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Merge PDF (by Smallpdf) VS Tabula

Compare Merge PDF (by Smallpdf) VS Tabula and see what are their differences

Merge PDF (by Smallpdf) logo Merge PDF (by Smallpdf)

No file limit, no ad watermarks - a free and beautiful tool to combine your PDF files exactly the way you want it.

Tabula logo Tabula

Tabula is a tool for liberating data tables locked inside PDF files. Extract tables from PDFs.
  • Merge PDF (by Smallpdf) Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-02
  • Tabula Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-03-15

Merge PDF (by Smallpdf) features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    The Merge PDF tool by Smallpdf offers an intuitive and clean interface that makes it easy for users of all experience levels to merge PDF files without complications.
  • Convenience
    Being an online service, Smallpdf allows users to merge PDF files directly from their browser, eliminating the need for downloads or installations.
  • Integration with Cloud Services
    Smallpdf integrates with cloud storage services such as Google Drive and Dropbox, allowing users to access and save their files with ease.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    As a web-based tool, Smallpdf's Merge PDF function can be used on any operating system, including Windows, macOS, and Linux.
  • Security Features
    Smallpdf ensures security and privacy by removing files from their servers after one hour, mitigating the risk of unauthorized access.

Possible disadvantages of Merge PDF (by Smallpdf)

  • Subscription Cost
    While there is a free tier, access to premium features requires a subscription, which may not be suitable for users looking for a completely free solution.
  • File Size and Number Limitations
    The free version of Smallpdf has limitations on the size and number of files that can be uploaded and processed, which might be restrictive for users with large or numerous files.
  • Internet Dependency
    As an online tool, Smallpdf requires a stable internet connection to function, which can be a disadvantage in areas with unreliable connectivity.
  • Privacy Concerns
    Although files are deleted after an hour, some users may still have concerns about uploading sensitive documents to an online service.
  • Limited Features in Free Version
    The free version does not provide access to all the advanced features available to Pro users, which may limit functionality for those who do not wish to pay for a subscription.

Tabula features and specs

  • Open Source
    Tabula is an open-source tool, which means it is free to use and can be modified by anyone. This makes it accessible to a wide range of users and allows for community-driven improvements and features.
  • Ease of Use
    Tabula offers a straightforward and user-friendly interface that makes extracting tables from PDFs easy, even for those without technical expertise.
  • Cross-Platform
    Tabula is available on multiple operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux, which makes it versatile and adaptable for different users.
  • Accuracy
    It provides reasonably accurate extraction of tables from PDFs, preserving the data structure and minimizing the need for manual adjustments.
  • Privacy
    Since it runs locally on your machine, Tabula does not require you to upload your PDF files to the internet, ensuring that your data remains private and secure.

Possible disadvantages of Tabula

  • Limited Functionality
    Tabula is specifically designed for table extraction and, therefore, does not offer additional PDF manipulation features such as editing or annotation.
  • Complex Tables
    While Tabula works well with simple tables, it may struggle with complex table structures, including nested tables or those with a lot of merged cells, resulting in less accurate extraction.
  • Resource Intensive
    Extracting large volumes of data, especially from extensive PDF files, can be resource-intensive and may require significant processing power and memory.
  • No Built-in OCR
    Tabula does not include Optical Character Recognition, limiting its ability to extract text from scanned PDFs where the tables are presented as images rather than actual text.
  • Dependency on Java
    Tabula requires Java to be installed on the host machine, which might be a barrier for users who do not have it configured or prefer not to use it.

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Merge PDF (by Smallpdf) and Tabula)
PDF Tools
49 49%
51% 51
Office & Productivity
100 100%
0% 0
PDF Editor
0 0%
100% 100
Word
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Tabula should be more popular than Merge PDF (by Smallpdf). It has been mentiond 35 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Merge PDF (by Smallpdf) mentions (7)

  • How do I add two separate PDF pages together as a single PDF on iPad?
    So I'm sure there are more official ways to do this but I usually just go online to somewhere like https://smallpdf.com/merge-pdf. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Any tips for creating pdf files with some music you would like to learn to play?
    If you already have individual PDF files, you can combine them into one PDF with this tool: https://smallpdf.com/merge-pdf. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Need help with Enrollment Immunization Records process
    5) Now that you have your doctor-completed immunization record form, either scan it with a scanner or take pictures and upload them into a PDF (you can use a website like SmallPDF to do this). Next, you will take that document/PDF and upload it over here. While uploading, you will click a dropdown menu. For your initial Immunization Record form, you will select option 1 ("Immunization Record") from the choices. If... Source: about 3 years ago
  • Different file formats ...
    On Canvas I restrict submission types to PDFs and I just include a link on each assignment description to SmallPDF. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Is this survey a good way to collect pain points?
    Examples of small tools that I'd want feedback on are PDF tools, conversion tools and spreadsheet tools. Source: over 3 years ago
View more

Tabula mentions (35)

  • Stirling-PDF: local web application to perform various operations on PDFs
    As for self-hosted web apps, Tabula (https://tabula.technology) is a great tool to extract tables from PDF files. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • SumatraPDF Reader
    For extracting to tables I've been using http://tabula.technology/ for a couple of years. It seems to do a pretty good job even with some fairly complex tables and I've not had any problems with it. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Ask HN: What's the current best way to extract tables from PDFs?
    To extract tables from PDFs, you can use the following tools: 1. Tabula (https://tabula.technology): a free and open-source tool. 2. Parsio (https://parsio.io): uses pre-trained AI models for data extraction from PDFs, emails, and other formats. 3. Airparser (https://airparser.com): uses GPT approach similar to ChatGPT for data extraction from PDFs, emails, and other formats. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • PDF tables to Excel
    You might want to look at https://tabula.technology. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • PDF to Excel (Free)
    Seconding the recommendation for Tabula. It's a great tool, and is free and open source. Source: almost 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Merge PDF (by Smallpdf) and Tabula, you can also consider the following products

PDFManagerUltimate - Read, edit, and convert PDF files.

Wide Angle PDF Converter - Convert PDF documents to Word, PowerPoint, Excel, JPG and other formats!

PDFChef Merge PDF - PDFChef Merge PDF is an online tool that allows you to merge multiple PDf files into one quickly and securely.

Apowersoft PDF Converter - Apowersoft PDF Converter is a safe and stable PDF converter, which can quickly convert PDF to Word, PPT, Excel, JPG, PNG and many more formats.

PDF Joiner - This online tool allows you to join several PDF documents into a single file, free of charge.

PDF24 PDF Creator - Create PDF and convert documents to PDF for free with the free PDF24 PDF Creator.