pdfeditor.page compared with Preview, PDF24, Smallpdf and iLovePDF
Preview, PDF24 Creator, iLovePDF’s desktop app and pdfeditor.page edit a PDF without uploading it; the online tools of PDF24, Smallpdf and iLovePDF keep it for one to two hours.
At a glance
| Editor | Where your file is worked on | Runs on |
|---|---|---|
| pdfeditor.page | In your browser tab. Without an account, nothing is uploaded. | Any current browser, on a phone, a tablet or a computer |
| Preview | On your Mac (Apple: Annotate a PDF in Preview (opens another company’s page)) | Mac only, built into macOS |
| PDF24 online tools | Uploaded to PDF24’s servers in the EU and deleted after one hour (PDF24 privacy policy (opens another company’s page)) | Web |
| PDF24 Creator | On your PC; files are not uploaded (PDF24 Creator (opens another company’s page)) | Windows only |
| Smallpdf | Uploaded to Smallpdf’s servers; its tool pages say files are deleted after one hour (Smallpdf Redact PDF (opens another company’s page)) | Web, and apps for Windows, iOS and Android (Smallpdf Edit PDF (opens another company’s page)) |
| iLovePDF | On the web, uploaded and kept for at most two hours (iLovePDF security (opens another company’s page)); its desktop app says it can process files locally (iLovePDF Desktop (opens another company’s page)) | Web, and apps for Mac, Windows, iOS and Android |
Good to know
- Where others do more. Smallpdf (20+, Smallpdf Translate PDF (opens another company’s page)) and iLovePDF (25, iLovePDF blog: Translate PDF (opens another company’s page)) translate into more languages than pdfeditor.page does.
- Limits. Its text recognition reads English only, it doesn’t edit right-to-left text, and a redaction mark over part of a picture is refused for now.
- Wondering what an upload means for you? Read is it safe to edit a PDF online. Beyond the editor, there are 45 single-purpose tools at pdfeditor.page/tools.
Questions
Which of these works on a phone?
pdfeditor.page in any current browser; Smallpdf and iLovePDF also have iOS and Android apps. Preview and PDF24 Creator run on a computer only.
Can pdfeditor.page make a digital signature with a certificate?
No, its signatures are pictures, drawn, typed or cut from a photo, though it can check a certificate signature a PDF already carries.
Try it
Drop in a PDF and retype a line, redact, sign or translate it. No sign‑up, no install.
Open a PDF