents can't leave the building. For a sense of scale, take a 5-person team over one year: iLovePDF Premium costs $300 (5 × $60), Sejda $252 (5 × $63, minus the 20% team discount), PDF-XChange $310 one time (5 × $62), Acrobat Standard $899.40 (5 × $14.99 × 12), PDF24 and PDFgear nothing at all. Each row: what the free plan does on the left, the first paid price and what it changes on the right.
| What the free plan does | First paid plan and what it adds | |
|---|---|---|
| iLovePDFWhere you start | All online tools, per-tool caps (2 files per compression), ads | Premium $5/mo billed yearly ($60), or $9 monthly; desktop app and Workflows |
| PDFgearFree all-rounder | Editing, converting, merging, no sign-up | No paid plan listed |
| PDF24Closest match | All tools, no artificial limits; offline Creator on Windows | None: everything is free, business use included |
| Stirling PDFIn-house data | 50+ tools on your machine or server, individual use | Team $99/mo for 100 users, with SSO |
| SejdaOne-off jobs | 3 tasks a day, 50 MB, 10-page OCR | $5 for 7 days, no auto-renew, or $63/yr |
| PDF CandyNo subscription | No ads, no account, hourly limits, no batch | $6/mo, or $99 lifetime |
| PDF-XChange EditorWindows editor | About 70% of features | $62 once, one year of maintenance |
| Adobe AcrobatFull editor | Viewing and basic tools | Standard $14.99/mo on an annual plan |
Prices listed by each vendor in 2026, in USD. Sales tax may apply.
Leave iLovePDF in six steps
Leaving an online tool sounds trivial: use a different site and you're done. That's true for occasional use. Once you have Premium, signed documents or an automation hooked into iLovePDF, there are a few things to grab before you go.
List what you really use iLovePDF for
Day 1Write down your five most common tasks (merge, compress, Word conversion, OCR, sign), how often you do them and typical file sizes. Add any Workflows you built on Premium and any automation that calls iLovePDF.
That list tells you which tool to pick. Three simple tasks a week: PDF24 or PDFgear is plenty. Editing every day: you need an editor.
- Time
- about 30 minutes
- Risk if rushed
- picking a tool missing a key feature
Download your signed documents
Before cancelingIf you collected signatures through iLovePDF, download every signed PDF from your account. Its security page says signed documents are kept for up to 5 years for legal reasons, but don't count on an old account the day you need one in a dispute.
Regular processed files are deleted within two hours, so there's nothing else to recover on the server side.
- Retention
- up to 5 years for signed files
- Processed files
- deleted within 2 hours
Redo your five tasks in the new tool
Week 1Use a real batch: a scan for OCR, a big file to compress, a Word file with tables. Run each task in the new tool and compare with iLovePDF: file size, layout, recognized text.
Compression results vary a lot between tools. Note the level that keeps your documents readable.
- Time
- one to two hours
- Compare
- size, layout, OCR
Rewire your automations
If you have anyA Make scenario or a Zap that compresses or converts PDFs often runs through iLovePDF's API, which is billed separately from Premium and comes with 2,500 free credits a month. If your automation fits inside that quota, you can drop Premium and keep the API. If not, swap the step for an in-house tool such as Stirling PDF.
Our iLovePDF in Make guide lists the modules to replace.
- Free API
- 2,500 credits a month
- Gotcha
- API and Premium billed separately
Roll the tool out to every machine
Go-liveFor a Windows team, PDF24 Creator deploys across all machines with its MSI installer. Replace the iLovePDF bookmarks with the new address, and send the team a two-line note: which tool, for which task.
Skip that note and everyone drifts back to the site they know.
- Prepare
- a note to the team
- Often forgotten
- browser bookmarks
Cancel Premium before it renews
Wrap-upNote your renewal date and cancel a few days before. Keep the confirmation email. If you drop back to free, your account still works for small jobs, within free-plan limits.
- When
- before the renewal date
- Keep
- the cancellation email
Is your tool missing from this page? Email us: hello@hackceleration.com
What makes people regret switching PDF tools
Switching PDF tools takes an hour. Regretting it takes longer. These are the mistakes that keep coming up in user reviews and forum threads.
Swapping one upload site for another
If privacy is why you're leaving, moving from iLovePDF to another online service fixes nothing: your files still hit a server. The fix is an installed app (PDFgear, PDF24 Creator, PDF-XChange) or an in-house instance (Stirling PDF).
Assuming unlimited free means no trade-off
PDF24 runs on ads and says so. PDFgear doesn't spell out its model on its homepage. Read a tool's privacy page before you roll it out to a whole team, especially its AI features.
Paying for an editor to merge files
Acrobat Standard runs about $180 a year per person on the annual plan. If your inventory is mostly merges and compressions, a free tool does the same job. Keep the paid editor for the two or three people who truly edit PDFs.
Forgetting the automation running quietly
A scenario calling the iLovePDF API keeps eating credits after you leave Premium, or stops without warning when the quota runs out. List them in step 1.
Judging compression by eye
Two tools that "compress" don't produce the same file. Compare the final size and open the document at 100%: over-compression makes a scan unreadable, and the recipient is the one who finds out.
Overlooking OCR
OCR makes a scan searchable. Limits vary a lot: 10 pages free on Sejda, 100 pages on paid plans. Our roundup of PDF editors with OCR compares the caps.
- Top five tasks listed
- Signed documents downloaded
- New tool run on a real batch
- iLovePDF automations found
- Tool installed on every machine
- Premium canceled before renewal
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free alternative to iLovePDF?
PDFgear for most people: free, no sign-up, on Windows and Mac, and it edits text too. On Windows, PDF24 gives you the same online tools with no artificial limits, plus a free offline app that's free for business use. Our PDF editor ranking compares both with paid options.
Is iLovePDF safe for confidential documents?
The company is serious: Europe-based, GDPR compliant, ISO 27001 certified, and it deletes processed files within two hours. But your files still leave your computer. For a contract or a pay stub, an installed app takes the question off the table.
Is iLovePDF really free?
Yes, the Basic plan is free, with ads and per-tool caps: 25 files per merge, 2 per compression, one 15 MB file for Word to PDF. Premium is $9 a month or $60 a year and adds the desktop app, Workflows and 2,000 AI credits.
Is there an offline version of iLovePDF?
Yes, iLovePDF Desktop for Windows and Mac, but only with Premium. For free, PDFgear (Windows and Mac) and PDF24 Creator (Windows) work offline with no subscription.
Is Smallpdf a good iLovePDF alternative?
It's the closest competitor: an online toolbox with a 7-day free trial of Pro. It doesn't solve privacy, since files go to a server there too. We left it out of this ranking because its price grid doesn't display in a readable form on its site.
Which iLovePDF alternative can I self-host?
Stirling PDF. It starts with one Docker command, offers 50+ tools and processes files without outside services. The Team plan (SSO, central management) is $99 a month for 100 users.
Can I edit PDF text for free without iLovePDF?
Yes. PDFgear edits existing text for free on Windows and Mac. Sejda does it online within 3 tasks a day. For daily use on Windows, the free version of PDF-XChange Editor covers about 70% of its features.
How do I keep my iLovePDF automations when I switch?
iLovePDF's API is a separate product with 2,500 free credits a month. You can cancel Premium and keep the API if your volume fits that quota. If it doesn't, replace the step with Stirling PDF hosted in-house, or with a desktop app if the volume stays low.
Get the next switching guide in your inbox
One tool to leave, the right places to go, a plan to switch. Nothing else.