Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Smallpdf VS PDFShift

Compare Smallpdf VS PDFShift and see what are their differences

Smallpdf logo Smallpdf

PDF document management and conversion suite

PDFShift logo PDFShift

Convert any HTML documents to high-fidelity PDF using a single POST request
  • Smallpdf Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-21
  • PDFShift Landing page
    Landing page //
    2024-03-07

A powerful, fast and high-fidelity HTML to PDF conversion API.

Code examples and package ready for Node, Python and PHP developers.

Advanced features are available, including watermarking and encryption!

PDFShift

$ Details
freemium $9.0 / Monthly (500 conversions and up to 5Mb per generated PDF.)
Release Date
2018 May

Smallpdf features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    Smallpdf provides a clean, intuitive, and easy-to-navigate interface, making it accessible for users of all technical levels.
  • Wide Range of Tools
    Offers a variety of tools for PDF editing, including compressing, merging, splitting, and converting PDFs to other formats.
  • Cloud Integration
    Seamlessly integrates with cloud storage services like Google Drive and Dropbox, allowing users to work directly with their files stored online.
  • Security
    Utilizes strong encryption and deletes files from their servers after one hour, ensuring user data is kept secure and private.
  • Cross-Platform Availability
    Accessible from various devices including desktops, tablets, and smartphones with responsive web design.
  • Free Tier
    Provides a free tier with limited features, which is suitable for occasional or basic users.

Possible disadvantages of Smallpdf

  • Limited Free Features
    The free version only allows for two tasks per day and places restrictions on larger files and advanced features, leading to potential inconvenience for frequent users.
  • Subscription Cost
    The premium subscription can be considered expensive for some users, particularly those who only need occasional PDF edits.
  • File Size Limit
    Even with a premium subscription, there are restrictions on the maximum file size that can be uploaded and processed.
  • Internet Dependence
    Requires an active internet connection to use most of its features, which can be a limitation for users with unreliable or slow connectivity.
  • Privacy Concerns
    Despite strong encryption, some users may still have reservations about uploading sensitive documents to an online service.
  • Limited Customization
    The range of customization options for certain tools may be limited compared to more specialized PDF software.

PDFShift features and specs

  • High-quality PDF conversion
    PDFShift provides high-quality conversion from HTML to PDF, preserving formatting, styles, and layout details accurately.
  • Ease of use
    The API is straightforward and user-friendly, allowing developers to quickly integrate it into their applications without a steep learning curve.
  • Batch conversion
    PDFShift supports batch processing, enabling users to convert multiple HTML documents to PDF simultaneously, which can save significant time.
  • API documentation
    Comprehensive and clear API documentation makes it easier for developers to understand and implement functionalities within their projects.
  • Customization options
    PDFShift offers various customization options such as headers and footers, page size, margins, and more, giving users control over the output.
  • Security and privacy
    PDFShift ensures data security and privacy by providing encrypted connections and automatic deletion of files after processing.

Analysis of Smallpdf

Overall verdict

  • Smallpdf is a reliable and efficient tool for managing PDF documents, suitable for both casual users and professionals. Its combination of versatility, ease of use, and security features makes it a strong contender in the realm of online PDF services.

Why this product is good

  • Smallpdf is considered good because it offers a wide range of PDF tools that are easy to use and accessible online. It provides functionalities such as PDF conversion, compression, editing, and signing, all within a user-friendly interface. This makes it an ideal choice for both individuals and businesses looking for efficient document management solutions. Additionally, it emphasizes security by ensuring encrypted file transfers, which is crucial for handling sensitive information.

Recommended for

  • Individuals who frequently work with PDFs and need a straightforward tool for conversions, compressions, or edits.
  • Students who need to annotate and organize their study materials in a PDF format.
  • Professionals who require a reliable tool for signing documents and collaborating with team members remotely.
  • Businesses looking for secure document management solutions with the flexibility of online access.

Analysis of PDFShift

Overall verdict

  • PDFShift is generally considered a good tool for developers and businesses that need a reliable, fast, and easy-to-integrate solution for HTML to PDF conversion. Its functionality and scalability make it a competitive choice in the market.

Why this product is good

  • PDFShift is an online API service that allows users to convert HTML documents into PDFs with high fidelity. It is praised for its ease of use, speed, and the ability to handle complex HTML and CSS. Users appreciate its support for various PDF features like custom headers, footers, and page numbers. Additionally, it provides scalability for businesses due to its robust API and ability to handle high-volume requests.

