OneStopPDF compared with Preview, PDF24, Smallpdf and iLovePDF
Preview, PDF24 Creator, iLovePDF’s desktop app and OneStopPDF edit a PDF without uploading it; the online tools of PDF24 and iLovePDF keep it for one to two hours, and Smallpdf’s Redact page says one hour.
At a glance
| Editor | Where your file is worked on | Runs on |
|---|---|---|
| OneStopPDF | In your browser tab. Without an account, nothing is uploaded. | Current Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari, on a phone, a tablet or a computer |
| Preview | On your Mac, iPhone or iPad (Apple: Annotate a PDF in Preview (opens another company’s page); 9to5Mac: iOS 26 adds a Preview app on iPhone (opens another company’s page)) | Built into macOS, and into iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 |
| PDF24 online tools | Uploaded to PDF24’s servers in the EU and deleted after one hour (PDF24 privacy policy (opens another company’s page)) | Web |
| PDF24 Creator | On your PC; files are not uploaded (PDF24 Creator (opens another company’s page)) | Windows only |
| Smallpdf | Uploaded to Smallpdf’s servers; its Redact PDF page says files are deleted after one hour (Smallpdf Redact PDF (opens another company’s page)) | Web, and apps for Windows, iOS and Android (Smallpdf Edit PDF (opens another company’s page)) |
| iLovePDF | On the web, uploaded and kept for at most two hours (iLovePDF security (opens another company’s page)); its desktop app says it can process files locally (iLovePDF Desktop (opens another company’s page)) | Web, and apps for Mac, Windows, iOS and Android |
Good to know
- Where others do more. Smallpdf (20+, Smallpdf Translate PDF (opens another company’s page)) and iLovePDF (25, iLovePDF blog: Translate PDF (opens another company’s page)) translate into more languages than OneStopPDF does.
- Limits. Its text recognition reads English only, it doesn’t edit right-to-left text, and a redaction mark over part of a picture is refused for now.
- Wondering what an upload means for you? Read is it safe to edit a PDF online. Beyond the editor, there are 48 single-purpose tools at onestoppdf.com/tools.
Questions
Which of these works on a phone?
OneStopPDF in a current version of Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari. Preview is built into iPhone and iPad with iOS 26 and iPadOS 26, and Smallpdf and iLovePDF have iOS and Android apps. PDF24 Creator runs on a Windows PC only.
Can OneStopPDF make a digital signature with a certificate?
No, its signatures are pictures, drawn, typed or cut from a photo, though it can check a certificate signature a PDF already carries.
Try it
Drop in a PDF and retype a line, redact, sign or translate it. No sign‑up, no install.
Open a PDF