Comparison
PDF Mate vs iLovePDF — Which Free PDF Tool is Better in 2025?
Compare PDF Mate and iLovePDF side by side. See which free online PDF tool wins on privacy, features, speed, and ease of use.
iLovePDF has been around since 2010 and is one of the most visited PDF tool sites on the web. It offers a wide range of tools and a polished interface. So how does PDF Mate compare? We put both services head to head across the features that matter most.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | PDF Mate | iLovePDF |
|---|---|---|
| Browser-only processing (no server upload) | ||
| Completely free with no account needed | Free tier with limits | |
| Merge PDF | ||
| Split PDF | ||
| Compress PDF | ||
| PDF to Word | ||
| Word to PDF | ||
| OCR (scanned PDF to text) | ||
| Sign PDF | ||
| Watermark PDF | ||
| Unlock AES-encrypted PDFs | ||
| No file size limits (device RAM only) | ||
| Ads-free interface |
Our Verdict
Both tools cover the core PDF operations well. The key difference is privacy: PDF Mate processes every file entirely in your browser — nothing is ever uploaded to a server. iLovePDF uploads files to their servers for processing, which is standard for most web-based PDF tools but means your documents do leave your device. If privacy matters to you — for contracts, financial documents, or personal files — PDF Mate is the safer choice. iLovePDF has a slight edge in breadth of cloud-based features, but PDF Mate is catching up fast and remains completely free with no conversion limits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is PDF Mate as good as iLovePDF?
Does iLovePDF upload my files to a server?
Which is faster — PDF Mate or iLovePDF?
Is PDF Mate free?
Ready to try PDF Mate?
Free, private, browser-based. No sign-up. No limits.