Free Smallpdf Alternative (No Daily Limit, No Watermark)
Hit Smallpdf's 2-task daily limit? Here's a genuinely free alternative with higher file-size limits and no watermarks — plus how the two compare.
Smallpdf is a genuinely well-made tool — clean, reliable, popular for a reason. The friction shows up when you have more than a couple of files: the free tier nudges you toward a $9-12/month subscription after about two tasks a day. If you only needed to compress one PDF, that's fine. If you've got a folder of receipts to convert, it's a wall.
Here's a free alternative and an honest comparison.
The quick comparison
| Feature | Smallpdf (free) | pdfty (free) |
|---|---|---|
| Daily task limit | ~2 tasks/day | No cap on basic tools |
| Max file size | ~5 GB (Pro) / limited free | 20 MB free |
| Watermarks on output | No | No |
| Compress, merge, split | ✓ | ✓ |
| Convert (Word/Excel/JPG) | ✓ | ✓ |
| OCR | Pro | Free (Tesseract) |
| Sign PDF | ✓ | ✓ |
| File auto-delete | ✓ (1 hour) | ✓ (1 hour) |
| Works in any browser | ✓ | ✓ |
| Account required | For some tools | No |
Where Smallpdf is genuinely better
To be fair — it's not one-sided:
- Polish: Smallpdf's interface is beautifully refined. Years of design work shows.
- Desktop app: Smallpdf has a maintained desktop app for offline work; pdfty is browser-only.
- Integrations: Smallpdf plugs into Dropbox, Google Drive and has a Chrome extension.
- Brand trust: it's been around a long time with a big user base.
If you do one PDF task a week and love a polished UI, Smallpdf's free tier is perfectly fine.
Where pdfty wins for free users
- No "2 tasks today" wall on the basic tools — do as many as you need.
- OCR is free (Smallpdf gates it behind Pro). pdfty's OCR uses Tesseract to make scans searchable at no cost.
- No account needed — drop a file, get your result, leave.
- 20 MB free file size covers the vast majority of everyday documents.
How to switch (there's nothing to switch)
There's no migration — both are browser tools. Just open the task you need:
Pick your tool
Go to pdfty.com/tools/compress (or merge, split, convert, sign, OCR).
Drop your file
No account, no email. Free up to 20 MB.
Run it
Same few-second processing you're used to.
Download
No watermark. File deleted from our server within 1 hour.
Frequently asked questions
Is pdfty really free?
Yes — the basic tools (compress, merge, split, convert, sign, OCR) are free up to 20 MB per file with no daily task cap and no watermarks. Advanced tools (redact, compare) and unlimited file sizes are Pro ($9/mo).
Will my files be safe?
Files upload over HTTPS and are deleted within 1 hour. We don't train AI on your documents. For ultra-sensitive files, use offline software so nothing is uploaded at all.
Does pdfty have a desktop app like Smallpdf?
Not currently — pdfty is browser-based, which means it works on any device (Mac, Windows, Chromebook, iPad, phone) with nothing to install. If you specifically need offline, see our guide to free offline tools.
Can I compress more than 2 files a day?
Yes — that's the main difference. pdfty's basic tools have no daily task cap, so you can compress, merge or convert as many files as you need.
What about OCR — is it free?
Yes. pdfty's OCR (powered by Tesseract) is free, where Smallpdf gates OCR behind its Pro plan.
The pdfty team builds privacy-first online PDF tools — compress, convert, OCR, sign and protect. Files are deleted within 1 hour. About us →
