PDFRaw vs Smallpdf
Smallpdf is a polished Swiss suite with a tight free tier. Here is how its daily task limit, ads and Pro pricing compare with a tool that is free by default.
Last checked August 2026. Smallpdf is a product of its respective owner; details below come from their public site and can change.
Side by side
| Feature | PDFRaw | Smallpdf |
|---|---|---|
| Free to use without an account | YesAll 113 tools, full limits | YesWith a daily task limit |
| Free task limit | None | Daily cap; widely reported as 2 tasks per day, not published by Smallpdf |
| Ads on the free tier | No | YesRemoved on paid plans |
| Watermarks on output | No | No |
| File retention | Deleted after 2 hours | Within 1 hour for logged-in tasks; no fixed window stated for anonymous use |
| Free file size limit | 100 MB per file | Not published, described as limited |
| Number of tools | 113 | Around 30 |
| Audio and video tools | Yes | No |
| AI summarize and translate | YesFree | PartlyLimited free, unlimited on Pro |
| Desktop and mobile apps | NoWeb only | Yes |
| ISO 27001 certified | No | Yes |
| Paid plan | None, everything is free | Pro at about $9 per month billed yearly, $15 monthly |
Where Smallpdf is strong
- Best-in-class conversion quality through the licensed Solid Documents engine, which is the benchmark for PDF to Word.
- A real compliance record: ISO 27001 certification, GDPR, CCPA and Swiss data protection, documented in a public trust centre.
- Files from logged-in tasks are deleted within one hour, a shorter window than ours.
- Apps everywhere: iOS, Android, Windows, a Chrome extension, and Google Workspace and Dropbox integrations.
- Bundled e-signing through Sign.com on paid plans, and thirteen years of track record at enormous scale.
Where PDFRaw is strong
- No daily task limit. Smallpdf's free tier stops counting in your favour after a couple of tasks; ours does not count at all.
- No ads for anyone. Smallpdf lists the absence of ads among its paid benefits.
- A published free file limit, 100 MB, rather than a limit described only as limited.
- 113 tools against around 30, adding audio, video, full ebook and image coverage, and transcription.
- AI summarizing and translation free without caps that push you to Pro.
The free tier, measured
Smallpdf's free tier is a trial that never expires rather than a product: a daily download cap on nearly every tool, a file size described as limited, restricted AI tools, and ads that paying removes. The commonly reported figure is two tasks per day, and Smallpdf chooses not to print the number on its pricing page. For one occasional task it is fine; as a daily tool it is designed to make you pay, which is a legitimate business model stated less than plainly.
PDFRaw's free tier is the product, because there is nothing else: every tool, no task counter, no ads, no paid plan, and a stated 100 MB per-file limit. If you convert one file a month, the two services will feel identical; if you have a heavy day, only one of them will stop you.
Privacy and file handling
Smallpdf's security paperwork is genuinely strong: ISO 27001 certified, GDPR and Swiss law compliant, EU servers, and files from logged-in tasks deleted within an hour, which beats our two. The nuance sits with anonymous use, where their privacy notice promises deletion within a reasonable period after a file is last opened rather than a fixed window. Their conversions also run through licensed third-party engines such as Solid Documents and Apryse, which is part of why the quality is high.
PDFRaw states one rule for everyone, logged in or not: files are deleted two hours after upload, enforced three independent ways, with an immediate delete button on the result screen. Processing runs on our own servers with no third-party conversion service in the path, and the disclosed exception is the AI tools, which send document text to a large language model and retain nothing. We carry no ISO certificate, and will not pretend otherwise; what we offer instead is a shorter list of parties involved with your file.
Tools and platforms
Smallpdf covers the PDF essentials in about thirty polished tools, converts unusual formats like HWP and EPUB, bundles a document scanner in its mobile apps, and reaches every platform: web, iOS, Android, Windows, and browser extensions. If you want one account that follows you from phone to desktop, that ecosystem is a real advantage.
PDFRaw is web only and wider: 113 tools that add audio and video conversion and compression, transcription, the full ebook family, image tools, and AI summarizing and translation without a Pro gate. The trade is apps versus breadth, and it is a fair one to decide for yourself.
Try it on a real file
No account, no watermark, and the file is deleted two hours after you upload it.
Which one should you use?
Choose Smallpdf if
- You want the best PDF to Word conversion available and will pay for it.
- Your organisation needs vendor paperwork: ISO 27001, a trust centre, enterprise plans.
- You live across phone, desktop and integrations and want one suite in all of them.
- You sign documents often and want bundled e-signing.
Choose PDFRaw if
- Two tasks a day is not a free tier you can work with.
- You do not want ads around your documents.
- You want the file size limit stated in megabytes, not adjectives.
- You also handle audio, video, images or ebooks.
Frequently asked questions
Is Smallpdf free?
Partly. The free tier works without an account but has a daily task cap, widely reported as two tasks per day, limited file sizes, limited AI tools, and ads. Pro, at about $9 per month billed yearly or $15 monthly as of August 2026, removes the limits and the ads.
Is Smallpdf safe?
Yes, by the strongest paper trail in this market: ISO 27001 certification, GDPR and Swiss compliance, EU servers, and one-hour deletion for logged-in tasks. Note that anonymous-use files are kept until a reasonable period after last opened rather than a fixed window, and conversions run through licensed third-party engines.
What does Smallpdf have that PDFRaw does not?
Mobile and desktop apps, browser extensions, cloud storage integrations, bundled e-signing, an ISO 27001 certificate, and conversion engines with a deserved reputation. Our answer is breadth and an unmetered free tier; theirs is polish and ecosystem.
Why is PDFRaw free when Smallpdf charges?
Different models. Smallpdf funds a large company from subscriptions, so the free tier is built to convert you into a subscriber. PDFRaw has no subscription to sell: we run the tools on our own hardware, which keeps them cheap to operate, and the free tier is simply the product.