# pdf-lib vs Smallpdf

| Attribute | pdf-lib | Smallpdf |
|---|---|---|
| **vioscaleAI score** | 47.6 (44% (low)) | 44 (74% (medium)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | 0 | - |
| adoption.dependent_repos | 2,364 | - |
| adoption.github_stars | 8,660 | - |
| content.faq | `[{"answer":"A pure JavaScript PDF manipulation toolkit that runs across any JavaScript environment including web browsers, Node.js, Deno, and React Native. It enables creating new PDFs, editing existing documents, filling forms with various field types, embedding fonts, and merging or splitting pages. It is indexed under PDF Editors.","source":"https://pdf-lib.js.org/","question":"What is pdf-lib?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"pdf-lib offers a free tier, so you can start without paying. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://pdf-lib.js.org/","question":"Is pdf-lib free?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed browser-based access to pdf-lib. That is the extent of what we could verify from public sources, so it may well offer desktop or mobile clients we have not indexed.","source":"https://pdf-lib.js.org/","question":"What platforms does pdf-lib support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. pdf-lib is published under the MIT licence, a permissive licence that generally allows commercial use and modification. Licence terms can change between releases, so verify against the repository for the version you intend to use.","source":"https://github.com/hopding/pdf-lib","question":"Is pdf-lib open source?","confidence":0.95}]` | `[{"answer":"Smallpdf is a cloud-based PDF service offering 48 tools for converting, editing, compressing, and managing PDF documents. It's available as web applications, browser extensions, desktop software for Windows and macOS, and mobile apps for iOS and Android, with integrations for Google Workspace and Dropbox. It is indexed under PDF Editors.","source":"https://smallpdf.com/","question":"What is Smallpdf?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Smallpdf offers a free tier, so you can start without paying. Paid plans are also available: Free, Pro, Team and Business. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://smallpdf.com/pricing","question":"Is Smallpdf free?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Smallpdf supports the web, Windows, macOS, iOS and Android. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://smallpdf.com/","question":"What platforms does Smallpdf support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Not fully, on what we have confirmed. Smallpdf is offered as cloud / SaaS and hybrid, and a hybrid deployment usually means some components can run on your own infrastructure while the rest stays vendor-hosted. We have not confirmed a completely self-hosted option, so check with the vendor if that is a requirement.","source":"https://smallpdf.com/","question":"Can Smallpdf be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed 5 integrations for Smallpdf, including Google Drive, Dropbox, Google Chrome, Google Workspace and Sign.com. This is what we could verify from public sources, so the vendor may support others we have not indexed.","source":"https://smallpdf.com/","question":"What does Smallpdf integrate with?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have independently confirmed ISO 27001 and GDPR for Smallpdf. Certifications we do not list are ones we have not been able to verify from public sources, which is not the same as Smallpdf not holding them. Always confirm compliance directly before you rely on it.","source":"https://smallpdf.com/","question":"What security certifications does Smallpdf have?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Smallpdf is available worldwide. The vendor is headquartered in Switzerland.","source":"https://smallpdf.com/pricing","question":"Where is Smallpdf available?","confidence":0.75}]` |
| deployment.options | - | `{"cloud":true,"hybrid":true}` |
| description.long | A programming library that enables developers to create, edit, and manipulate PDF files with support for embedded fonts, form field creation, page embedding, and text drawing. | Smallpdf is a cloud-based PDF service offering 48 tools for converting, editing, compressing, and managing PDF documents. It's available as web applications, browser extensions, desktop software for Windows and macOS, and mobile apps for iOS and Android, with integrations for Google Workspace and Dropbox. |
| features.capabilities | `{"interactive_form_field_creation":true,"page_merging_extraction_and_splitting":true,"base_text_and_image_editing_within_pdf":true,"ocr_optical_character_recognition_scanning":false}` | `{"iso_27001":true,"soc2_type_ii":false,"pricing_model":"freemium","deployment_model":"cloud_saas","file_size_compression_engine":true,"interactive_form_field_creation":false,"password_protection_and_encryption":true,"permanent_blackout_redaction_engine":false,"microsoft_office_docx_xlsx_conversion":true,"page_merging_extraction_and_splitting":true,"base_text_and_image_editing_within_pdf":true,"ocr_optical_character_recognition_scanning":true,"digital_signature_certification_enforcement":true}` |
| integrations.count | - | 3 |
| integrations.list | - | `[{"name":"Google Drive"},{"name":"Dropbox"},{"name":"Google Chrome"},{"name":"Google Workspace"},{"name":"Sign.com"}]` |
| language.primary | TypeScript | - |
| license.spdx | MIT | - |
| market.availability | - | `{"hqCountry":"CH","primaryMarkets":[],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` |
