If you’re looking for a handy PDF tool to help you create, manage, and finish your PDFs, then you should check out Smallpdf. This online PDF editor works wonders on your productivity because you can manage your documents without working across multiple apps.
A reliable PDF editor like Smallpdf Pro or another great alternative such as PDFelement is a must, especially when you work with PDFs daily. This page will give you a quick overview of both tools so you can choose which tool works best for your needs. Stick around and learn more.
In this article
All About Smallpdf PDF Editor
A group of like-minded people launched Smallpdf from Switzerland in 2013. Smallpdf AG was created to provide a simple, secure, and reliable answer to all your PDF challenges in the workplace. Here’s a quick summary of everything you need to know about Smallpdf.
Version and Supported OS
Version |
Supported OS |
|
Web Browser Windows: 2.8.2 iOS: 1.51.2 Android: 1.44.2 |
Opera, Chrome, Firefox, Safari Windows 7, 8, 10, 11 iOS 13 or later Android 6.0 and Up |
Best For
Here are Smallpdf’s best use cases.
The web version has up to 20 tools you can take advantage of entirely for free for small-size PDF editing.
The Pro version allows unlimited PDF processing and conversion to other file formats.
Smallpdf works best for PDFs that need digital seal protection on signatures for security and privacy.
Drawbacks
Here are some drawbacks of using Smallpdf as your dedicated PDF editor.
The free version has a daily limit of two documents and no app assistance for free users.
You’ll be forced to get the paid app as there are too many ads on the free version, and online processing can sometimes take too long.
Pricing Plan of Smallpdf
If you’re interested in getting Smallpdf for your business, here’s a price plan to learn more.
Smallpdf Web Version |
Smallpdf Pro |
Team (Per User 2-14) |
Business |
| $0.00 – 1 Month |
$12.00 – 1 Month $108.00 – 1Year |
$10.00 – 1 Month $84.00 – 1 Year |
Custom Pricing needs contact (15+ users) |
Where To Download
Smallpdf is available for Windows, iOS, and Android. Unfortunately, macOS users will not be able to download Smallpdf anymore as it’s no longer supported on the platform as of October 1, 2021.
Rating
Smallpdf’s rating is consistently high across different platforms, with the only underlying anomaly from TrustPilot reviews, mostly from users using the free web version.
TrustPilot |
GetApp |
App Store |
Google Play |
G2.com |
|
| Pricing | NA | 4.4 out of 5 | NA | NA | 4.5 out of 5 |
| Features | NA | 4.6 out of 5 | NA | NA | 4.8 out of 5 |
| Ease of Use | NA | 4.6 out of 5 | NA | NA | 4.4 out of 5 |
| Support | NA | 4.0 out of 5 | NA | NA | 3.6 out of 5 |
| Overall Rating | 2.5 out of 5 | 4.4 out of 5 | 4.9 out of 5 | 4.8 out of 5 | 4.4 out of 5 |
Key Features of Smallpdf
Here are the key features of Smallpdf across its different platforms.
Smallpdf Web Version |
Smallpdf Windows |
Smallpdf iOS |
Smallpdf Android |
|
Completely free to use No installation required |
Get offline access to all PDF tools You can use the Batch feature to work on all your documents in one go Merge and combine PDFs into a single document in a few clicks |
Compress PDFs Convert PDFs to other file formats View and Read PDFs across other devices Email or send PDFs to your other apps (e.g., WhatsApp, Gmail, Viber, etc.) |
Compress PDFs Convert PDFs to other file formats Sync scans to Smallpdf file storage service eSign PDFs with password protection and |
Review
Judging from its namesake, don’t expect Smallpdf to do heavy-duty PDF editing as it’s mostly reserved for robust PDF editing tools. Its specific use case is for light editing, which is still an excellent solution for many. While it certainly has its limitations, Smallpdf is pretty solid regarding its features, and the price of the Pro version is somewhat affordable.
Best Smallpdf PDF Editor Alternative: PDFelement
JWhile using, Smallpdf does have its benefits, using another best alternative for your PDF needs, like Wondershare PDFelement - PDF Editor Wondershare PDFelement Wondershare PDFelement, should bring your productivity to the next level. PDFelement is a fast, affordable, and very easy way to create, convert, edit, and sign your PDFs across major platforms, whether on desktop, mobile, or web.
You should check out this cool video to learn more about PDFelement:
Key Features
Here are some important features on why you should try PDFelement today.
Edit PDFs like Word – Its user interface looks like Microsoft Word to make beginners feel at home using the app.
Convert files to PDF – Convert PDFs from almost 200 different file formats, including Word, Excel, PNG, JPG, RTF, and more to PDF, and vice-versa.
OCR – PDFelement is equipped with accurate text recognition to make scanned PDFs editable and searchable.
Organize PDFs – Merge, split, compress, and extract PDFs with ease.
Annotate PDFs – Add notes, comments, and even draw using different mark-up tools to highlight specific text.