Recommended for

    PDFShift is recommended for web developers, software engineers, and companies that require automated HTML to PDF conversion as part of their applications or websites. It is particularly suitable for those looking for an API-based solution to integrate easily into their existing workflows and systems.

Smallpdf videos

smallpdf tutorial video

More videos:

  • Review - Smallpdf Review
  • Tutorial - Smallpdf | How to do Unlimited Free Conversions ? | Hack for Smallpdf | Bypass limit of 2 conversion

PDFShift videos

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

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Smallpdf and PDFShift)
PDF Tools
56 56%
44% 44
PDF Editor
100 100%
0% 0
HTML To PDF
0 0%
100% 100
PDF Converter
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Smallpdf and PDFShift

Smallpdf Reviews

Top 10 PDF Converters for converting to or from PDF effortlessly
Smallpdf is one of the most well-known PDF converter tools online. Offering a simple, user-friendly interface, it allows users to convert files to and from PDF without any hassle. Smallpdf supports over 18 file types and integrates with Google Drive and Dropbox for easy cloud storage access.
The 13 Best Free PDF Editors (February 2024)
One of the quickest ways to add images, text, shapes, or your signature to a PDF is with Smallpdf. I find it extremely easy to use for those things, but I opt for one of the editors that top this list if I need to edit the text because this one won't do it for free.
6 Best Online PDF editors in 2023
The charging function of SmallPDF will be marked with "PRO", which is mainly concentrated on removing ads, desktop applications and other parts to improve user experience. In general, it has little impact on user experience with small processing capacity.
How To Convert JPG to Word Online?Convert JPG to Word Online for Free.
SmallPDF is an online PDF service website for conversion, compression, editing, reading and other services. It also allows users to convert JPG to PDF. It supports uploading JPG files from Google Drive or Dropbox!
10 Best Free PDF Creator for Windows
Similar to iLovePDF, SmallPDF is also a well-known online PDF processing platform. It's powerful and helps users create or edit PDF files they have in very simple steps. However, the Smallpdf platform has some restrictions on free use. You can only process files for free one a day, and then you have to pay for a membership.

PDFShift Reviews

We have no reviews of PDFShift yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Smallpdf seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 37 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.

Smallpdf mentions (37)

  • Stirling-PDF: local web application to perform various operations on PDFs
    Smallpdf [1] probably deserves a mention here. Not OSS and not self-hosted, but I‘ve used it occasionally and it has always worked really well. When I was running an agency, we inherited their first office – very cool folks. [1] https://smallpdf.com/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Looking fore college ruled template to print
    And use this one to merge two single-page pdf to make a double side page. Source: over 1 year ago
  • PDF to Excel without O365/Adobe Acrobat?
    I don't have Office 365 for the "Get Data" option, nor do I have Adobe Acrobat. I've tried the smallpdf website but it came out a mess, possibly because my original spreadsheet had highlighted rows and lots of text in some of the cells. Source: about 2 years ago
  • 5 tips to improve your SaaS user onboarding
    Examples of companies doing this well: - SmallPDF users can convert or compress a limited number of files without an account — turning users into advocates and customers once paid use cases comes along; - Freshline uses interactive product demos to help users self-educate and understand the value of their features, without a paywall or registration;. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Sites/Resources: Resume Design
    I actually create professional resumes for allied health professionals using Adobe Pro. Are you able to just use a free pdf editor such as sejda or smallpdf.com or pdfcandy.com and then what you already have, you can edit and reformat yourself without having to repay each time? Source: about 2 years ago
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PDFShift mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of PDFShift yet. Tracking of PDFShift recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Smallpdf and PDFShift, you can also consider the following products

iLovePDF - Free online PDF tool set

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

Adobe Acrobat DC - Make your job easier with Adobe Acrobat DC, the trusted PDF creator. Use Acrobat to convert, edit and sign PDF files at your desk or on the go.

PDFCrowd - Pdfcrowd is a Web/HTML to PDF online service. Convert HTML to PDF online in the browser or in your PHP, Python, Ruby, .NET, Java apps via the REST API.

Wondershare PDFelement - All-in-one PDF editor

pdflayer - Free, powerful HTML to PDF API supporting both URL and raw HTML conversion. Unlimited document size, lightning-fast and compatible PHP, Python, Ruby, etc.