PDF tools / Compare
Lumin vs Smallpdf
Both do 2 of the same PDF tools tasks. Below is what each says about its own limits and pricing, and how each ranks on signals we can measure or quote.
Disclosure: agathox makes some of the tools listed here. They are labelled and scored by the same method as every other tool.
A
Lumin
Automate agreements from draft to signature through one secure platform. Document creation, editing, and eSignatures trusted by 140+ million users worldwide.
Signals score: 3.8 / 5 · not a hands-on test
Visit www.luminpdf.comB
Smallpdf
Online PDF tools by Smallpdf AG (Zurich, Switzerland).
Signals score: 4.2 / 5 · not a hands-on test
Visit smallpdf.comPricing, limits and privacy
- Free tier
- A: Free plan at $0: basic PDF editing, basic eSignatures, annotation of up to 3 docs, plus mobile and desktop apps. The limit is 3 docs per month; a doc counts once you share, download, print or sync it.
- B: Limited access to basic features of 21 tools, with up to 2 conversions a day. The same limit applies with or without a free account. File-size and page limits are not stated.
- Paid plan
- A: In USD: Starter from $9/month (10 docs per month); Pro $19/month per team (200 docs per month team-wide); Business $99/month per team; Enterprise is custom. All plans have a 7-day free trial. The page does not explain annual versus monthly billing and does not mention country-based pricing.
- B: Pro adds unlimited use of all tools, OCR, batch conversion, no ads and the desktop and mobile apps. The price is not shown on the official pages we could read.
- Signup
- A: Not stated directly. The Free plan and trials link to a sign-up page.
- B: Not required for most tools. Sign needs a free account.
- Watermark
- A: Not stated.
- B: Says it adds no watermark, even on the free plan.
- Where files go
- A: Per the privacy policy, all Lumin servers are in the United States. Files are processed for tasks like OCR and compression, including with OpenAI and Google Gemini integrations. File copies are kept only if you upload, convert or share them. Account deletion removes files within 30 days of request, though another section says immediately.
- B: Cloud-based: files are uploaded and deleted automatically after one hour for most tools. Its servers are in Ireland.
From each tool's own pages, checked 2026-11-01 (Lumin) and 2026-10-31 (Smallpdf). Prices and limits change; check the tool before you rely on them. Sources are listed on each tool's page.
Compare on a task
Neither tool has been hands-on tested on these tasks yet, and we do not guess. Open a task to see both ranked with every other tool.
- Only Smallpdf: Merge PDF, Split PDF, Compress PDF, Word to PDF, PDF to Word, PDF to JPG, Protect PDF, OCR PDF
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