iLovePDF has a free tier with daily limits and file size restrictions. The Premium plan ($7/month) removes limits and adds batch processing. RaptorPDF also has a free tier, with the Pro plan at $4.99/month.

RaptorPDF vs iLovePDF comparison 2026 - privacy features speed pricing

ComparisonApril 26, 202611 min read

RaptorPDF vs iLovePDF: Full 2026 Comparison

Q: Is RaptorPDF better than iLovePDF?

It depends on your priority. RaptorPDF is better for privacy (files never upload to any server), works offline, and adds no watermarks. iLovePDF is better for feature breadth (more conversion formats, OCR, editing existing text) and has a larger user base. For sensitive documents, choose RaptorPDF. For maximum tool variety, iLovePDF has more options.

Q: Does iLovePDF upload your files?

Yes. When you use iLovePDF, your PDF file is uploaded to their servers in Spain, processed, made available for download, then automatically deleted within 2 hours. iLovePDF is GDPR compliant and does not sell your data, but your file does leave your device.

Q: What are the main differences between RaptorPDF and iLovePDF?

The biggest difference is file upload: iLovePDF uploads your files to Spanish servers; RaptorPDF processes everything in your browser with no upload. iLovePDF has more features (20+ tools, OCR, more conversion formats). RaptorPDF is faster for small files (no upload wait), adds no watermarks on free tier, and is completely private.

Q: Can I use RaptorPDF instead of iLovePDF?

Yes for most common PDF tasks: editing, annotating, merging, splitting, compressing, converting (PDF to Word, PDF to image, image to PDF), password protection, and signing. RaptorPDF doesn't yet support OCR (extracting text from scanned PDFs) or some advanced conversion formats that iLovePDF offers.

Short answer: Choose RaptorPDF if privacy matters (files never upload). Choose iLovePDF if you need maximum feature variety (OCR, more formats, 20+ tools). Both are free with paid upgrades — but they take fundamentally different approaches to your documents.

Privacy & File Upload Policy

This is the biggest difference between these two tools, and for many users it's the only thing that matters.

RaptorPDF: No Upload, Ever

RaptorPDF processes all PDF operations using JavaScript running in your browser. When you open a PDF, your browser reads it from your local disk. The processing — merging, splitting, compressing, converting — all happens in your browser's memory (RAM). Nothing is sent over the network. You could even disconnect from the internet after loading the page and everything would still work.

This means: no server ever sees your file. Not even RaptorPDF's servers.

iLovePDF: Files Uploaded to Spanish Servers

iLovePDF is operated by Ilovepdf S.L. in Barcelona, Spain. When you use any iLovePDF tool, your file is:

Uploaded from your browser to iLovePDF's servers over HTTPS
Stored temporarily on their servers
Processed by their software
Made available for you to download
Automatically deleted within 2 hours

iLovePDF is GDPR compliant and doesn't sell your data. For most everyday documents, this is fine. But for medical records, legal documents, tax returns, or confidential business files — uploading to a third-party server creates unnecessary risk.

Privacy winner: RaptorPDF

Feature Comparison

What RaptorPDF Offers

PDF Editor (add/edit text, images, shapes)
PDF Annotator (highlight, draw, sticky notes, comment)
Merge PDF (combine multiple files)
Split PDF (separate into files or extract pages)
Compress PDF (reduce file size)
PDF to Word (DOCX conversion)
PDF to JPG / PNG (image extraction)
Image to PDF (JPG, PNG, HEIC to PDF)
Password protection and removal
Digital signatures
Page reorder, delete, resize
Insert page numbers

What iLovePDF Offers (Additional Tools)

All the above tools
OCR (extract text from scanned PDFs)
PDF to Excel, PDF to PowerPoint
Excel/PowerPoint to PDF
Rotate PDF pages
Repair PDF
PDF to PDF/A (archival format)
Flatten PDF (remove form fields)
Batch processing (premium)

iLovePDF has more tools overall — particularly OCR and more conversion formats. For power users who need to regularly convert Excel to PDF or extract text from scanned documents, iLovePDF's feature set is broader.

