Choosing between DocPro, iLovePDF and Smallpdf comes down to a few questions. Does the file have to stay on your device? How many jobs do you do a day? Do you need apps, text editing or signature requests? We make DocPro, so this page is not neutral by default. We took every figure about the other two from their own pages and we say where each one is the better pick. Details are as of November 2026 and can change.
This page is the three-way overview. For depth on any pair, read DocPro vs iLovePDF or DocPro vs Smallpdf.
The three at a glance
| DocPro | iLovePDF | Smallpdf | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where files go | Stay on your device | Uploaded, deleted about 2 hours later | Uploaded, deleted after 1 hour |
| Free-tier limits | No task counter. Device memory limits big files | Limited tools, ads. Compress up to 200 MB, 2 files at once | Daily limits on most tools. Basic compression only |
| Paid price | Pro A$5.99 a month, signing only | Premium US$5 a month billed yearly, US$9 monthly | Not confirmed. See its pricing page |
| Tools | 47 web tools | Larger set, some paid | 30 or more, some paid |
| Edit existing PDF text | No | Edit PDF tool exists, free limits apply | Yes, in Pro |
| Apps | Android app coming soon. Installable PWA | Desktop and mobile on Premium | iOS, Android and Windows |
| Signing | Image signature, Pro only, no requests | Self-signing free, requests limited | Via Sign.com, free capped at 2 documents a month |
Where your file goes
This is the biggest difference. iLovePDF and Smallpdf are upload services. Your file is sent to their servers, processed there and sent back. iLovePDF's security page says files are deleted automatically about two hours after processing. Smallpdf's compress page says uploaded files are deleted automatically after one hour. Both describe encrypted transfer.
DocPro runs its tools inside your browser. The file is read on your device and the result is saved back to it. No copy reaches a server, so there is no deletion window to trust. Read how on-device PDF tools work for the detail.
For a menu or a flyer, this hardly matters. For a passport scan, a tax form or a contract, it may matter a lot.
Free-tier limits
DocPro has no daily counter on its free tools and needs no account. Very large files are limited by your device's memory. Sign PDF and the signature vault are the exception and need DocPro Pro.
iLovePDF's free plan is web only with ads and a limited tool set. Its pricing page lists free file sizes such as 100 MB for merge, 200 MB for compress and 15 MB for PDF to Word. Free batches are small, for example 2 files for compress.
Smallpdf's free plan limits downloads and most tools per day, and its mobile app access is limited. The pricing page does not give the daily number, so check it yourself. Smallpdf's own comparison says Pro suits people for whom PDFs are part of regular work.
Paid plans
iLovePDF Premium is listed at US$5 a month billed annually (US$60 a year) or US$9 a month billed monthly. It adds all tools, larger files, no ads, all OCR tools and the desktop and mobile apps.
Smallpdf has Pro, Team and Business plans. Pro lists unlimited use of its tools, edit text, OCR, strong compression and a Sign.com subscription, with a 7-day free trial. The pricing page text we could fetch showed no dollar amounts, so we cannot give a number. Its blog says the yearly plan is 25 percent cheaper per month than monthly billing.
DocPro has one paid product, Pro, at A$5.99 a month. It covers Sign PDF and the signature vault only. Note the currency: it is Australian dollars, not US dollars.
Tools and features
DocPro has 47 web tools. They cover merge, split, organize, compress, convert to and from Word, Excel, PowerPoint and images, OCR, watermark, page numbers, redaction, password protection and more. It cannot edit existing PDF text or build forms.
iLovePDF and Smallpdf have more tools and more polish. Smallpdf's paid editor can change existing text. iLovePDF lists tools such as Edit PDF, Compare, Redact and an AI summarizer. If you need one of those, the DocPro toolbox will not do.
Apps
Smallpdf has apps for iOS and Android with a scanner, and a Windows desktop app. iLovePDF's pricing page lists desktop and mobile apps as Premium features. DocPro has no iOS or desktop app. Its Android app is coming soon to Google Play and is not released. DocPro can be installed from the browser as a PWA and works offline after the first visit.
Signing
DocPro's Sign PDF places an image of your signature on the page. It is a Pro feature at A$5.99 a month. It is not a certificate-based digital signature, and the web app cannot request signatures from other people.
iLovePDF's free plan allows unlimited self-signing and limited signature requests. Advanced e-signatures need Premium. Smallpdf signs through Sign.com, and its free accounts are capped at 2 documents a month. If other people must sign, either of those is a better match than DocPro.
Best pick by situation
- Private or sensitive file, quick job, no account: DocPro.
- A pile of files every day on a free budget: DocPro, which has no counter, or iLovePDF if you accept uploads.
- Edit the words inside a PDF: Smallpdf Pro, since DocPro cannot do it.
- Scan paper with a phone every day: Smallpdf's app today. DocPro's Android app is not out yet.
- Biggest toolbox with cheap yearly pricing: iLovePDF Premium.
- Get a signature from someone else: iLovePDF or Smallpdf, not DocPro.
- Shrink a PDF hard and keep text selectable: test each. DocPro re-saves pages as images, so text becomes unselectable.
You do not need to pick one forever. Many people keep an on-device tool for private files and an online suite for the rest. Whichever you use, test with a non-sensitive file first.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better, iLovePDF or Smallpdf?
It depends on the job. iLovePDF Premium is listed at US$5 a month billed annually. Smallpdf Pro adds text editing and has apps for iOS, Android and Windows. Both upload files, and both have free limits, so compare them on the file you have.
Is DocPro really free compared with iLovePDF and Smallpdf?
DocPro's web tools are free with no account and no task counter, except Sign PDF and the signature vault, which are DocPro Pro at A$5.99 a month. Device memory limits very large files.
Do iLovePDF and Smallpdf keep my files?
They say they delete them automatically. iLovePDF says about two hours after processing and Smallpdf says one hour (as of November 2026). A copy exists on their servers until then. DocPro never uploads files.
Which of the three can edit text in a PDF?
Smallpdf Pro lists Edit Text. iLovePDF has an Edit PDF tool with its own limits. DocPro cannot rewrite existing PDF text, though it can annotate, merge, split and convert.