Smallpdf vs iLovePDF: review comparison
Which of the two do customers actually rate higher? Smallpdf and iLovePDF, compared theme by theme. Every claim below comes from verbatim customer reviews on public portals, quoted with sources.
Smallpdf
★★★★☆ 4.3
7,277 reviews across 5 portal(s)
Smallpdf is a web-based platform offering a suite of tools to manage and manipulate PDF documents.
iLovePDF
★★★★★ 4.5
9,770 reviews across 5 portal(s)
iLovePDF is a web-based platform providing tools for working with PDF documents.
Key findings
- Reviewers rate iLovePDF highest overall at 4.5★ (recency-weighted) across 9,770 reviews.
- On ordering & website, reviewers favor Smallpdf: 71% positive of 132 mentions, versus 54% of 321 mentions.
- On value for money, reviewers favor iLovePDF: 59% positive of 297 mentions, versus 48% of 166 mentions.
Theme-by-theme: what reviewers say
| Theme | Smallpdf | iLovePDF |
|---|---|---|
| Quality | 82% positive strength · 372 mentions | 84% positive strength · 862 mentions |
| Customer service | 71% positive strength · 127 mentions | 73% positive strength · 137 mentions |
| Value for money | 48% positive mixed · 166 mentions | 59% positive ✓ mixed · 297 mentions |
| Communication | 21% positive pain point · 21 mentions | 28% positive ✓ pain point · 26 mentions |
| Ordering & website | 71% positive ✓ strength · 132 mentions | 54% positive mixed · 321 mentions |
| Billing & payment | 0% positive pain point · 89 mentions | 0% positive pain point · 55 mentions |
How we compare: theme sentiment uses only reviews classified by our analysis (coverage: Smallpdf 7,275/7,277 (100%), iLovePDF 9,769/9,770 (100%)); we compare positive/negative shares, not raw counts, weight recent reviews more, and mark themes with fewer than 5 classified mentions as insufficient data instead of naming a winner. Star ratings cover all public reviews and are recency-weighted.
In reviewers’ own words
Customer service
“What an amazing, easy to use service.”
· Trustpilot ·
“excellent customer service”
· Google Play ·
Quality
“Must of all the speedness of documents processing.”
· Trustpilot ·
“The process was very easy and practical.”
· Trustpilot ·
Billing & payment
“I cancelled my free trial the very same day yet they charged me for 3 months!!”
· Trustpilot ·
“Have made payment for premium account”
· Google Play ·
Ordering & website
“no complications, just one click and it's done.”
· Trustpilot ·
“I used this site to open a PDF online, add images to it, and then download it for free.”
· Trustpilot ·
Value for money
“the free version offers so much, too.”
· Trustpilot ·
“ilovepdf is absolutely free and I love it!”
· Trustpilot ·
Communication
“I have already sent multiple emails”
· Apple App Store ·
“AI lead me to this app and guided me through the process.”
· Google Play ·
FAQ
Which is better, Smallpdf or iLovePDF?
Reviewers generally favor iLovePDF for its simplicity and free access, while Smallpdf is praised for speed and ease of use but criticized for billing issues and poor customer support.
iLovePDF Strengths
Reviewers report that iLovePDF stands out for being free, fast, and easy to use without requiring an account. Many highlight its straightforward interface and reliable performance for basic tasks like editing and converting PDFs.
Smallpdf Issues
Smallpdf is praised for its speed and user-friendly design, with users calling it amazing and efficient. However, multiple reviewers report being charged unexpectedly after canceling free trials and complain about lack of real customer support options.
Shared Weaknesses
Both tools face criticism, but iLovePDF’s main complaints center on poor functionality in some cases and aggressive subscription prompts. Smallpdf’s biggest drawbacks involve billing errors and unresponsive support, which damage trust despite strong performance.
What customers said:
- „Easy and fast“
- „VERY GOOD SOFTWARE“
- „What an amazing, easy to use service.“
- „Used it to remove pages from a pdf.“