ComparisonFree · Private · No uploads
PDFKit vs iLovePDF: No Uploads, No Limits, No Signups
iLovePDF is a popular free PDF tool — and for good reason: it covers merging, splitting, compressing, and converting with a simple interface. But behind the free tier are server uploads, file size limits, usage quotas, and aggressive Pro upsells. PDFKit offers the same everyday tools with a different philosophy: everything runs locally, so there are no uploads, no limits, and nothing to sell you.
| Feature | PDFKit | iLovePDF |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free forever | Free tier + paid Pro (from ~$7/month) |
| Account required | No | Optional for free, required for Pro |
| File privacy | Files never leave your device | Files uploaded to iLovePDF servers |
| File size limit | Only your device memory | Free tier capped (typically ~50MB–200MB) |
| Daily usage quota | None | Free tier has task limits |
| Merge, split, compress PDFs | Yes — unlimited | Yes — limited on free tier |
| OCR (scanned PDFs) | Yes — free | Pro feature |
| Batch processing | Yes — free | Yes — but limited without Pro |
| Mobile apps | Web app works on mobile | Dedicated mobile apps |
| Ads / upsells | None | Frequent Pro promotions |
The Bottom Line
For the same everyday PDF tasks — merging, splitting, compressing, converting — PDFKit gives you everything iLovePDF's free tier does, without uploads, size caps, daily quotas, or Pro upsells. The trade-off is simpler: no dedicated mobile apps yet, but the responsive web app covers most needs.