PDFWix vs iLovePDF in 2026 — side-by-side comparison of free-tier limits, daily task caps, privacy, tool count and pricing. Pick the right free PDF tool.
PDFWix vs iLovePDF — overview
iLovePDF launched in 2010 and is one of the most polished PDF suites on the web, with desktop and mobile apps, a team workspace, and presence in 25+ languages. PDFWix is a smaller, newer, browser-first project that focuses on running tools locally in your browser whenever it's technically possible. Here's an honest side-by-side so you can pick the right one.
Key differences
Tool count (web): PDFWix — 28; iLovePDF — 27
Browser-side processing: PDFWix — Default for most tools; iLovePDF — Server-side for all tools
Free-tier daily cap: PDFWix — None; iLovePDF — Limited tasks/hour on free plan
Watermark on free output: PDFWix — Never; iLovePDF — Never on free web
Forced sign-up to download: PDFWix — No; iLovePDF — Yes for some tools (e.g. signature requests)
You handle confidential PDFs and want most processing to stay on your device.
You hit the free-tier task cap and don't want to upgrade.
You want a single free web app with no install, no signup, no daily limit.
When iLovePDF is better
You want a polished native app on Windows, Mac, iOS or Android.
You need team-shared workspaces or seat-based billing.
You're already paying for Premium and the workflow is fine.
Verdict
iLovePDF wins on apps and team features. PDFWix wins on free-tier ceiling and browser-side privacy. For one-off personal tasks, PDFWix is the friction-free choice; for an organization standardizing on PDF tooling with native apps, iLovePDF is reasonable.
Frequently asked questions
Is PDFWix really free with no daily limit?
Yes. The web app has no per-day or per-hour cap. We sustain the project through a paid developer API for businesses.
Can PDFWix do everything iLovePDF can?
It covers the 28 most-used tools. iLovePDF still has a few specialized features (PDF translator, OCR-to-Word) that we haven't built yet.
Does iLovePDF watermark free output?
No, the web app doesn't watermark — but it does cap the number of free tasks per hour, which PDFWix does not.