iLovePDF

YES

Replaceable in one session with an AI coding agent.

A set of PDF tools in a browser: merge, split, compress, convert, sign and rotate, with an API and desktop apps on the paid tier.

Promptfree, for everyone, and the only version there is

Self-host the same toolkit.

WHY THIS ONE MATTERS
- People upload contracts and invoices to free PDF sites without thinking
- Running your own removes that entirely, and it is one container

STACK
- Stirling PDF in Docker, on your own network

WHAT IT COVERS
- Merge, split, rotate, compress, convert, watermark, sign and OCR
- Practically everything the paid sites offer

RUNNING IT SAFELY
- On your internal network only, or behind authentication
- No outbound network from the container; it does not need any
- A retention job that deletes uploads, and a documented number of hours

IF YOU WANT IT PROGRAMMATIC
- It exposes an API, so a script can merge or compress without a browser

Include the compose file, the network restrictions and the retention job.

What you lose

A page anyone can use without installing anything, which is why colleagues send documents there
Reliable compression across badly made PDFs
A hosted service with no server on your side

If you would rather not build

The print dialog, which merges and splits for free

The escape hatch

open source · no votes, no paid placement

Stirling-PDF

A complete self-hosted PDF toolkit with a web interface and an API.

Stirling-Tools/Stirling-PDFfree · open source

qpdf

Command-line PDF transformation, ideal for scripted pipelines.

qpdf/qpdffree · open source

Why this verdict

our own opinion · changed only by a person

90/100

Verdict yes at 90. One container replaces the whole category, and it stops staff uploading contracts to a free website, which is the real win.

History

tracked since 10 Aug 2026 · nothing is ever overwritten

Interest · last 30 days

Nothing recorded yet. This chart fills in once the page has visitors, votes or prompt copies — it will not draw a flat line to look busy.

Questions about iLovePDF

answered from the record above

Is iLovePDF free?

No — the plan we track is $7 a month. Premium at around $7/month billed monthly, cheaper annually.

Can you replace iLovePDF by building your own?

YES. Replaceable in one session with an AI coding agent. Replacement score 90 out of 100, build time one session. Read what you lose before you decide.

How much does iLovePDF cost?

$7 a month on Premium — $84 a year. Recorded 10 Aug 2026.

What do you lose by replacing iLovePDF?

A page anyone can use without installing anything, which is why colleagues send documents there; Reliable compression across badly made PDFs; A hosted service with no server on your side. If any of those carry weight for you, keep paying.

Is there an open-source alternative to iLovePDF?

Yes: Stirling-PDF, qpdf. The prompt on this page is for when you want it your way instead.

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