iLovePDF alternative
iLovePDF is a broad, generous PDF toolkit with desktop and mobile apps, processed on its servers so every file is uploaded. Filoven runs the equivalent PDF tools in your browser with no upload, alongside image, video, audio and developer tools. Choose iLovePDF for apps and bulk jobs, Filoven for privacy.
How iLovePDF works
iLovePDF offers a wide set of PDF operations with an unusually generous free tier, plus native desktop and mobile applications. Everything on the web goes through their servers: the file is uploaded, processed and returned. The desktop app is the exception and processes locally, which is worth knowing if the appeal is avoiding uploads but you also want native apps. Bulk operations across many files at once are handled well.
Side by side
| Dimension | iLovePDF | Filoven |
|---|---|---|
| Where web processing runs | Their servers | Your browser |
| File leaves your machine | Yes, on the web version | No, for browser-based tools |
| Scope | PDF, with some image tools | PDF, image, video, audio, 3D, developer |
| Native apps | Desktop and mobile | None, browser only |
| Install required to stay local | Yes, the desktop app | No |
| E-signature workflow | Yes | Local signing only |
| Works offline | Desktop app only | Yes, once the tool has loaded |
When iLovePDF is the better pick
- You want a native desktop or mobile app rather than a browser tab, and are willing to install one.
- Very large bulk jobs across dozens of files at once, where server-side batching is simply built for it.
- Signature workflows involving other people, which need a server to hold the document.
- Mobile PDF editing on a phone, where a dedicated app is a genuinely better experience than any web page.
When Filoven is the better pick
- Confidential PDFs, without installing anything. The web version stays local, which the iLovePDF web version does not.
- Machines where you cannot install software, which is most managed work laptops.
- One session covering a PDF, a spreadsheet, a video and a JSON payload.
- Avoiding an account for routine operations like merge, split or compress.
Try the equivalent tools
PDF Merger
Combines multiple PDF files into a single document, letting you drag and set the exact page order before the files are merged.
PDF Splitter
Splits a multi-page PDF into individual single-page files, all downloaded together in one batch as a complete set of documents.
PDF Compressor
Shrinks a PDF's file size for easier emailing and faster web uploads, while keeping pages sharp enough to stay readable.
PDF Rotate & Reorder
Rotates individual PDF pages, reorders the whole set by dragging into a new sequence, or removes pages you no longer need.
PDF Watermark
Stamps a diagonal text watermark across every page of a PDF, useful for marking drafts or confidential documents clearly.
PDF Page Numbers
Adds page numbers to a PDF with custom starting ranges, positions, fonts, sizes, and colors, all configurable before you export.
Common questions
Is Filoven free like iLovePDF?
Browser-based tools, which are most of the catalog, run on your machine and are free to use. Hosted and AI tools consume credits because they cost real compute to run. iLovePDF's free tier is generous but server-backed, so it carries file size and daily task limits.
iLovePDF has a desktop app that works offline. Does Filoven?
There is no installer, but the browser tools work offline once the page has loaded, which covers the same need without an install. On a locked-down work machine that is often the only option available.
Can Filoven handle the same bulk PDF jobs?
Up to a point. Batch operations run against your machine's memory, so a few dozen normal documents are fine and hundreds of large scans are not. Server-side batching wins at the top end, which is a real advantage of the hosted model.
Which should I use for a scanned contract?
A local tool, if the contract is confidential. A scanned contract is exactly the document class where an upload creates a risk that is entirely avoidable, since the same merge, compress or OCR work can be done in the tab without transmitting it anywhere.
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Last updated 2026-08-03