A free alternative to iLovePDF and Smallpdf, without the upload
Every popular PDF site works the same way: you upload your document to their servers, they process it there, and the free tier nudges you toward a subscription. Sunasty takes the opposite approach: the PDF tools below run entirely in your browser, so your document never leaves your device.
That difference is structural, not a promise. You can open your browser’s network tab while using any tool here: no file is ever sent. It also means the tools keep working offline, and there is nothing to sign up for.
Side-by-side comparison
| Feature | iLovePDF | Smallpdf | Sunasty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where your files are processed | On their servers: your file is uploaded | On their servers: your file is uploaded | In your browser: the file never leaves your device |
| Price | Free with limits, paid plans to lift them | Free with limits, paid plans to lift them | 100% free |
| Account | Required for some features | Required for some features | Never required |
| Works offline | No | No | Yes, once the page has loaded |
This comparison describes how each service is built (browser or server processing, free tier model). It deliberately avoids exact quotas and prices, which can change at any time. All product names belong to their respective owners.
Alternative to iLovePDF
iLovePDF is the best-known PDF toolbox on the web, and it has earned that place with a wide range of tools and a polished interface. Like most online services, it processes your documents on its servers; the free tier comes with limits and a subscription lifts them.
If what you need is the everyday toolbox, merging, splitting, compressing, rotating, numbering pages, watermarking or signing, the tools on this page cover the same ground for free, with the processing done by your own browser.
When iLovePDF is still the better choice
iLovePDF converts PDF to editable Word, Excel and PowerPoint on its servers. That kind of conversion cannot be done faithfully inside a browser, so we simply do not offer it. If you need editable Office output, iLovePDF or a desktop suite is the right tool.
Alternative to Smallpdf
Smallpdf is the other household name of the category, with a clean design and a broad suite. The model is the same: server-side processing, a free tier designed to convert you into a subscriber, and an account for anything beyond the basics.
For compressing, merging, splitting, rotating, protecting or unlocking PDFs, the equivalents below run locally and free, with no daily counter watching over you.
When Smallpdf is still the better choice
Beyond the basics, Smallpdf’s strengths are its editable Office conversions and its multi-party e-signature workflow. For routing a contract between several signers, a dedicated signature service remains the better fit.
The PDF tools you get here
- Merge PDF files Combine multiple PDF files into one, directly in your browser.
- Split PDF Extract, reorder or delete pages from a PDF without uploading it.
- Compress PDF Reduce PDF file size by losslessly optimizing its internal structure, without uploading.
- Organize PDF pages Reorder, rotate or delete pages in a PDF visually, no upload, 100% in your browser.
- Rotate PDF pages Rotate selected pages of a PDF (90, 180 or 270°) without uploading.
- Sign a PDF Draw your signature and stamp it onto a PDF, directly in your browser. No upload.
- Password-protect PDF Encrypt a PDF with a password directly in your browser. No upload.
- Unlock PDF (remove password) Remove the password from a PDF you can already open, entirely in your browser. No upload.
- Watermark PDF Add a text or image watermark to every page of a PDF, without uploading.
- Add page numbers Add page numbers to every page of a PDF (position, font size, format) without uploading.
- PDF to images Convert each PDF page to PNG or JPG directly in your browser.
- Images to PDF Combine one or more images (JPG, PNG, WebP) into a single PDF, right in your browser.
Frequently asked questions
Is it really free? What is the catch?
The economics are simply different. Because the processing happens on your device, one more user costs us almost nothing, so there is no need to sell limits back to you. There is no account, no quota and no premium tier.
Do these tools match iLovePDF and Smallpdf feature for feature?
For the everyday operations, yes: merge, split, compress, organize, rotate, sign, protect, unlock, watermark, page numbers and more. The honest exception is conversion to editable Office formats, which requires server-side engines that a browser cannot replicate faithfully. We prefer not to offer it rather than to do it badly.
How can I check that my PDF is not uploaded?
Open your browser’s developer tools on the Network tab, then use any tool on this site. You will see the page load its own assets, and then no request carrying your file. You can even cut the connection once the page is open: the tools keep working.