PDF tools / Compare
PDF Expert 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
PDF Expert
Download a free trial of PDF Expert – the best PDF software for your Mac. Enjoy advanced reading layouts, powerful PDF editing and classical annotation tools.
Signals score: 3.8 / 5 · not a hands-on test
Visit pdfexpert.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: Not stated. The pricing page links to a free download but describes no free features or limits. The terms say that on installation you get a free license with limits on some features.
- 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: Yearly plan 7,200 rupees billed annually (iPhone, iPad, Mac). Lifetime plan 14,900 rupees one-time, Mac only. 30-day money-back guarantee. Prices are in Indian rupees; the page does not name a country. The education discount is shown as 30% off in the form and 50% off in the confirmation message.
- 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: Partly. The terms say you may need to register a personal cross-platform account, by email or Google or Apple sign-in. Not stated for the listed tasks.
- 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: Not stated. The terms say user content is processed securely and give no location or retention period. Users are told to keep their own backups.
- 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 (PDF Expert) 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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