Features winner: iLovePDF (more total tools)

Speed & Performance

Speed depends heavily on file size and your internet connection.

Small files (under 5MB): RaptorPDF is typically faster — no upload/download round-trip, processing starts instantly in your browser.

Large files (50MB+): iLovePDF may be faster — their servers have dedicated processing hardware and can handle heavy compression/conversion faster than consumer browser JavaScript engines.

Offline use: Only RaptorPDF works offline after page load. iLovePDF requires an internet connection for all operations.

Speed winner: Depends on file size. RaptorPDF for small files and offline; iLovePDF for large files.

Pricing

Plan	RaptorPDF	iLovePDF
Free tier	5 operations/day, 25MB max	Limited operations, files up to 100MB
Paid plan	$4.99/month (Pro)	$7/month (Premium)
Watermark on free	✘ No watermark	✘ No watermark
Account required	✘ Not for basic use	Optional for basic, required for some

RaptorPDF is cheaper at $4.99/month vs iLovePDF's $7/month.

Full Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature	RaptorPDF	iLovePDF
Files uploaded to server	✘ Never	✔ Yes (Spain, 2hr deletion)
Free tier available	✔ Yes	✔ Yes
Watermark on free output	✘ No watermark	✘ No watermark
Paid plan price	$4.99/mo	$7/mo
Works offline	✔ Yes	✘ No
Edit PDF text	✔ Yes	✔ Yes
Annotate PDF	✔ Yes	✔ Yes
Merge PDF	✔ Yes	✔ Yes
Split PDF	✔ Yes	✔ Yes
Compress PDF	✔ Yes	✔ Yes
PDF to Word	✔ Yes	✔ Yes
PDF to Excel	✘ No	✔ Yes
OCR (scanned PDFs)	✘ No	✔ Yes
Password protection	✔ Yes	✔ Yes
Sign PDF	✔ Yes	✔ Yes
GDPR compliant	✔ Yes (no data sent)	✔ Yes (EU company)
iOS app	✔ App Store	✔ App Store

Which Should You Use?

Use RaptorPDF if:

You work with sensitive documents (medical, legal, financial, confidential business)
Your company or school has policies against uploading documents to cloud services
You want the lowest monthly cost ($4.99 vs $7)
You need offline PDF editing capability
You want the fastest results for small files
You use a Chromebook or restricted device

Use iLovePDF if:

You need OCR (extract text from scanned PDFs)
You need PDF to Excel conversion
You process very large files (50MB+) regularly
You want the widest possible tool variety
File privacy is not a concern for your documents

Try RaptorPDF — No Upload, No Watermark, Free

Edit, merge, compress, and convert PDFs entirely in your browser. Your files never leave your device.

Start Editing Free

Frequently Asked Questions

Is RaptorPDF better than iLovePDF?

For privacy, yes — RaptorPDF never uploads files. For raw feature count, iLovePDF has more tools (OCR, Excel conversion). The best choice depends on your priorities: privacy vs. maximum feature variety.

Does iLovePDF upload your files?

Yes. iLovePDF uploads files to servers in Spain. Files are deleted within 2 hours and they're GDPR compliant, but your file does leave your device during processing.

What are the main differences between RaptorPDF and iLovePDF?

The key difference is privacy: RaptorPDF processes files in-browser with no upload; iLovePDF uploads to servers. iLovePDF has more total tools (OCR, more conversion formats). RaptorPDF costs less ($4.99 vs $7/month) and works offline.

Is iLovePDF free?

iLovePDF has a free tier with daily limits. Premium is $7/month. RaptorPDF's free tier offers 5 operations/day with Pro at $4.99/month.

Can I use RaptorPDF instead of iLovePDF?

For most tasks, yes: editing, annotating, merging, splitting, compressing, converting (PDF to Word, PDF to image), password protection, and signing all work in RaptorPDF. If you specifically need OCR or PDF to Excel conversion, iLovePDF is needed for those tools.