iLovePDF review 2026: merge, compress, convert, sign and OCR PDFs online, Free vs Premium pricing, API access and comparison to Smallpdf and Adobe Acrobat.
iLovePDF started in 2010 as a simple one-page website for merging PDF files, built by Barcelona-based founder Marco Grossi after he struggled to find an affordable, easy tool to do the job himself. It has since grown into a full suite of more than 25 browser-based PDF utilities used by millions of people each month.
The company remains privately owned and, according to its founder, bootstrapped without outside venture investment, funding its growth primarily through Premium subscriptions and advertising on its free tools. It now ranks among the most-visited software utility sites globally, competing closely with Smallpdf for the online PDF tool audience.
iLovePDF's core tools cover the everyday PDF tasks most people need: merging and splitting documents, compressing file size, converting to and from Word, Excel, PowerPoint and image formats, rotating and reorganizing pages, and adding watermarks or page numbers. Editing tools let users annotate PDFs, fill and sign forms, and redact sensitive content directly in the browser.
More advanced capabilities include OCR for making scanned documents searchable and editable, password protection and unlocking, comparing two versions of a PDF, and repairing corrupted files. A REST API extends the same processing engine to developers who want to build PDF handling into their own products rather than using the consumer-facing website.
The free tier covers most common tasks but limits the number of daily operations, caps file size, and shows ads, which is enough for occasional personal use. The Premium subscription, priced roughly between $4 and $8 per month depending on billing cycle, removes ads and unlocks OCR, unlimited file sizes and simultaneous batch processing of multiple files.
Business and Team plans add multi-seat licensing and centralized billing for organizations that need several employees using Premium features, while API pricing is billed separately based on usage volume for developers embedding iLovePDF's PDF processing engine into their own applications.
Yes, iLovePDF's core toolset is free to use with daily usage and file-size limits and ads; a Premium subscription removes these limits and adds OCR and batch processing.
iLovePDF was founded in 2010 in Barcelona, Spain by Marco Grossi, who built it originally as a simple free tool for merging PDF files.
iLovePDF processes files on its servers and states that uploaded files are deleted after processing; users with highly sensitive documents may still prefer offline or self-hosted PDF tools for extra assurance.
Premium removes ads and adds OCR, unlimited file sizes, and the ability to process multiple files simultaneously, priced at roughly $4 to $8 per month depending on billing cycle.
Yes, iLovePDF offers native desktop apps for Windows and Mac, mobile apps for iOS and Android, and a browser extension in addition to its main web tool.
Yes, iLovePDF provides a REST API priced on a usage basis for developers who want to integrate its PDF processing engine into their own applications.