Comparison

iLovePDF vs IYONM: every tool compared

iLovePDF is the best known online PDF suite. IYONM is the private, no-upload alternative that runs every tool inside your browser. This is an honest, tool-by-tool comparison, including the handful of things iLovePDF still does that we do not.

The short version

IYONM

  • Files never leave your device
  • No size limits, no task limits, no signup
  • Works offline after the first visit
  • Adds video, image AI, and developer tools

iLovePDF

  • Uploads files to its servers
  • Free tier is throttled; batch work needs a paid plan
  • Mobile and desktop apps
  • Has a few server-only conversions IYONM lacks

At a glance

IYONMiLovePDF
Where files are processedIn your browserOn their servers
Files uploadedNever (0 KB)Yes, every file
File size limitNone (your RAM)Capped on free plan
Daily task limitNoneLimited on free plan
Works offlineYes (after first visit)No
WatermarksNeverOn some free outputs
Signup requiredNoFor full features
Price100% freeFree tier + paid plans

Tool-by-tool breakdown

IYONM matches or beats iLovePDF on 26 of its 30 core PDF tools. Here is every one.

Organize PDF

Merge PDFMerge PDF
IYONM wins

Combine any number of PDFs in your browser. No file count limit.

Split PDFSplit PDF
IYONM wins

Split by range or extract every page. Fully local.

Remove pagesRemove Pages
IYONM wins

Delete unwanted pages and download.

Extract pagesExtract Pages
IYONM wins

Pull selected pages into a new PDF.

Organize PDFOrganize PDF
IYONM wins

Drag to reorder, rotate, and delete pages visually.

Scan to PDFScan to PDF
Match

Use your camera or combine photos into a PDF.

Optimize PDF

Compress PDFCompress PDF
IYONM wins

Shrink PDFs locally. Plus compress to an exact target size (100 KB, 200 KB, 1 MB).

Repair PDFRepair PDF
Match

Rebuild a damaged PDF's structure.

OCR PDFOCR PDF
Match

Make scanned PDFs searchable with in-browser OCR (Tesseract).

Convert to PDF

JPG to PDFImage to PDF
IYONM wins

Turn JPG, PNG, and more into a PDF.

WORD to PDFWord to PDF
Match

Convert .docx to PDF in your browser (mammoth).

EXCEL to PDFExcel to PDF
Match

Convert spreadsheets to PDF locally.

POWERPOINT to PDF
Not yet

Not offered yet. Faithful .pptx rendering needs heavy layout work; on the roadmap.

HTML to PDF
Not yet

Not offered as a standalone tool yet.

Convert from PDF

PDF to JPGPDF to JPG
IYONM wins

Render each page to an image. Also PDF to PNG.

PDF to WORDPDF to Word
Match

Extract to an editable .docx, fully local.

PDF to EXCELPDF to Excel
Match

Pull tables into a spreadsheet.

PDF to POWERPOINT
Not yet

Not offered. Editable slide reconstruction is a server-heavy task.

PDF to PDF/A
Not yet

Archival PDF/A conversion not offered yet.

Edit PDF

Rotate PDFRotate PDF
Match

Rotate any or all pages.

Add page numbersPage Numbers
Match

Insert page numbers with position options.

Add watermarkWatermark PDF
Match

Stamp text or image watermarks.

Crop PDFCrop PDF
Match

Trim margins visually.

Edit PDFEdit PDF
Match

Add text anywhere, choose size and color.

PDF FormsFill PDF Forms
Match

Fill and flatten form fields.

PDF Security

Unlock PDFUnlock PDF
IYONM wins

Remove a known password locally. Your password never leaves the device.

Protect PDFProtect PDF
IYONM wins

Add password encryption in your browser.

Sign PDFSign PDF
Match

Draw or type a signature and place it.

Redact PDFRedact PDF
IYONM wins

True redaction that removes the underlying content.

Compare PDFCompare PDF
Match

Line-by-line text diff of two PDFs.

Where iLovePDF still wins (being honest)

A fair comparison admits the gaps. iLovePDF currently does a few things IYONM does not:

  • PowerPoint conversion (to and from PDF), HTML to PDF, and PDF/A archival conversion. These need heavy server-side layout engines.
  • AI summarize and translate built in. IYONM keeps processing local, so cloud AI features are intentionally not bundled.
  • Native mobile and desktop apps and team accounts with saved workflows.

Tools IYONM has that iLovePDF does not

Beyond PDFs, IYONM is a full multitool. None of these require an upload either.

Don't take our word for it

The privacy difference is something you can verify yourself in ten seconds:

  1. Open any IYONM tool and press F12 to open Developer Tools.
  2. Click the Network tab.
  3. Drop in a file. You will see 0 KB uploaded. The same test on a cloud tool shows your whole file being sent.

FAQ

Is IYONM a free alternative to iLovePDF?

Yes. Every IYONM tool is free with no signup, no watermarks, and no file size or task limits. iLovePDF restricts free users with daily task limits and pushes a paid plan for batch work.

What is the main difference between IYONM and iLovePDF?

iLovePDF uploads your files to its servers to process them. IYONM processes everything inside your browser, so your files never leave your device. You can verify this in your browser's Network tab, where you will see 0 KB uploaded.

Does iLovePDF have tools IYONM does not?

Yes, a few. iLovePDF currently offers PowerPoint conversion, HTML to PDF, PDF/A archival conversion, and AI summarize/translate features that IYONM does not have yet. These need heavy server-side processing.

Does IYONM have tools iLovePDF does not?

Many. IYONM adds video compression, video to GIF, an AI image upscaler, background removal, exact-size compression, a passport photo maker, and a full developer suite (Regex, JSON, Base64, JWT, hashing) that iLovePDF does not offer.

Is IYONM safe for confidential or corporate documents?

Because files are never uploaded, there is no server copy to leak and no data transfer to document under GDPR or HIPAA. That makes it well suited to legal, medical, and corporate use.

Try the private alternative

Every tool, free, with nothing uploaded.

Browse all IYONM tools