Overall Winner

iLovePDF

beats PDF24 by 9 points

PDF24 80/100
iLovePDF 🏆 71/100
PDF24

PDF24

Free
VS
iLovePDF

iLovePDF

From $5/mo
The verdict

iLovePDF wins over PDF24 for PDF tools. generous free tier with no signup required. genuinely 100% free with no hidden paywalls. Choose iLovePDF for cross-platform PDF tasks with broad tool coverage, PDF24 for completely free PDF editing with no strings attached.

Score breakdown

Dimension
PDF24
iLovePDF
Price & Value
★★★★☆
★★★★☆
Features
★★★★☆
★★★★☆
Ease of Use
★★★★☆
★★★★☆
Reviews
★★★★☆
★★★★★ wins

Each dimension rated 1–5. Higher is better across all four.

What users say

PDF24

"The most comprehensive free PDF toolkit — open-source with zero strings attached"

Pros

Genuinely 100% free with no hidden paywalls or subscriptions Full-featured suite with 24 tools including OCR and editing Open-source with no telemetry, no ads, no account required

iLovePDF

"The world's most popular free PDF toolkit with broad features but privacy concerns"

Pros

Generous free tier with no signup required for basic tasks Wide range of tools in one platform (merge, split, compress, convert, sign) Fast processing and reliable output quality

When to Choose Each

Choose iLovePDF if you want generous free tier with no signup required for basic tasks. iLovePDF also offers wide range of tools in one platform (merge, split, compress, convert, sign) — making it a strong pick for cross-platform PDF tasks with broad tool coverage. Keep in mind that privacy concerns — sets 637 cookies per session.

Choose PDF24 if you prioritize genuinely 100% free with no hidden paywalls or subscriptions. PDF24 stands out for full-featured suite with 24 tools including ocr and editing, which makes it worth considering for completely free PDF editing with no strings attached. The main trade-off is that web interface slightly dated in appearance.

Related: See our hand-picked list of the best PDF tools covering merge, split, compress, convert, and sign.

Key Differences

  • Pricing: free tier with daily limits, premium from $5/month (iLovePDF) vs 100% free, open-source, no paywalls (PDF24)
  • Feature approach: wide range of tools in one platform (merge, split, compress, convert, sign) vs full-featured suite with 24 tools including ocr and editing
  • User feedback: iLovePDF users highlight generous free tier with no signup required for basic tasks… while PDF24 users note web interface slightly dated in appearance…
  • Overall scores: iLovePDF scores 86/100 vs PDF24 at 80/100
  • Platforms: Popular online PDF platform for merging, splitting, compressing, converting, signing, editing, prote vs Free and open-source PDF toolkit with 24 tools for merging, splitting, compressing, converting, sign

Pricing & value

Metric PDF24 iLovePDF Winner
Free tier Yes Yes Tie
Starting price Free From $5/mo PDF24
Which is better, iLovePDF or PDF24?
iLovePDF is the better choice, scoring 86 vs 80. Generous free tier with no signup required for basic tasks.
Which is cheaper?
free tier with daily limits, premium from $5/month for iLovePDF versus 100% free, open-source, no paywalls for PDF24.
Which is better for completely free PDF editing with no strings attached?
PDF24 may suit that use case better despite the lower overall score, as genuinely 100% free with no hidden paywalls or subscriptions. However, iLovePDF covers the same needs with better ratings.

Our pick

🏆 iLovePDF

Visit iLovePDF Consider PDF24