Figures checked against iLovePDF's own pages on October 22, 2026
Written by Hassan Raza, Founder & Developer of EasyPDFLoad.
EasyPDFLoad vs iLovePDF: an honest comparison
Short answer: iLovePDF is the better choice for very large files, server side OCR, mobile apps and a long tool list. EasyPDFLoad is the better choice when the PDF is private and you want it kept in your browser tab, not uploaded and deleted two hours later.
EasyPDFLoad is a competing PDF tool, built and run by one developer. This page quotes iLovePDF's own pages, read in October 2026: its privacy policy, terms, security page and pricing page. Policies and limits change, so check the live pages before you rely on a figure.
The real difference with iLovePDF: where the work happens
iLovePDF is a server based tool. You pick a file, the browser sends it to iLovePDF, software on its machines does the job, and you download the result. That is why it can handle a 4 GB Premium merge, run OCR on a bad scan and convert Office files. The heavy work happens on hardware you do not have to own.
EasyPDFLoad works the other way. The page loads pdf-lib and pdf.js into your browser tab, and they read your file from memory. A merge copies pages into a new document in that tab. A split does the same. Nothing travels to our server, because the tool does not ask for it. The page's Content-Security-Policy only lets it connect to its own origin.
This changes what you have to trust. With iLovePDF you trust a policy: a deletion window, a certification and a promise not to look. With EasyPDFLoad you can check behavior, because an upload would show up as a network request you can see. We say that is the honest claim, and it is a narrow one. We do not say the site is free of cookies or tracking. Our privacy policy says we may use analytics and advertising cookies, and our about page and privacy policy explain what that means.
The trade is capacity. Your laptop does the work, so a huge merge is limited by your memory, and there is no server OCR farm behind it. For the wider argument, see our page on private PDF tools.
EasyPDFLoad and iLovePDF side by side
| EasyPDFLoad | iLovePDF | |
|---|---|---|
| File uploaded to a server | No, processed in your browser tab | Yes, processed on its servers |
| Stated retention period | Nothing is uploaded, so nothing is retained by us | 2 hours after processing (terms and security page); signed documents 2 to 5 years per the terms |
| Free file size limit | No cap set by the tool; your device memory is the limit | Merge 100 MB, compress 200 MB, Word to PDF and PDF to Word 15 MB, per task |
| Free daily task limit | None set by the tool | Not stated on the pages we read (batch processing is listed as "Limited") |
| Account required | No | Its terms list free use without registering |
| Watermark on output | No | Not stated on the pages we read |
| Offline use | Some tools, once the page has loaded. Others need a connection first. | Desktop apps for Mac and Windows say they work offline |
| Number of tools | More than twenty | Not stated on the pages we read |
| OCR | Yes, in the browser, English only | Yes, "OCR PDF" under Optimize PDF |
| PDF to Word | Yes, text and headings only | Yes, to DOC and DOCX |
| Mobile app | No app | iOS and Android |
| Price for full access | Free, no account | Premium 4 US$/month billed annually (48 US$), or 7 US$ billed monthly |
What iLovePDF does better
Start with size. On Premium, iLovePDF lists 4 GB per task for merge and compress, and 500 files per merge. A browser tab cannot promise that. If you are merging scanned archives of several gigabytes, a server will cope better than a phone or an older laptop.
Then conversions. iLovePDF converts PDF to DOC and DOCX, and Word, Excel and PowerPoint to PDF, on servers. EasyPDFLoad has a PDF to Word tool and a Word to PDF tool, but they are modest. Ours reads the text layer and writes text and headings. It does not recreate columns, tables or images. The Word to PDF tool lays out a .docx on fresh A4 pages and does not reproduce fonts or exact spacing. We have not compared the output with iLovePDF's, so we make no claim either way. If a scan has no text layer, you need OCR first.
OCR is the same story. Ours runs in your browser, loads only the English model and downloads its engine on the first use. iLovePDF's OCR runs on its servers.
Range and platforms matter too. iLovePDF has apps for iOS and Android, desktop apps, integrations with Google Drive and Dropbox, and an API for developers. We have none of those. If you need batch work, apps or automation, use iLovePDF.
