PDF tools / Compare
PDFsam 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
PDFsam
Free, open source desktop app to split, merge, rotate and extract PDF files. Fully offline, your files never leave your computer, from a free app to a full PDF editor
Signals score: 3.9 / 5 · not a hands-on test
Visit pdfsam.orgB
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: PDFsam Basic is free and open source (AGPL) with no sign-up, no watermarks and no limits, per the home page. It is a desktop app that works without an Internet connection.
- 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: PDFsam Visual has a 14-day free trial, then needs a license (one-time purchase or subscription). PDFsam Enhanced needs a yearly subscription for the full editor and runs on Windows only. Prices are not shown on the pages read.
- 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: PDFsam Basic needs no sign-up. PDFsam Enhanced requires registration even for its free reader and virtual printer.
- B: Not required for most tools. Sign needs a free account.
- Watermark
- A: Basic has no watermarks. Not stated for the Visual trial or Enhanced free version.
- B: Says it adds no watermark, even on the free plan.
- Where files go
- A: All apps process PDF files locally; the privacy policy says no PDF content is automatically sent or uploaded to its servers. Basic sends and collects nothing. Visual may contact servers for licensing and, if you opt in, send error reports that can include file paths.
- 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 (PDFsam) 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 PDFsam: Rotate PDF
- Only Smallpdf: Compress PDF, Edit PDF, Sign PDF, Word to PDF, PDF to Word, PDF to JPG, Protect PDF, OCR PDF
More
Know a tool that should be here? Submit it, or write to hello@agathox.com.