| platform.support | `{"web":true}` | `{"ios":true,"mac":true,"web":true,"android":true,"windows":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"free","summary":"Free","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://pdf-lib.js.org/","retrievedAt":"2026-08-19T16:04:48.894Z"}` | `{"type":"subscription","plans":[{"free":true,"name":"Free","summary":"Free","features":["30+ document management tools","Limited document downloads","Limited mobile app access","Limited Sign.com access"],"minSeats":1,"components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":0,"period":"month","currency":null}],"description":"30+ document management tools with limited usage","contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"tools":"30+","downloads":"limited","mobile_access":"limited","sign_com_limit":"2 documents/month"}},{"free":false,"name":"Pro","summary":"Billed annually","features":["Unlimited access to 30+ tools","Unlimited document downloads","Edit Text, OCR, and more","Strong Compression","Unlimited AI-powered tools","Unlimited mobile app access","Unlimited Sign.com Premium subscription"],"minSeats":1,"commitment":"annual","description":"Unlimited access to all tools, AI features, and premium compression","contactSales":false},{"free":false,"name":"Team","summary":"Per-seat billed annually","features":["Everything in Pro","Special discounted pricing","Priority customer support","Centralized billing","Member access management","Unlimited Sign.com Premium for each team member"],"minSeats":2,"commitment":"annual","description":"Team collaboration with discounted per-seat pricing and centralized management","contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"team_size":"2-19 seats"}},{"free":false,"name":"Business","summary":"Custom pricing available upon request","features":["Everything in Pro for Teams","Custom pricing","Flexible payment options","Dedicated customer support"],"minSeats":20,"description":"Enterprise solutions for large teams with custom terms","contactSales":true}],"summary":"Freemium model with paid subscription tiers billed annually.","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://smallpdf.com/pricing","retrievedAt":"2026-08-25T15:50:20.686Z","freeTrialDays":7,"billingPeriods":["month","year"]}` |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | yes |
| pricing.model | commercial | freemium |
| pricing.price_level | free | low |
| pricing.transparent | yes | no |
| release.cadence_days | 19 | - |
| release.history | `[{"url":"https://github.com/Hopding/pdf-lib/releases/tag/v1.17.1","date":"2021-11-06T22:31:59Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.17.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/Hopding/pdf-lib/releases/tag/v1.17.0","date":"2021-10-16T21:23:39Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.17.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/Hopding/pdf-lib/releases/tag/v1.16.0","date":"2021-01-27T01:11:42Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.16.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/Hopding/pdf-lib/releases/tag/v1.15.0","date":"2021-01-09T23:04:56Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.15.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/Hopding/pdf-lib/releases/tag/v1.14.1","date":"2020-12-30T00:07:00Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.14.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/Hopding/pdf-lib/releases/tag/v1.14.0","date":"2020-12-21T17:46:03Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.14.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/Hopding/pdf-lib/releases/tag/v1.13.0","date":"2020-12-06T20:09:41Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.13.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/Hopding/pdf-lib/releases/tag/v1.12.0","date":"2020-11-15T15:49:05Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.12.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/Hopding/pdf-lib/releases/tag/v1.11.2","date":"2020-10-09T22:10:18Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.11.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/Hopding/pdf-lib/releases/tag/v1.11.1","date":"2020-09-15T23:54:00Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.11.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/Hopding/pdf-lib/releases/tag/v1.11.0","date":"2020-09-13T20:29:46Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.11.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/Hopding/pdf-lib/releases/tag/v1.10.0","date":"2020-08-08T16:26:20Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.10.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/Hopding/pdf-lib/releases/tag/v1.9.0","date":"2020-06-26T23:26:28Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.9.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/Hopding/pdf-lib/releases/tag/v1.8.0","date":"2020-06-20T18:26:25Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.8.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/Hopding/pdf-lib/releases/tag/v1.7.0","date":"2020-05-30T16:20:25Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.7.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/Hopding/pdf-lib/releases/tag/v1.6.1","date":"2020-05-25T15:57:14Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.6.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/Hopding/pdf-lib/releases/tag/v1.6.0","date":"2020-05-16T15:55:44Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.6.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/Hopding/pdf-lib/releases/tag/v1.5.0","date":"2020-04-26T20:26:56Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.5.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/Hopding/pdf-lib/releases/tag/v1.4.1","date":"2020-03-07T16:59:52Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.4.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/Hopding/pdf-lib/releases/tag/v1.4.0","date":"2020-02-29T16:39:41Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.4.0"}]` | - |
| security.certifications | - | `[{"name":"ISO 27001","status":"active"}]` |
| security.gdpr | - | yes |
| security.iso27001 | - | yes |
| security.vulnerabilities | `{"count":0,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=npm&package_name=pdf-lib&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":null}` | - |

## Capabilities (PDF Editors)

| Capability | pdf-lib | Smallpdf |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Capabilities** |  |  |
| Deployment model | - | Cloud saas |
| Base text and image editing within PDF | ✓ | ✓ |
| Page merging extraction and splitting | ✓ | ✓ |
| OCR optical character recognition scanning | ✗ | ✓ |
| Permanent blackout redaction engine | - | ✗ |
| Password protection and encryption | - | ✓ |
| Interactive form field creation | ✓ | ✗ |
| Digital signature certification enforcement | - | ✓ |
| Microsoft office docx xlsx conversion | - | ✓ |
| File size compression engine | - | ✓ |
| SOC2 type ii | - | ✗ |
| ISO 27001 | - | ✓ |
| Pricing model | - | Freemium |

*Source: vioscaleAI. Generated 2026-10-16T19:15:41.643Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*