Read mode – Activate Read mode to enhance your reading experience by adjusting page size and layout and switching between light and dark modes on the fly.
Password protection – Add passwords and create a signature to eSign PDFs in seconds. You can also redact PDF to remove sensitive information.
Create and Fill – Recognize and fill PDFs with text fields, checkboxes, images, and more.
Pricing
Here’s a table to list PDFelement’s price plans for individuals across all platforms. View this website to view other price plans for teams, businesses, and more.
Windows |
Mac |
iOS |
Android |
|
$29.99 – Quarterly $79.99 – Yearly $109.99 – 2-Year $129.99 – Perpetual Plan |
$29.99 – Quarterly $79.99 – 1 Year $109.99 – 2-Year $129.99 – Perpetual Plan |
$6.99 – Monthly $29.99 – 1 Year $39.99 – Perpetual Plan |
Free |
Review
The interface is slick, clean, and very intuitive. The paid version, meanwhile, legitimately brings your productivity to the next level, especially when you learn more about PDFelements’ advanced features. It’s optimized across all platforms, so you won’t go wrong with it whether you’re on desktop or mobile. PDFelement also offers affordable options, such as getting a subscription or a license depending on your budget.
Smallpdf and PDFelement Head-to-Head Comparison
If you’re undecided on which PDF tool to use, here’s a table comparing Smallpdf and PDFelement across different platforms.
Windows Version
This handy table shows clear differences in price, pros, and cons between the windows versions of Smallpdf and PDFelement.
List |
Smallpdf |
PDFelement |
| Price |
$12.00 – 1 Month $108.00 – 1 Year |
$29.99 – Quarterly $79.99 – 1 Year $109.99 – 2-Year $129.99 – Perpetual Plan |
| Pros |
The paid Windows version is offline and doesn’t need internet connectivity The user experience is quite clear without a steep learning curve |
Has a generous two-week free trial where you can fully use all features The one-year plan is very affordable compared to other PDF tools available today The interface is very beginner friendly as it looks just like Word. |
| Cons | Some equations don’t provide accurate data when converting PDFs to Word files. | OCR can sometimes malfunction and not detect text accurately. |
Mobile Version
Here is the comparison outcome of the tool’s mobile versions.
List |
Smallpdf |
PDFelement |
| Price | $11.99 – Monthly Plan |
$9.99 – Quarterly $29.99 – 1 Year $39.99 – Perpetual Plan Note: The plans are for iOS, and the Windows version is free. |
| Pros |
Great for single tasks and handling small PDFs Processing PDFs tend to be very fast as the app is very lightweight |
The mobile version still provides the full experience without cutting corners Conversion from PDF to other file formats is a huge time saver |
| Cons |
Doesn’t have all the tools needed for a whole PDF editing experience No perpetual plan offers |
The app sometimes takes a while when loading large files |
Online Version
PDFelement also has a free web version in HiPDF. Here’s a chart comparing the Smallpdf web version with Wondershare’s HiPDF.
List |
Smallpdf |
PDFelement |
| Price | Free |
Free $5.99 – +Desktop per Month $3.33 8 USD – +Desktop per Month (Yearly) |
| Pros |
Up to 21 tools are available at your disposal (e.g., Create, edit, convert, compress, and more.) Accessible on any mobile platforms |
Up to 39 PDF solutions are available (e.g., Create, edit, convert, merge, protect, extract, and more) Accessible on any mobile platforms Has a downloadable desktop version for Windows and Mac |
| Cons |
The free version has too many ads. The ads slow down PDF processing which adds up to your total time |
The interface has ad-laden content You’ll have to subscribe after the free trial. |
How To Edit PDFs With PDFelement
The main interface of PDFelement looks very similar to Microsoft Word, making PDF editing very beginner-friendly. Here’s a step-by-step guide to editing your PDFs using PDFelement today.
Step 1 Download and install PDFelement. Launch the app on your computer.
Step 2 Choose your PDF file or use the drag-and-drop feature to open your PDF on the main program window.
Step 3 Click Add Text or Add Image to edit your PDF. You can also click on the area you want to edit to highlight.
Step 4 Add watermarks, backgrounds, and more, depending on your preference. Click Apply and save your new PDF once you finish editing.
Note: Using OCR allows you to create editable and searchable PDFs from scanned PDF files. Click Tool > OCR to edit a scanned PDF.
Conclusion
A handy tool to edit your PDFs is a must in today’s heavy digital transactions. If you need to create, edit, and eSign PDF files in a hurry, then using Smallpdf’s free web version fits these criteria. On the other hand, you can get Smallpdf’s paid version if you need a PDF tool daily.
However, if you’re looking for a heavy-duty productivity tool to handle all your PDF needs, then it’s highly recommended to try PDFelement. PDFelement offers a generous two-week free trial to fully utilize its features before needing to subscribe to the paid version.
