A friend messaged me last week: “Bro, Smallpdf is asking me to pay again. I just need to merge two PDFs. Is there something free?”
This happens to a lot of people. You go to Smallpdf, do one quick task, then on the second task it tells you you’ve hit your daily free limit and you need to subscribe. $9 a month. Or $12 if you don’t commit yearly. For merging two PDFs.
I’ve been using ConvertKR for months now. It does most of what Smallpdf does — for free, no signup, no daily limits, and your files don’t get uploaded to a server. Let me actually compare them properly instead of just saying “ConvertKR is better.” Because in some ways Smallpdf wins. In most ways it doesn’t.
The price thing — let’s get this out of the way
| Plan | Smallpdf | ConvertKR |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | 2 tasks per day | Unlimited |
| Monthly | ~$12/mo | $0 |
| Yearly | ~$108/yr | $0 |
| Signup required | Yes (for free tier too, after 2 tasks) | No |
Smallpdf’s free tier is barely a tier. Two tasks a day means: merge a PDF, compress one, you’re done — see you tomorrow. If you’re an accountant or a student or anyone who deals with documents regularly, you’ll hit the wall in five minutes.
ConvertKR doesn’t have a paid tier. There’s no upsell, no “premium,” no daily counter ticking down. You just use it.
Where your files actually go
This is the part most people don’t think about until something goes wrong.
When you upload a PDF to Smallpdf, it goes to their server. They process it there. They say they delete files after an hour. Probably true. But your bank statement, your contract, your medical report — it sat on someone else’s computer for an hour.
ConvertKR processes files in your browser. The PDF never leaves your device. There’s no “we’ll delete it in an hour” because there’s nothing to delete — it was never uploaded. For sensitive stuff (financials, legal, medical) this matters a lot.
I’m not saying Smallpdf is leaking files. I’m saying I’d rather not test that theory with my tax returns.
Tools — what each one actually has
| Tool | Smallpdf | ConvertKR |
|---|---|---|
| Compress PDF | Yes | Yes |
| Merge PDFs | Yes | Yes |
| Split PDF | Yes | Yes |
| Rotate / reorder pages | Yes | Yes |
| PDF to JPG / image | Yes | Yes |
| Image to PDF | Yes | Yes |
| Add watermark | Yes | Yes |
| Add page numbers | Yes | Yes |
| Edit PDF (add text/shapes) | Yes | Yes |
| Unlock PDF (remove password) | Yes | Yes |
| eSign PDF | Yes | Yes (via editor) |
| Word/Excel/PPT to PDF | Yes | Yes |
| PDF to Word/Excel (editable) | Yes | Coming soon |
| OCR (scan text from image) | Yes (paid only) | Limited |
| Image tools (compress, convert, crop, watermark) | No | Yes |
| Background remover | No | Yes |
| Passport photo maker | No | Yes |
| QR code generator | No | Yes |
So Smallpdf has the edge on PDF-to-Word (real editable Word, not just text extraction) and on heavy OCR — those are genuinely good. ConvertKR has a much wider toolkit beyond PDFs: image compression, background removal, passport photos, QR codes. Different focus.
Where Smallpdf actually wins
I’m not going to pretend Smallpdf is bad. It’s not. Some things it genuinely does better:
PDF to Word conversion. If you need a scanned document turned into an editable .docx with formatting preserved, Smallpdf’s converter is solid. They’ve been doing this for years.
OCR on scanned PDFs. Their OCR engine recognizes text from scanned images well. ConvertKR’s pdf-to-text works for digital PDFs but isn’t built for heavy OCR work.
Brand recognition. If you’re sending a coworker a link, “Smallpdf” sounds familiar. ConvertKR is newer. That’s a real thing in offices.
Mobile app. Smallpdf has a polished iOS and Android app. ConvertKR works fine in mobile browsers but doesn’t have a native app yet.
If you specifically need PDF-to-editable-Word with perfect formatting, Smallpdf is worth the trial. For everything else, the math doesn’t work.
Where ConvertKR wins
It’s actually free. Not “free trial.” Not “2 tasks a day.” Free. I’ve used it 50 times in a single afternoon during tax season and never hit a wall.
No signup. Smallpdf wants your email. Then it emails you. Then it remembers you. ConvertKR doesn’t even know you exist.
Browser-based processing. Files stay on your device. For anything sensitive this is a real privacy difference, not just marketing.
Wider toolkit. Image compression, background removal, passport photos, QR codes, document organization — Smallpdf doesn’t really do these.
Faster on small files. Because nothing’s uploading. A 2MB compress on Smallpdf: upload, wait, process, download. On ConvertKR: drop, get result. The difference shows up most on slower internet connections.
Real-world scenarios — which one to use
You need to merge 3 PDFs for an email attachment.
ConvertKR. It’s free, instant, no signup, no upload. This is the most common task and Smallpdf charges you on the second one of these in a day.
You need to compress a 20MB PDF under 5MB for an application form.
Either works. ConvertKR has no daily limit. Smallpdf will do this once free, then ask you to subscribe.
You have a scanned 50-page contract and need it as an editable Word doc.
Smallpdf. Their OCR + Word converter is better at this specific job. Pay the monthly fee, do the conversion, cancel.
You need to remove the password from your bank statement.
ConvertKR. Specifically because the file never leaves your browser. convertkr.com/unlock-pdf.
You’re making a passport photo for a visa application.
ConvertKR. Smallpdf doesn’t do this at all.
You need to add a signature to a contract and send it back.
Either. Both have signing tools. ConvertKR’s editor lets you draw or upload a signature. Smallpdf has a dedicated sign flow.
You’re a freelancer who works with PDFs every day.
ConvertKR. Smallpdf would cost you $108/year for tasks that should be free. That’s a Netflix subscription plus a coffee.
The honest summary
Smallpdf is a good tool. It’s not a scam. It’s just expensive for what most people actually need it for.
If your PDF needs are: occasional merge, compress, split, convert, sign — ConvertKR does all of that for free. No daily limit. No signup. No upload.
If your needs include heavy PDF-to-Word conversion with formatting, professional OCR on scanned documents, or you just want a brand name your boss recognizes — Smallpdf is worth a month’s subscription.
For 90% of people, paying $108 a year to do tasks that take 5 seconds in a browser is just… not necessary anymore. The tools have caught up. The free ones work.
FAQ
Is ConvertKR really free or is there a catch?
Really free. No paid tier exists. No “you’ve used your free tasks” message. The site is supported by being part of the broader ConvertKR ecosystem (which includes desktop apps for power users), not by upselling browser tools.
Does Smallpdf work better because it processes on a server?
For most tasks, no — browser-based processing is just as fast or faster on small files. For very large files (200MB+) server-based processing can be more reliable since your browser isn’t doing the work. But for anything under 50MB, browser is fine.
Can I trust browser-based PDF tools with sensitive documents?
That’s actually the whole point. With browser-based tools the file doesn’t upload anywhere. With server-based tools (like Smallpdf’s free tier) it does. For sensitive files, browser-based is more private by design.
What about iLovePDF, PDF24, Sejda?
Different article. Short version: iLovePDF is similar to Smallpdf with similar limits. PDF24 is genuinely free but ad-heavy and dated. Sejda has a 3-task daily limit on free. None of them process in your browser the way ConvertKR does.
Is Smallpdf safe?
Yes, they’re a legitimate Swiss company with good security practices. The question isn’t whether they’re safe — it’s whether you need to upload your files to anyone at all when you don’t have to.
Stop paying for tasks that should be free. Try ConvertKR — same tools as Smallpdf, no daily limits, no signup, no upload.