---
title: "Free iLovePDF alternative for merging and splitting PDFs"
description: "iLovePDF has OCR and editing. ToolSugar has no task cap and keeps your PDF in the browser. See the free limits, prices and where each one falls short."
canonical: https://toolsugar.com/alternatives/ilovepdf-alternative
image: https://toolsugar.com/og.png
---

# A free iLovePDF alternative that keeps your PDF on your device

ToolSugar is our product. We are not affiliated with iLovePDF. We checked its public pages on 2026-11-07, and its limits and prices can change.

ToolSugar is a free iLovePDF alternative for the everyday jobs of merging, splitting, rotating and compressing PDFs. Each one runs in your browser with no task cap. iLovePDF does far more, including OCR, editing, signing and redaction, so pick it when you need those.

## ToolSugar and iLovePDF compared

| Feature | ToolSugar | iLovePDF |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free, with no paid plan | Basic is free with limited tools. Premium is $5/month billed annually, or $9 billed monthly |
| Free limits | No task or daily cap. Your device does the work | Merge 25 files, 100 MB. Compress 2 files, 200 MB. PDF to Word 1 file, 15 MB |
| Where the PDF goes | Stays in your browser | Online service, with mobile and desktop apps on Premium |
| PDF to Word | Headings and paragraphs only. Images, tables, columns and fonts do not carry over | Available. OCR is a separate listed tool |
| Compress PDF | Renders each page to JPG and rebuilds the file, so text stops being selectable | 2 files, 200 MB on the free plan |
| Other tools | No OCR, editing, signing or redaction | OCR, edit, sign, redact, compare, forms and translate |

## When iLovePDF is the better pick

- Your PDF is a scan. We have no OCR.
- You need to convert a complex layout to Word. Ours keeps only headings and paragraphs.
- You need to edit, sign, redact or compare documents, or you have a team of up to 25 users.
- You need compressed text to stay selectable. Our compressor turns pages into pictures.

## When ToolSugar is the better pick

- You merge, split or rotate a private PDF and do not want to upload it. Merge copies pages unchanged.
- You hit iLovePDF's free limits, such as 100 MB for a merge.
- You do not need an account or a subscription for a one-off job.

## Questions

### Is iLovePDF free?

It has a free Basic plan with limits per tool, such as 25 files and 100 MB for a merge. Premium costs $5 a month billed annually and allows 4 GB per task. Students and academics can get a free year of Premium.

### Can ToolSugar open a password-protected PDF?

No. Merge PDF cannot read password-protected files. Remove the password in an app that can open the file, then try again.

### Does ToolSugar upload my PDF?

No. The merge, split, rotate and compress tools run in your browser tab, and the file stays on your device.

## Try these tools

- [Merge PDF](https://toolsugar.com/tools/merge-pdf)
- [Split PDF](https://toolsugar.com/tools/split-pdf)
- [Compress PDF](https://toolsugar.com/tools/compress-pdf)
- [PDF to Word](https://toolsugar.com/tools/pdf-to-word)
- [Word to PDF](https://toolsugar.com/tools/word-to-pdf)
- [Rotate PDF](https://toolsugar.com/tools/rotate-pdf)

## Guides

- [Merge PDF guide](https://toolsugar.com/blog/how-to-merge-pdf-files)
- [Split PDF guide](https://toolsugar.com/blog/how-to-split-a-pdf)
- [Compress PDF guide](https://toolsugar.com/blog/how-to-compress-a-pdf)
- [PDF to Word guide](https://toolsugar.com/blog/how-to-convert-pdf-to-word)
- [Word to PDF guide](https://toolsugar.com/blog/how-to-convert-word-to-pdf)
- [Rotate PDF guide](https://toolsugar.com/blog/how-to-rotate-a-pdf)

## Sources

- [iLovePDF pricing](https://www.ilovepdf.com/pricing)