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PDFsam VS PDFb2

Compare PDFsam VS PDFb2 and see what are their differences

PDFsam

PDFsam Basic, a free, open source, multi-platform software designed to split, merge, extract pages, mix and rotate PDF files

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Open source Free
Alternatives Is it good?
PDFb2

Process business-confidential PDFs without uploading. Trusted by legal, finance, and healthcare professionals.

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Freemium Free trial $9.99 / Monthly (USD)
Alternatives Is it good?
DocRaptor
As the only API powered by the Prince HTML-to-PDF engine, DocRaptor provides the best support for complex PDFs with powerful support for headers, page breaks, page numbers, flexbox, watermarks, accessible PDFs, and much more sponsored

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, PDFsam seems to be more popular. It has been mentioned 32 times since March 2021.

social mentions
32 vs 0
PDF Tools popularity
98% vs 2%
alternatives listed
240+ vs 17

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

PDFsam
PDFb2
Website pdfsam.org pdfb2.io
Pricing
Open source Free Official pricing
Freemium Free trial $9.99 / Monthly (USD)
Platforms
Windows Linux Mac OSX
—
Listed in
PDF Tools PDF Creator PDF Editor PDF Converter +1
PDF PDF Tools PDF Editor PDF Compressor PDF Creator PDF Converter PDF Merge +4

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

PDFsam 5 features
PDFb2 5 features
  • Cost
    PDFsam Basic is free and open-source, which makes it highly accessible for individual users and small businesses.
  • User Interface
    The interface is simple and straightforward, allowing users to easily navigate and use the essential features without a steep learning curve.
  • Functionality
    PDFsam includes essential features such as merging, splitting, rotating, and extracting PDF pages, which can cover most common PDF editing needs.
  • Cross-Platform
    PDFsam is available on multiple operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux, ensuring broad compatibility and usability.
  • Community Support
    Being an open-source project, PDFsam has a community of users and developers who contribute to its improvement and troubleshooting.

Possible disadvantages

  • Advanced Features
    The free version lacks advanced features like OCR, which are available in the paid versions such as PDFsam Enhanced.
  • Performance
    Some users report that the application can be slow when processing large documents or performing complex tasks.
  • Interface Design
    While functional, the user interface is not as modern or visually appealing compared to some other PDF software.
  • Commercial Use
    For businesses, the licenses for the advanced features in PDFsam Enhanced can be costly, especially for small enterprises.
  • Customer Support
    While there is a user community for support, professional customer support is limited to the paid versions, which might be a hurdle for those needing quick assistance.
  • PDF Manipulation Focus
    PDFb2 appears to be designed specifically for PDF file handling and manipulation tasks, which can make it efficient for users who need dedicated PDF processing tools.
  • Web-Based Accessibility
    Being accessible via a website suggests users can utilize the tool without needing to install dedicated software, making it convenient for quick tasks across different devices.
  • Potential for Quick Tasks
    Online PDF tools like this often provide fast solutions for common tasks such as merging, splitting, converting, or compressing PDF files without complex setup.
  • No Installation Required
    As a web-based tool, it likely requires no downloads or installations, saving disk space and allowing immediate use from any browser.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    Web-based tools generally work across different operating systems including Windows, Mac, and Linux, as long as a browser is available.

Possible disadvantages

  • Limited Information Available
    There is very limited publicly available information about PDFb2, making it difficult to verify its features, reliability, and reputation compared to more established PDF tools.
  • Uncertain Security and Privacy
    Uploading sensitive PDF documents to an unfamiliar or lesser-known online service raises concerns about data privacy, security practices, and how uploaded files are stored or used.
  • Possible Reliability Concerns
    Without a well-established track record or reviews, there may be uncertainty regarding uptime, processing speed, and consistent performance of the service.
  • Potential Feature Limitations
    As a less mainstream tool, it may lack advanced features found in established PDF software like Adobe Acrobat, such as robust OCR, advanced editing, or enterprise-level integrations.
  • Unclear Pricing and Support
    Lack of clear information about pricing tiers, customer support quality, and terms of service can make it risky for users to commit to using the platform for critical work.

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

PDFsam
PDFb2

Overall verdict

  • PDFsam is considered a good tool, especially for users who need a straightforward and cost-effective solution for managing PDFs. Its open-source background ensures transparency and community support, while its user-friendly interface appeals to those without advanced technical skills.

Why this product is good

  • PDFsam (PDF Split and Merge) is a popular tool for handling PDF documents due to its simplicity, open-source nature, and ability to perform a range of common PDF tasks like splitting, merging, rotating, and extracting pages. It offers both a free basic version and a more advanced version with additional features, making it accessible and flexible for different user needs.

Recommended for

    PDFsam is recommended for individuals and small businesses looking for an easy-to-use, cost-efficient PDF tool capable of handling everyday PDF manipulation tasks without the complexity or expense of more advanced software. It’s particularly suitable for users who require basic features and occasional PDF editing.

Overall verdict

  • PDFb2.io appears to be a niche PDF conversion/management tool, but there is limited independent, verifiable information available about its reliability, security practices, and company background, so it should be evaluated cautiously before use with sensitive documents.

Why this product is good

  • Offers PDF-related conversion or editing functionality that may be convenient for quick, casual tasks
  • Likely web-based, requiring no software installation
  • May be low-cost or free, appealing to users with light or occasional PDF needs
  • Simple interface reportedly makes basic tasks easy for non-technical users

Recommended for

  • Users needing quick, one-off PDF conversions without installing software
  • Individuals with low-sensitivity documents who prioritize convenience over strict data privacy
  • People testing lightweight alternatives to major PDF platforms before committing to a paid service
  • Casual or personal use rather than enterprise or confidential business documents

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

PDFsam 2 videos + Add
PDFb2 0 videos + Add

How to Use PDFsam

More videos

  • - PDFSamVisual Demo

No PDFb2 videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
PDFsam
PDFb2
98% 98%
PDF Tools
2% 2%
97% 97%
PDF Editor
3% 3%
100% 100%
PDF Creator
0% 0%
0% 0%
PDF
100% 100%

User comments

Share your experience with using PDFsam and PDFb2. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

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Reviews and articles

External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.

PDFsam no reviews yet
PDFb2 no reviews yet
  • 15 PDF editors quick review
    thinkmobiles.com · May 2020

    This is a simple open source Java pdf editor. The basic version allows you to edit the content and structure of pdf documents. Builds of this version are available for Windows, MacOS and Linux. PDFsam Enhanced version...

We have no reviews of PDFb2 yet. Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

PDFsam 32 mentions
PDFb2 0 mentions
  • JavaFX In Action with Pedro Duque Vieira, aka Duke, about Hero, PDFSam, FXThemes, FXComponents,...
    He shares insights into a few applications, like Hero (CAD application to calculate energy efficiency) and PDFSam (powerful and professional PDF editor). PDFSam had 100.000 downloads in April '24! - Source: dev.to / about 2 years ago
  • Pdftool.org: modify pdfs offline in the browser
    I find pdfsam to be the perfect offline tool for me on Windows. https://pdfsam.org And it's open source as well: https://github.com/torakiki/pdfsam. - Source: Hacker News / about 3 years ago
  • Free pdf editor?
    That might be fit for your purpose PDFSam. Source: over 3 years ago

View more

Tracking PDFb2 since Feb 2026.

Alternatives to PDFsam and PDFb2

When comparing PDFsam and PDFb2, you can also consider the following products.

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