picconv vs iLovePDF: which should you use?
Both handle PDFs and images. The difference that matters most is architectural: iLovePDF processes files on its servers, picconv processes them in your browser. That single fact decides most of the comparison.
The short answer
If your PDF is a scan or an image-heavy document and you want it genuinely smaller with the text layer intact, iLovePDF does something a browser cannot: it decodes each embedded image, re-encodes it more efficiently and rebuilds the file. If you need OCR on a scanned document, or you want desktop and mobile apps, it is the better tool.
If the document is sensitive - a contract, an invoice, an ID, a medical record - or you simply object to uploading, picconv never sends the file anywhere. It also covers 86 tools across images, PDFs, developer utilities and Markdown, in 14 languages, with no task limits on the free tier.
- Need real PDF compression with the text still selectable → iLovePDF
- Need OCR (scanned PDF → editable text) → iLovePDF
- Do not want the file leaving your device → picconv
- Need image tools (resize, HEIC, EXIF, exact target size) or developer tools → picconv
Side by side
| picconv | iLovePDF | |
|---|---|---|
| Files uploaded to a server | No - processed in your browser | Yes |
| Account required | No | No, but an account unlocks more |
| Free tier limits | No task limits (ad-supported) | Per-task limits; Pro subscription for more |
| Number of tools | 86 across 5 families | Roughly 20-25, PDF-focused |
| Languages | 14 | Around 25 |
| PDF compression keeping the text layer | Two modes: keep text (modest saving) or rasterise (big saving, text becomes an image) | Server-side compression that keeps the text layer |
| OCR (scanned PDF to text) | No | Yes |
| Desktop and mobile apps | No - browser only | Yes |
| Image tools (resize, crop, HEIC, EXIF, target file size) | 36 image tools | Limited; images mostly handled through iLoveIMG |
| Works offline once the page has loaded | Yes | No |
| File size ceiling | Your device's memory | Server-side limits on the free tier |
| Sign a PDF | Place a signature on a page | Signing plus e-signature workflows |
| API for automation | No | Yes, paid |
Where iLovePDF is the better choice
- PDF compression that keeps the text selectable. This is the honest weak point of any browser-based PDF compressor. iLovePDF re-encodes the images inside the PDF and rebuilds the file, so a 20 MB scan can become 2 MB and still be searchable. Our "smaller file" mode gets a similar reduction but turns the pages into images, which means the text is no longer selectable, searchable or readable by a screen reader.
- OCR. Turning a scanned document into editable text needs a recognition model of several megabytes. We do not offer it at all; they do.
- Desktop and mobile apps. If you want a native app rather than a website, they have one.
- Very large files. Their servers have more memory than your phone. Files in the hundreds of megabytes that would strain a browser are routine for them.
- Established support and integrations. They are a large operation with an API and enterprise options.
Where picconv is the better choice
- The file never leaves your device. There is no upload endpoint, so there is nothing to retain, log or leak. For contracts, invoices, medical records or identity documents, that is a different kind of guarantee - it can be verified in your browser's Network panel rather than taken on trust.
- No server-side size limit. Because nothing is transmitted, the only ceiling is your device's memory. Large files do not sit in a queue.
- No task limits on the free tier. The site is supported by advertising rather than by nudging you toward a subscription.
- Broader coverage in one place. 86 tools: PDF merging, splitting and organising, but also image compression to an exact file size, HEIC conversion, EXIF removal, crop/rotate/watermark, plus JSON, hashing, encoding, Markdown and SVG utilities.
- Works offline once loaded. After the page has loaded, the network can be switched off and the tool keeps working.
- 14 languages with matching tool content, not just a translated interface.
What about other options
Smallpdf is the closest alternative to iLovePDF, with a stronger focus on e-signature workflows and an even larger library of how-to articles. For compression alone, TinyPNG covers images but not PDFs. Each of those has a comparison page on this site.
picconv.com is not affiliated with any tool mentioned on this page. Names and logos belong to their owners. Competitor features were checked in October 2026 and may change - confirm the current details on their website.
Frequently asked questions
Does picconv upload my PDF?
No. The conversion runs in your browser using JavaScript and WebAssembly, so the file is never transmitted. You can confirm this in your browser's developer tools: the Network panel shows requests for the page and its scripts, but never a request carrying your file.
Is picconv a full replacement for iLovePDF?
Not for PDF compression or OCR. If you need a scanned PDF genuinely smaller with the text layer intact, or you need to extract text from a scan, iLovePDF does things a browser cannot. For privacy-sensitive files, image work and a much wider set of small tools, picconv is the closer fit.
Is picconv free?
Yes. The site is supported by advertising rather than by a task limit. There is no account requirement and no watermark.
Which one is faster?
For small files, picconv usually finishes sooner because there is no upload and no queue - the work starts immediately. For very large files, iLovePDF's servers can outperform a phone or a modest laptop.
Can I use both?
That is the reasonable approach. Use picconv for anything private and for image or developer work; use iLovePDF when you specifically need server-side PDF compression that preserves the text layer, or OCR.