PDF Toolbox vs iLovePDF — Honest Comparison for 2026
Feature-by-feature breakdown of two popular free PDF tools. Which one respects your privacy more? Updated May 2026.
| Feature | PDF Toolbox | iLovePDF |
|---|---|---|
| Compress PDF | ✅ | ✅ |
| Merge PDF | ✅ | ✅ |
| Split PDF | ✅ | ✅ |
| PDF to JPG | ✅ | ✅ |
| JPG to PDF | ✅ | ✅ |
| PDF to Word | Coming soon | ✅ |
| PDF to Excel | ❌ | ✅ |
| PDF to PowerPoint | ❌ | ✅ |
| Watermark PDF | ❌ | ✅ |
| Rotate PDF | ❌ | ✅ |
| Files uploaded to server | ❌ Never | ✅ Yes |
| Free daily limit | Unlimited | Varies by tool |
| Registration required | ❌ No | ✅ For some features |
| Privacy-first | ✅ 100% local | ❌ Server processing |
| Open source | Yes (pdf-lib.js) | Proprietary |
Privacy: The Key Difference
iLovePDF uploads your files to their cloud servers for processing. While they claim to delete files after processing, your sensitive documents still pass through a third-party infrastructure. For legal contracts, financial statements, or personal documents, this is a significant privacy concern.
PDF Toolbox was built specifically to solve this problem. All processing uses client-side WebAssembly — your files are loaded into browser memory, processed, and immediately available for download. No server ever sees your data.
Feature Coverage: iLovePDF Wins on Quantity
iLovePDF offers 20+ tools — more than PDF Toolbox currently provides. If you need PDF to Excel, PDF to PowerPoint, page numbering, or watermarking, iLovePDF is the better choice today.
However, for the 5-6 most common PDF tasks (compress, merge, split, basic conversions), PDF Toolbox matches or exceeds iLovePDF in usability and privacy.
PDF Toolbox is actively adding new tools. PDF to Word and other advanced features are in the pipeline.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is PDF Toolbox a good iLovePDF alternative?
For common tasks like compress, merge, split, and basic conversions — yes. PDF Toolbox offers the same core functionality with better privacy (no file uploads) and no usage limits. iLovePDF has more advanced features like PDF to Excel and watermarking.
Why does iLovePDF upload my files?
iLovePDF processes PDFs on their servers because their backend is built with server-side libraries like Ghostscript and LibreOffice. PDF Toolbox uses WebAssembly-based pdf-lib.js to do everything client-side, eliminating the need for uploads.
Which is faster — PDF Toolbox or iLovePDF?
For small to medium files, PDF Toolbox is faster because there's no upload/download time. For very large files (100MB+), iLovePDF's server-side processing may be faster since servers have more computing power than a browser.
Does PDF Toolbox have a mobile app?
PDF Toolbox is a web app that works on any device with a modern browser — desktop, tablet, or mobile. There's no need to install anything. iLovePDF offers native mobile apps for iOS and Android.
Try PDF Toolbox — No Uploads, No Limits
Your files stay on your device. Always free. No registration.
Start Using PDF Toolbox →