Free alternative
A free Smallpdf alternative
A set of 30+ online tools to convert, compress, edit and sign PDFs, with mobile and Windows apps. Anyfile is a free alternative for many of the same jobs: it opens, edits and converts files in your browser, and nothing is uploaded.
Smallpdf and Anyfile, side by side
| Smallpdf | Anyfile | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free plan: $0 a month. Pro plan: $12 a month billed monthly, or $9 a month billed yearly. Team plans are priced per seat. Source | Free, funded by optional donations |
| Free version | Yes. The Free plan includes 30+ document tools with limited document downloads and limited mobile app and AI tool access. A 7-day free trial of Pro is also offered. Source | Everything is free |
| Free limits | Most tools show a daily download limit on the Free plan and AI tools are limited, with a 50 MB file size limit and a 25–35k word limit per document. No daily figure is given on the pricing page. Source | No daily limits; size limits per kind of file (for example 100 MB pictures, 300 MB PDFs) |
| Are files uploaded? | Yes. Files you upload are processed on Smallpdf’s servers, with transfers encrypted using TLS. Without an account it says it generally aims to delete files within a reasonable period after they were last opened. Source | No: files are opened and converted in your browser |
| How long files are kept | Smallpdf says files from free tool usage are deleted after 1 hour; files you keep in a Smallpdf account are held until you delete them and then removed within 1 hour. Source | Never stored: nothing is uploaded |
| Account needed | Not for the free tools: its help centre refers to “non-registered and free account holders”. A Pro trial needs an account and payment details. Source | No |
| Ads | Smallpdf says Pro users get no ads. Source | None |
| Platforms | Web (in the browser), a mobile app and a Windows app. Source | Any current browser on a computer, tablet or phone; installable as an app |
| Formats | PDF to and from Word, Excel, PowerPoint and images (JPG, PNG), plus ODT, ODS, ODP, TXT, RTF, HWP, HTML, EPUB, ZIP, CSV and Pages to PDF. Source | 202 file extensions in 17 editors, with 639 one-click conversions |
Facts about Smallpdf come from its own pages, checked on 2026-10-21. Prices and limits change, so follow each source for today’s.
When Smallpdf is the better choice
Smallpdf is the better choice if you want OCR, e-signature requests, AI summaries and chat with a PDF, or its mobile and Windows apps, and for teams that want shared billing and member management. Anyfile suits quick PDF jobs where the file should stay on your device.