What “best” depends on
There’s no single best PDF converter. The right choice depends on what kind of files you handle, whether you process one file a month or a hundred a day, and — importantly — how sensitive the contents are.
We rate the landscape against three criteria: coverage (how many conversions the tool does well), cost (free vs paid tiers), and privacy (does the file stay on your device).
The major players
- iLovePDF — broad coverage, polished UX, server-side processing. Best for non-sensitive files and teams that want shared history.
- Smallpdf — same general shape as iLovePDF, plus eSign. Best when forms and signatures matter.
- PDF2Go / pdf24 — free with limits, also a desktop app. Best for users who want an offline option.
- Adobe Acrobat online — the gold standard in conversion quality, paid, the most expensive option. Best for regulated industries.
- ToolConvoy — browser-only, no account, free. Best for privacy-sensitive files and one-off tasks.
How ToolConvoy compares
ToolConvoy is a privacy-first alternative. The trade-off:
- Where ToolConvoy wins: privacy. Files never leave the tab. No account. No daily limits.
- Where ToolConvoy lags: server-side OCR, eSign, server-side rendering for documents with complex layouts.
For the core conversions — split, merge, compress, PDF → Word/JPG/PNG/Text — ToolConvoy handles them with the same quality as the server-based tools. The result of the conversion is identical; what differs is where the work happens.
Our recommendation
For sensitive files, use ToolConvoy. For non-sensitive files, pick the tool you like best from the field — iLovePDF, Smallpdf, PDF2Go, Adobe — whichever has the workflow that fits.
For batch processing or compliance-heavy work with OCR, server-side rendering, or shared review, you need one of the paid suites.
For a single one-off conversion where you’d rather not upload, ToolConvoy is the right answer.