Overall Winner
PDFgear
beats Smallpdf by 27 points
PDFgear 🏆 95/100
Smallpdf 68/100
PDFgear
Free
VS
Smallpdf
From $12/mo
The verdict
PDFgear scores 95/100 against Smallpdf's 68/100. Compare the full breakdown of scores, features, pricing, and user reviews below.
Score breakdown
Dimension
PDFgear
Smallpdf
Price & Value
★★★★★ wins
★★★☆☆
Features
★★★★★ wins
★★★★☆
Ease of Use
★★★★☆
★★★★☆
Reviews
★★★★★
★★★★★
Each dimension rated 1–5. Higher is better across all four.
What users say
PDFgear
"Free desktop PDF suite users call the VLC of PDF editing."
Pros
Completely free with no signup Full edit convert merge suite Easy intuitive desktop interface
Smallpdf
"Feature-rich PDF suite with polished UX but marred by billing complaints"
Pros
Clean, intuitive interface with smooth performance Comprehensive features (compress, convert, edit, sign, merge, protect) Works without errors or lags for most tasks
Pricing & value
| Metric | PDFgear | Smallpdf | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free tier | Yes | Yes | Tie |
| Starting price | Free | From $12/mo | PDFgear |
Our pick