PDFelement vs Smallpdf
On the evidence we track, Smallpdf leads this comparison with a composite score of 44/100. Scores are only directly comparable because these tools share a category; the full breakdown and every source is below.
Capabilities
Feature-by-feature on the axes that matter for pdf editors. “-” means undocumented, not absent.
What each one is
The product in its own terms, so the numbers below have context.
PDFelement
A full-featured PDF editor that enables text and image editing, interactive form creation with fillable fields, page merging and splitting, file conversion, and intelligent redaction of sensitive data. It includes optical character recognition for scanned documents and is available across Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android.
Smallpdf
LeaderSmallpdf 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.
Pricing
List pricing as published by each vendor, with the date we read it. Always verify at the source before you buy.
PDFelement
From $129.99 one-time for individuals or $139/user/month for teams. Free trial available.
- PDFelement for Individuals$129.99 perpetual (12% discount from $159)
- Edit text and images
- Annotate documents
- Merge and split pages
- OCR scanning
- Convert to and from PDF
- +4 more
- PDFelement for TeamContact sales
Smallpdf
LeaderFreemium model with paid subscription tiers billed annually.
- FreeFree
- 30+ document management tools
- Limited document downloads
- Limited mobile app access
- Limited Sign.com access
- ProBilled annually
- Unlimited access to 30+ tools
- Unlimited document downloads
- Edit Text, OCR, and more
- Strong Compression
- Unlimited AI-powered tools
- +2 more
- TeamPer-seat billed annually
- Everything in Pro
- Special discounted pricing
- Priority customer support
- Centralized billing
- Member access management
- +1 more
- BusinessContact sales
- Everything in Pro for Teams
- Custom pricing
- Flexible payment options
- Dedicated customer support
Platform & deployment
Where each product runs and how it can be hosted. A dash means undocumented, not unsupported.
Integrations
What each product connects to. Counts come from the vendor's own integration directory where one exists.
PDFelement
Not documented yet.
Smallpdf
Leader- Google Drive
- Dropbox
- Google Chrome
- Google Workspace
- Sign.com
PDFelement or Smallpdf: which one depends on you
A composite score cannot know your constraints. Describe them and both get re-weighted against what you actually need, with the evidence behind every position.
Free to run, no account needed to start. How the evaluation works
Comparison generated from independently-sourced facts. Every value links to its source and retrieval date. See the method.