UtilOrb vs iLovePDF: Free PDF tools without uploading

iLovePDF's web tools work by uploading your file to iLovePDF's servers, processing it there and letting you download the result. iLovePDF says uploads use HTTPS and its own end-to-end encryption, and that processed files are automatically and permanently deleted within two hours. You can also delete them yourself from the download screen. Signed documents are the exception: iLovePDF keeps those for legal reasons, for up to five years.

iLovePDF is based in Barcelona, Spain. It says it is GDPR compliant and holds ISO/IEC 27001 certification, and Premium and Business customers can choose the region where their files are processed. Its privacy policy also says it does not use your content to train its AI models.

The iLovePDF Desktop app can process files locally on your computer, and iLovePDF says it works offline. The full set of desktop tools needs a paid plan, though, and iLovePDF's terms note that some desktop tools still use its servers.

UtilOrb works differently. Each tool runs inside your browser tab: your file is read into memory on your device, processed there and handed back as a download. There's no upload, so there's nothing to send, store or delete afterwards. You can check this in your browser's developer tools: none of the network requests carry your file. See our privacy policy for the details.

iLovePDF's basic tools are free to use without an account. Its pricing page describes the free plan as "limited document processing" and sets limits per task that vary by tool: for example, 100 MB and up to 25 files when merging, 200 MB and 2 files when compressing, and 15 MB for Office conversions and OCR. Premium raises most of these to 4 GB. The free plan shows ads.

UtilOrb has no plans, accounts or ads. Every tool is free, with a 50 MB limit per file and no daily caps. Because the work happens on your device, very large files are limited by your device's memory, and an older phone will be slower than a laptop.

When we checked in November 2026, iLovePDF Premium cost US$4 a month billed yearly (US$48 a year), or US$7 billed monthly, for 1 to 25 users. Premium adds bigger limits, batch processing, advanced OCR, AI credits, the desktop and mobile apps and an ad-free experience. A Business plan for larger teams is priced on request, and iLovePDF offers students and academics a free year of Premium. iLovePDF says its prices include VAT; what you see may differ by country.

UtilOrb is free, and there's no paid tier to upgrade to.

iLovePDF simply does more, and much of it needs server-side software that a browser can't run. Choose it for:

• Office conversions: Word, Excel and PowerPoint to and from PDF, and HTML to PDF.
• Editing the existing text in a PDF, rather than adding things on top.
• OCR for PDFs, to make scanned documents searchable, plus AI tools that summarize and translate PDFs.
• Signature workflows: sending a document to others to sign, with an audit trail and certified signatures.
• More PDF tools, including protect, unlock, repair, redact, compare and PDF/A conversion.
• Apps and integrations: desktop apps for Windows and Mac, mobile apps, Google Drive and Dropbox, and a developer API.

• Files never leave your device. There's no upload and no retention period to trust, which suits contracts, payslips, ID scans and medical letters.
• Nothing to manage. No accounts, no ads, no paid tier and no daily caps; the only limit is 50 MB per file.
• More than PDFs. Image tools such as HEIC to JPG and Image to Text, plus text tools, developer tools and everyday calculators, all in one place.
• Works offline once loaded. Pages you've visited keep working without a connection, and you can install UtilOrb as an app.