A Smallpdf alternative with no file retention
- Free, with no paid plan
- No account
- No file retention
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) without retaining your file. 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 does not retain copies of your original files, completed files, passwords, or document contents after processing.
Side by side
| Smallpdf | PilotPDF | |
|---|---|---|
| File retention | Processed on Smallpdf's servers | No original or completed file retained |
| How long a copy is kept | Up to 1 hour (longer if saved to an account) | No copy: PilotPDF does not retain a copy |
| 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 Services change; if something here is out of date, tell us.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 want a service that does not keep a copy of your original or completed file.
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
PilotPDF does not keep copies of your original files, completed files, passwords, or document contents after processing. Read our privacy policy.
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.
Does PilotPDF keep my files?
No. PilotPDF does not retain your original file, completed file, password, or document contents after processing. Read the privacy policy for the full details.
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.