Free PDF Tools Compared: SmallPDF vs iLovePDF vs PDF24 vs PDFUnlock

There are dozens of free PDF tools online. Most of them do the same basic things — merge, split, compress, convert. But when it comes to password-related features, the differences matter. Here’s an honest look at the four most popular options and where each one shines.

The quick comparison

Feature	SmallPDF	iLovePDF	PDF24	PDFUnlock
Merge PDFs	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Split PDFs	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Compress	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Convert (Word, Excel, etc.)	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Add password	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Remove owner password	Yes*	Yes*	Yes*	Yes (free)
Recover user password	No	No	No	Yes (paid)
Encryption type detection	No	No	No	Yes
GPU-based cracking	No	No	No	Yes
Languages	24	25	14	4 (EN/FR/ES/DE)
Free tier limits	2 tasks/day	Limited	Unlimited	Unlimited (owner removal)
Desktop app	Yes (paid)	Yes (paid)	Yes (free)	No
Privacy (no upload)	Desktop only	Desktop only	Yes (desktop)	Hash only (for cracking)

* These tools can remove owner passwords but often don’t clearly distinguish between owner and user passwords. If your file has a user password, they simply can’t help.

SmallPDF

Best for: occasional PDF editing if you’re willing to pay.

SmallPDF has the most polished interface of any online PDF tool. It handles conversion, editing, e-signing, and basic password operations well. The free tier gives you 2 tasks per day, which is enough for occasional use.

Limitations:

• The free tier is very limited (2 operations/day)
• Pro costs €9/month — that’s €108/year for something you might use occasionally
• “Unlock PDF” only removes owner passwords — if your file has a user password, it shows an error with no explanation of what to do next
• Files are uploaded to SmallPDF servers (Switzerland-based, but still a third party)

iLovePDF

Best for: batch operations on multiple files.

iLovePDF is the workhorse of online PDF tools. It handles large batches well, supports drag-and-drop of multiple files, and the free tier is more generous than SmallPDF. The interface is slightly less polished but perfectly functional.

Limitations:

• Free tier has file size limits (depending on the tool)
• Premium costs €4/month — more reasonable than SmallPDF
• “Unlock PDF” has the same problem: owner passwords only, with no clear messaging about user passwords
• Desktop app (paid) offers more privacy but is Windows/Mac only

PDF24

Best for: users who want a completely free, full-featured PDF tool.

PDF24 is the outlier. Everything is free — no daily limits, no premium tier, no file size restrictions. The desktop app (Windows) is genuinely excellent: merge, split, compress, convert, OCR, and basic editing, all offline.

Limitations:

• Web interface is more cluttered than SmallPDF or iLovePDF
• Desktop app is Windows-only (web tools work on any OS)
• “Unlock PDF” is, once again, owner passwords only
• No mobile app

PDF24 deserves more recognition. For general PDF tasks, it’s the best free option available.

PDFUnlock

Best for: actually recovering a lost password.

PDFUnlock doesn’t try to be an everything-PDF tool. We do one thing: handle locked PDFs. But we do the thing that no other free tool does.

What sets PDFUnlock apart:

1. We tell you what you have. Upload a file and we immediately tell you whether it has an owner password, a user password, or both — and what encryption algorithm is used (RC4-40, RC4-128, AES-128, AES-256).

2. Owner password removal is free. Same as the others, but we’re explicit about what’s happening and why it’s free.

3. User password recovery is possible. This is the part no other tool offers. We extract the encryption hash, run it through hashcat on dedicated GPUs, and attempt to find the password through dictionary attacks, rule-based mutations, and brute-force. You only pay if we find it.

4. Multilingual. Full native experience in English, French, Spanish, and German — not machine-translated, but written by native speakers.

Limitations:

• We don’t do any general PDF tasks (merge, split, compress, convert)
• We can’t crack every password — AES-256 with a strong random password is out of reach
• Currently 4 languages (vs 24+ for SmallPDF)

When to use which

• You need to merge, split, or compress a PDF → PDF24 (free desktop app) or SmallPDF (polished web interface).
• You need to convert PDF to Word/Excel → iLovePDF (best batch handling) or SmallPDF.
• Your PDF opens but won’t print/copy → you have an owner password. Any of these tools will remove it. PDFUnlock does it for free with a clear explanation.
• Your PDF won’t open at all → you have a user password. Only PDFUnlock can help. The others will just show an error.
• You forgot your own password → PDFUnlock is the only option that doesn’t require you to already know the password.

The real gap in the market

SmallPDF, iLovePDF, and PDF24 are all excellent tools for general PDF tasks. They’re complementary, not competitive, with PDFUnlock. The gap we fill is the one that matters most when you’re staring at a locked file you urgently need: actually getting you back in.

Use PDF24 for your daily PDF needs. Use PDFUnlock when you’ve lost a password.