A Smallpdf alternative that doesn't upload your files
- Free, with no paid plan
- No account
- Files never leave your device
Smallpdf is a popular, well-run PDF service. Like most online PDF sites, it works by uploading your file to its servers, doing the job there and sending the result back.
PilotPDF does the everyday jobs (merge, split, compress, convert to and from images, sign, protect, unlock, OCR) inside your browser instead. Your file stays on your device, there is no account, and it's free. Here is an honest comparison, including the things Smallpdf does that we don't.
How Smallpdf handles your file
Smallpdf's own guide to its safety says files are uploaded and processed on its servers in Ireland, are encrypted in transit with TLS, and are deleted from those servers after one hour unless you save them to your Smallpdf account. It also holds ISO 27001 certification.
That is a careful setup. It still means a copy of your document sits on someone else's computer for up to an hour, under their security and their staff rules. For a menu or a flyer that rarely matters. For a payslip, a passport scan, a medical letter or a contract, many people would rather it never left their device at all.
PilotPDF works differently: the tool runs inside your browser, so your file is opened and changed on your own device and the result is saved straight to your downloads. There is no upload, so there is nothing for us to store or delete.
Side by side
| Smallpdf | PilotPDF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where your file is processed | Smallpdf's servers (Ireland) | Your browser, on your device |
| How long a copy is kept | Up to 1 hour (longer if saved to an account) | No copy: nothing is uploaded |
| Price | Free tier and paid Pro plan | Free |
| Merge, split, compress, rotate | ||
| PDF to JPG/PNG, images to PDF | ||
| Sign a PDF yourself | ||
| Password-protect and unlock | ||
| OCR to a searchable PDF | ||
| Word, Excel, PowerPoint to PDF and back | ||
| Send documents to others to sign | ||
| Phone and desktop apps | Works in any browser; no app | |
| Cloud storage for your files |
Smallpdf details checked on 2 October 2026 from its own pages (sources below). Services change; if something here is out of date, tell us.
When Smallpdf is the better choice
- You need to convert Word, Excel or PowerPoint files to PDF, or a PDF back to Word.
- You need to send a document to other people and collect their signatures.
- You want your files stored in the cloud and available on all your devices.
- You would rather install a desktop app; Smallpdf's Windows app can work without uploading.
When PilotPDF is the better choice
- The document is private: IDs, payslips, medical or legal papers, anything under NDA.
- Your company policy says files mustn't go to outside services.
- You want the job done with no account, no trial and no paid plan.
- You are on a slow or metered connection: nothing is uploaded, so big scans don't eat your data.
Where to find the tools you use
- Merge PDF → Merge PDF
- Compress PDF → Compress PDF
- Split PDF → Split PDF
- PDF to JPG → PDF to JPG
- JPG to PDF → JPG to PDF
- Sign PDF → Sign PDF
- Protect PDF → Protect PDF
- Unlock PDF → Unlock PDF
- PDF OCR → PDF OCR (searchable PDF)
- Rotate PDF → Rotate PDF
Don't take this page's word for it either. Open your browser's Network tab while you use any PilotPDF tool and you will see no upload. Here is how, in two minutes.
Questions
Is Smallpdf safe?
By its own account, Smallpdf encrypts uploads, processes them in Ireland and deletes them after an hour, and it is ISO 27001 certified. The difference with PilotPDF is not that one is careless: it's that PilotPDF never receives your file in the first place.
Is PilotPDF really free?
Yes. There is no account, no trial and no paid plan. Because your own device does the work, we don't pay for servers to process your files.
Can PilotPDF convert Word to PDF?
No. Converting Office files well needs the Office formats' own layout engine, which doesn't run in a browser today. Use Smallpdf, Word's own Save as PDF, or LibreOffice for that.
Are large files a problem?
Your device does the work, so very large files depend on its memory. Files under 100 MB work on most computers, and we test a 150-page PDF on every release.
How can I be sure nothing is uploaded?
Open your browser's Network tab while you use a tool, or switch off Wi-Fi once the tool has opened. The check-it-yourself page walks through both.
Sources
- Smallpdf: Is Smallpdf Safe? (uploads, Ireland servers, 1-hour deletion, ISO 27001)
- Smallpdf: Word to PDF
- Smallpdf: PDF to Word
- Smallpdf: Compress PDF offline on Windows (desktop app)
- Smallpdf: Searchable vs non-searchable PDFs (OCR)
- Smallpdf: Online contract signing (requesting signatures)
- Smallpdf on the App Store
Smallpdf is a trademark of its owner. PilotPDF is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Smallpdf.