Smallpdf Competitors & Alternatives
The information in this article is based on our research, interviews with customers, as well as dozens of hours hand-testing PDF editor software. The details of our review process and research methodology can be found in the Why You Should Trust Us section on our PDF editor category page.
Smallpdf is a basic PDF editor platform. Overall, it is best for beginners and those who only need a PDF editor to make simple edits and changes. We also recommend it to those with a smaller budget.
There are four PDF editor solutions that are worth considering before you purchase Smallpdf. They primarily differentiate based on the features offered and ease of use. Understanding these differences will help you determine which platform will work best for your business.
- If you prefer an advanced, all-in-one PDF editor and also use other Adobe products like Adobe Sign and Adobe Scan, then we recommend Adobe Acrobat
- If you need a solution with a wide range of review and annotation tools, currently use signNow, and have a larger budget, then we recommend pdfFiller
- If you need a semi-robust platform that is priced reasonably for those who want to long-term invest, then we recommend PDFelement
- If you prefer an intermediate solution with high-quality customer support tools, then we recommend PDF Expert
Here’s a breakdown of our review criteria. We rate each piece of software based on its features, usability, pricing, and customer support availability. Here is how Smallpdf and it’s competitors rank in each category.
| Software Company | Analyst Rating | Features | Usability | Pricing | Customer Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smallpdf | 84 | 7 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 8.5 |
| Adobe Acrobat Pro DC | 91 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 8 | 9 |
| pdfFiller | 89 | 9 | 8.75 | 9 | 8.75 |
| PDFelement | 86 | 8 | 9 | 8.75 | 9.5 |
| PDF Expert | 82 | 8 | 9 | 8.5 | 7 |
In this article, we’ll provide an overview of Smallpdf as a PDF editor platform. Afterwards, we’ll compare and contrast Smallpdf against its top competitors. If you’d like a full description of Smallpdf, check out our in-depth Smallpdf review.
Table of Contents
- Smallpdf's Top Features
- Smallpdf Competitor Overview: Features
- Smallpdf Competitor Overview: Pricing
- Top Smallpdf Competitors
- Bottom Line
Smallpdf Top Features
Smallpdf offers standard and advanced features that help individuals, SMBs, and enterprises create, edit, review, and overall manage their PDFs. This includes tools for PDF creation and conversion, content editing, and PDF review and annotation. Below we describe the 10 most important features in Smallpdf.
| Smallpdf Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| PDF Creation | Smallpdf offers a wide range of methods for creating a PDF. This includes uploading Word documents, text files, JPEGs, and PNGs, and merging, and splitting documents into PDFs. |
| PDF Conversion | Smallpdf lets you convert your PDFs into multiple document types. This includes Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoints, and JPEGs. |
| Text Editing | Text is one of the most important components of your PDF, therefore it’s important that your PDF editor can accommodate your text needs. Smallpdf lets you change the font, color, and size of your text. |
| Image Editing | Images enhance the readability of your PDF documents by providing visual breaks and supporting certain sections of text. Smallpdf lets you insert and resize your images easily, without it interfering with your PDF’s content. |
| Electronic Signatures | Some PDF editors will let you perform certain electronic signature related actions. Smallpdf lets you insert signature, date, and checkbox fields. It also lets you see which PDFs need your signature, which you've sent out for signature, which you've signed, and which have expired/ been cancelled. |
| Highlighting | Highlighting is an easy way to indicate important information. You can use Smallpdf to automatically highlight text that you’ve inserted into your PDF. An advantage of this tool is that it can detect and auto-highlight text that is already within your uploaded PDF. |
| Freehand Drawing | Freehand drawing lets you write handwritten notes and markings on your PDF. Smallpdf lets you adjust the colors and weights of your drawing tool. |
| Integrations | Smallpdf lets you integrate with third-party platforms to expand the functionality of your PDF editor. Smallpdf integrates with applications like Google Drive and Dropbox. |
| Mobile PDF Editor | A mobile PDF editor lets you create, edit, review, and manage your PDFs anywhere. With Smallpdf, you can convert and compress PDFs, add text, highlight, and freehand draw. |
| Security Features | Proper security and data protection for your PDFs is critical for your PDF editor. However, Smallpdf only offers password protection, and sensitive information redaction. |
Smallpdf Competitor Overview: Features
The chart below shows you the main features found in PDF editor software, and ones offered by each solution. You’ll notice that many solutions offer the same features, therefore it’s important that when analyzing each option, you focus on the quality of each feature.
Smallpdf Competitor Overview: Pricing
Smallpdf’s pricing ranges from free to $10 per month. You can also save up to ~30% if you purchase an annual plan. Smallpdf also offers a 7-day free trial for each paid plan.
| PDF editor Software | Plan Pricing | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smallpdf |
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| Adobe Acrobat Pro DC |
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| pdfFiller |
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| Adobe Acrobat Pro DC |
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| PDFelement |
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| Smallpdf |
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| PDF Expert |
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Top Smallpdf Competitors
Smallpdf is a beginner-friendly PDF editor solution. It’s best for individuals with a large budget, who prefer to use a robust PDF editor. Overall, it is the most similar to Adobe Acrobat Pro DC in terms of platform cost and advancedness.
The top Smallpdf competitors are:
- Adobe Acrobat Pro DC
- pdfFiller
- PDFelement
- PDF Expert
1. Adobe Acrobat Pro DC
Adobe Acrobat Pro DC is an advanced, all-in-one PDF editor. Its tools are robust and the platform is very feature-rich. Compared to Smallpdf, Adobe Acrobat Pro DC is better for large businesses who need a PDF editor for team collaboration. We also recommend Adobe Acrobat Pro DC to those who use other Adobe products like Adobe Scan and Adobe Sign.
- You prefer an advanced, all-in-one solution
- You want a robust mobile PDF editor
- You want to include personalized headers and footers
- You are a beginner when it comes to PDF editor solutions
- You need a more affordable solution
- You want freehand drawing as a review and annotation tool
2. pdfFiller
pdfFiller is an advanced PDF editor platform that includes a wide range of review and annotation tools. Compared to Smallpdf, pdfFiller is more robust and feature-rich. Also, if you use signNow and are in need of a PDF editor, we recommend checking our pdfFiller.
- You are a beginner when it comes to PDF editor solutions
- You need a more affordable solution or a free PDF editor plan
- You need an effective highlighting tool
- You prefer an advanced PDF editor solution
- You use signNow
- You want to create templates of your most used PDFs
3. PDFelement
PDFelement is a well-rounded, intermediate PDF editor solution. Compared to Smallpdf, PDFelement is better for individuals who are more familiar with PDF editors and need a slightly more robust solution.
- You prefer an intermediate solution
- You want to insert personalized headers and footers
- You want to scan documents into PDFs
- You have a small budget
- You are a beginner when it comes to PDF editors
- You want to insert and track electronic signatures
4. PDF Expert
PDF Expert is an intermediate PDF editor platform. Compared to Smallpdf, PDF Expert is a mid-level solution that is less intuitive to use.
- You prefer a mid-level solution
- You want page organization features
- You want to replace images without it interfering with your PDF’s content structure
- You are a beginner to PDF editors
- You want a free PDF editor solution
- You need to convert your PDFs into Word, Excel, or PowerPoint files