UtilOrb vs Smallpdf: Free PDF tools without uploading

Smallpdf's online tools are cloud-based: your file is uploaded, processed on Smallpdf's servers and offered back as a download. Its privacy notice says uploaded files are processed and temporarily stored on servers in the European Union, run by the hosting company Hetzner, and that all transfers are encrypted with TLS.

Smallpdf's tool pages say files are deleted automatically after one hour. Its help center says this applies to most tools, and files you choose to save in your Smallpdf account are kept until you delete them. One more detail from its privacy notice: by default, processed documents are "accessible to anyone with a unique sharable URL", a setting you can turn off.

Smallpdf AG is based in Zürich, Switzerland, and says it is ISO/IEC 27001 certified and complies with GDPR, CCPA and Switzerland's data protection act (nFADP). It also says files used with its AI tools aren't used to train models. Its Windows desktop app handles files offline without uploading them; Smallpdf's help center lists the desktop app as part of Pro, and there's no current Mac version.

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.

Most Smallpdf tools work without an account. The free plan has a daily download limit and a file-size limit, though the pricing page doesn't put a number on either. Some features are Pro-only, including strong and batch compression, editing existing text, and OCR when converting PDFs to Office files. On the free plan, e-signatures are limited to two documents a month, and the AI tools to up to four documents a day.

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.

Smallpdf offers Free, Pro, Team and Business plans, with Business priced on request. Pro comes with a 7-day free trial for first-time subscribers, which needs payment details. Smallpdf's pricing page fills in its prices as it loads, and its terms say prices can vary, so check the page for what applies to you. As a guide, Smallpdf's own comparison page listed Pro at US$12 a month, or US$9 a month billed yearly, in March 2026.

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

Smallpdf covers far more ground, much of it needing server-side software or storage. Choose it for:

• Document conversions: Word, Excel and PowerPoint to and from PDF, plus other formats such as ODT, EPUB and Pages.
• AI tools: chat with a PDF, summaries, translation and a question generator.
• Signature workflows through Sign.com: request signatures, track document activity, add digital seals and get a certificate of completion.
• Editing existing text in a PDF, on Pro.
• Cloud storage and integrations: keep documents in your account, and connect Google Drive, Dropbox or OneDrive.
• Apps and teams: a Windows desktop app, iOS and Android apps with document scanning, and plans with central billing for teams.

• 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.