| Where your PDF goes | Web tools upload your file to iLovePDF's servers, which delete it within about two hours. Its Windows and Mac desktop apps process files locally. | ✓ Documents are not uploaded. Turn the wifi off to check. |
| Documents you may not upload | Any file you process in the web tools is uploaded | ✓ Processed on your computer |
| Free tier | Ads, plus per-tool task and file-size limits | No ads. The free tier is limited by feature: read, search, highlight, notes, draw, fill forms, sign and print. Merge, split and OCR are in Pro. |
| Price for everything | iLovePDF Premium, billed annually: US$60 a year (shown as US$5 a month). Billed monthly: US$9 a month. (ilovepdf.com/pricing, checked 2 October 2026; the page showed US dollars to a UK visitor) | ✓ Paperhawk Pro, charged in US dollars, tax inclusive: US$24 a year, or US$4 a month (checkout, checked 2 October 2026) |
| Works offline | Web tools need a connection. The Windows and Mac desktop apps are part of Premium. | Yes. Paid features keep working offline for up to 45 days on a licence key. |
| System integration | Web tools run in a browser tab; desktop and mobile apps are part of Premium | Print-to-Paperhawk support is in testing on Windows, macOS and Android |
| Merge, split, organise, compress, sign, watermark | Yes | Yes, in Pro (signing is free) |
| OCR and PDF to Office conversion | OCR and PDF to Word or Excel (Premium) | OCR (Pro). PDF to and from Word or PowerPoint is not available. |
| Finding the tool | A web page for each task, easy to find through search | No web version |