What the iLovePDF privacy policy actually says
The policy is clear on retention. Section 6 of the privacy policy says files are deleted "within TWO (2) HOURS of being processed on ILOVEPDF's servers." Its terms repeat it: iLovePDF will "automatically delete files from your Content within two (2) hours of processing them". The security page says the same.
Signing is different. Under the terms, registered users' self-signed documents are kept for two years (simple signatures) or five years (advanced signatures). Guests get two hour deletion. A blog post says self-signing data is kept for one month. These pages disagree, and we treat the terms as the binding text. API files are deleted within a maximum of 48 hours. Files you send to support may be kept for technical studies.
On selling data, the security page says "We do not sell your data to third parties." The privacy policy has no such sentence, but it lists three sharing cases: legal obligations, a sale or restructuring of iLovePDF, and service providers acting as processors. It also says iLovePDF does not use your content to train AI models. It names ISO/IEC 27001:2022 as a certification and says it processes personal data within the European Economic Area as a general rule.
We could not find a cookie breakdown. The cookies page did not load its content for us. For a longer reading, see whether iLovePDF steals your data and when iLovePDF is safe for sensitive documents.
How to verify the iLovePDF claims yourself
You do not need to take either side's word. Your browser shows what a page sends.
- Open iLovePDF's merge page in a desktop browser and press F12, then pick the Network tab.
- Tick Preserve log, click the clear icon, and add two PDFs of a few megabytes each.
- Run the merge. Sort the list by size.
- Look for a large POST request. Its size should be close to the size of your files. That is the upload.
- Repeat the steps on our merge tool. The result should be no request that carries your file.
Small requests for fonts or scripts can still appear on a site that processes in the tab, and ad or analytics requests can appear on sites that run them. Our upload check guide explains which are harmless. This shows what the page does today. It cannot tell you what a vendor does with a file it already holds.
EasyPDFLoad or iLovePDF: when to use which
Use iLovePDF when the file is big, a scan needs server OCR, you need Office conversions you can rely on, or you work on a phone with the app. A public brochure or a school handout does not need extra care, and two hour deletion is reasonable.
Use EasyPDFLoad when the file is a passport scan, a bank statement, a contract or anything you would rather not hand over, and the job is a merge, split, rotate, compress or redact. One limit to know: target-size compression re-renders every page as an image, so text stops being selectable. Our split tool has no such effect.
Compare other sites in our Smallpdf comparison and PDF24 comparison.
Straight answers (EasyPDFLoad vs iLovePDF: an honest)
Does iLovePDF store my files?
Yes, briefly. Its terms say files are deleted within two hours of processing. Signed documents are kept for two to five years.
Does iLovePDF sell my data?
Its security page says "We do not sell your data to third parties." The privacy policy lists service providers acting as processors.
Is iLovePDF safe?
For ordinary files, it is reasonable: two hour deletion and ISO/IEC 27001:2022. Sensitive files still reach its servers.
Is EasyPDFLoad just a worse iLovePDF?
On features, partly yes. It has fewer tools and no apps. On privacy it differs, because your file stays in your browser tab.
What is the best free iLovePDF alternative?
It depends on the job. For private merges and splits, a browser based tool such as EasyPDFLoad avoids the upload.
What are iLovePDF's free limits?
As read in October 2026, merge allows 25 files and 100 MB, and compress 2 files and 200 MB per task. Check the live page.
Related to EasyPDFLoad vs iLovePDF: an honest
- Merge PDF: Combine multiple PDF files into a single document in seconds.
- Split PDF: Split a PDF into separate single-page files or extract a page range.
- Compress PDF: Shrink a PDF to fit email and upload limits, with a level or target size.
- OCR PDF: Make a scanned PDF searchable, or pull its text out entirely, using OCR that runs in your browser.
- PDF to Word: Turn a PDF into an editable Word file with its text and headings.
- Redact PDF: Permanently black out sensitive text or images before sharing a PDF.
- How to check whether any PDF tool uploads your file
- Does iLovePDF Steal Your Data? What Its Policy Says
- Is iLovePDF Safe for Sensitive Documents?
- Open source and self-hosted iLovePDF alternatives, compared honestly
- EasyPDFLoad vs Smallpdf: an honest comparison
- EasyPDFLoad vs PDF24: an honest comparison
- Private PDF tools