Crafex vs iLovePDF: the friendly PDF suite versus the private one
iLovePDF made its name on simplicity. The interface is bright, the tool names read like plain English, and for years it was the default recommendation in every 'how do I convert this PDF' thread online. It now ships more than two dozen tools, plus desktop and mobile apps, which is an honest, complete product line.
The trade-off is architectural: every operation runs server-side. Your files go to iLovePDF's data centres, get processed, and are purged from their servers after a short retention window per their privacy policy. That is how a free product funded by premium plans has to work — but it also means a salary sheet, a signed NDA, or a bank statement passes through someone else's infrastructure every single time.
Crafex runs the same class of work — convert, compress, merge, split, OCR, edit — inside your browser so the file never leaves the device. This page compares the two honestly: tool by tool, free plan by free plan, and on the privacy question that usually turns out to be the deciding one.
Quick overview
| Aspect | Crafex | iLovePDF |
|---|---|---|
| PDF tool count | 20 PDF tools; every operation is processed locally with no upload. | More than 25 tools plus desktop and mobile apps, all server-side. |
| Free plan | Free without an account or watermark; daily limits on the heaviest operations. | Free plan with generous task counts but file-size caps (about 200 MB on many tools) and some premium-only tools. |
| OCR | Free OCR scans within daily limits, processed on your device. | OCR is a premium iLovePDF feature and requires an upgrade. |
| Sign & e-sign | Free fill-and-sign in the browser without signup. | E-sign is routed to a partner signing product, typically a premium path, with free tiers that carry restrictions. |
| Desktop apps | No install needed; works in any browser on any OS. | Yes — Windows, macOS and Linux desktop apps plus mobile apps. |
| Business documents | Built-in invoice, salary slip, quote and purchase order generators. | PDF-focused; no business document creation. |
Pros and cons, stated plainly
Crafex strengths and honest trade-offs
- Files are processed client-side, so sensitive documents are never transmitted anywhere for standard tools.
- Free to use daily without an account and without watermarking, including OCR within limits.
- Combines PDF manipulation with business generators, so invoicing and document work share one workspace.
- No app installations, no version-drift, no platform lock-in — a browser tab on any device is all you need.
- Works offline after the page loads, which is useful on low-connectivity days.
Trade-offs
- Browser processing leans on your device, so extremely large files can be slow on older hardware.
- No dedicated desktop application yet, which some people prefer for organising files in bulk.
- The free OCR scans are metered by daily limits.
iLovePDF strengths and honest trade-offs
- A broad, approachable toolbox with more than 25 tools and a friendly learning curve.
- Genuinely free unlimited use on many basic operations within file-size caps.
- Desktop and mobile apps give you a workflow outside the browser when you want it.
- Good cloud storage integrations for moving files around.
Trade-offs
- Server-side processing means every document is uploaded, even on the 'free' path.
- OCR and the most useful premium tools are locked behind a subscription.
- Retention-policy reliance means you must trust their deletion promises for sensitive work.
Features compared: what works free, what costs, what differs
Both platforms cover the PDF basics well. The meaningful differences are OCR (free on Crafex, premium on iLovePDF), where files get processed, and the business document generators that Crafex bundles in.
| Feature | Crafex | iLovePDF |
|---|---|---|
| PDF to Word / Excel | Free in the browser, layout preserved where the source allows. | Free with file-size caps; quality conversions available on premium. |
| Word/Excel/PPT to PDF | Free conversions of all three formats. | Free for most conversions within size caps. |
| Compress PDF | Free client-side compression with preset quality. | Free within caps; premium unlocks better ratios and larger files. |
| Merge / split / rotate | Free, including page-level arrange and extract tools. | Free within caps; batch operations are premium. |
| OCR | Free scans with daily limits, fully local. | Premium-only. |
| Edit PDF | Free text, image and annotation editing. | Limited free annotation; deeper editing premium. |
| Business generators | Invoice, GST invoice, salary slip, quotation, resume tools. | None. |
Pricing: free is never quite the whole story
iLovePDF is known as a 'free' product, and much of it is. But the tools people routinely need — OCR, batch, premium compression — sit behind the premium plan. Crafex prices are flat in INR, so let us line them up.
| Plan | Crafex | iLovePDF |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | Free, no account, no watermark, daily limits on heavy operations. | Free within file-size and task caps; some tools premium-only. |
| Monthly / yearly premium | Pro at ₹199/month or ₹799/year for unlimited operations, unlimited OCR, all business tools, cloud storage. | Pricing changes over time. Please check the competitor's official website for the latest plans and pricing. |
| Team plans | No per-seat pricing; small teams share accounts simply. | Team and business tiers add seats, API access and admin controls at higher prices. |
| Value for money | One flat price unlocks everything including OCR and business tools. | Premium includes OCR and batch; core basics stay free. |
Pricing changes over time. Please check the competitor's official website for the latest plans and pricing.
Privacy: where your files actually go
| Aspect | Crafex | iLovePDF |
|---|---|---|
| Processing model | Entirely local in the browser for standard tools. | Server-side; files uploaded to iLovePDF data centres. |
| File deletion | No server copy is created, so there is nothing to delete. | Files are removed from servers after a short window, per their privacy policy. |
| Transit risk | No file transfer for standard operations, eliminating transit risk. | File content transits the public internet on every operation. |
| Compliance posture | Simpler story for NDA-covered data — the document stays put. | Often blocked by finance and legal teams for sensitive material. |
| Optional storage | Pro Cloud Storage is opt-in, encrypted, and user-deletable. | Cloud-based workflows are inherent, not optional. |
Performance and daily experience
| Aspect | Crafex | iLovePDF |
|---|---|---|
| Typical job speed | Instant for common files — no upload round-trip. | Fast, but every job pays the upload + queue + download cost. |
| Very large PDFs | Hardware-bound; strong on modern devices, slower on old ones. | Server horsepower handles large inputs more gracefully. |
| Unlimited conversions | Yes, within daily limits and no account metering games. | Yes on basics, within file-size caps. |
| Offline | Works without internet once loaded. | Requires connectivity for every operation. |
Who should choose which
Choose Crafex if document privacy is non-negotiable
If you convert salary slips, bank statements, signed agreements, or client financials, the difference between 'uploaded to a server' and 'never leaves my device' is the difference between a tool you use and a tool you cannot justify.
If OCR is part of your routine, Crafex gives it to you free within daily limits — the same capability iLovePDF charges a subscription for.
If you want your document creation and PDF work under one banner — build the invoice, then compress the attachment, in the same tab — Crafex fits that flow.
Choose iLovePDF if breadth, apps, and hassle-free basics matter more
If you process non-sensitive files at scale and want a desktop app on Windows or macOS, iLovePDF's 25-plus tools and offline desktop suite are genuinely attractive.
If you are willing to pay for OCR and batch workflows, iLovePDF's premium tier is reasonably priced and very usable.
If you are outside the privacy-sensitive world entirely — converting recipes, posters, public documents — the file-transit question probably will not bother you.
The deeper question: which features your 'free' tier actually hides
Nearly every PDF product describes itself as free, and nearly every one has a paragraph in its help centre listing what the free tier quietly doesn't include. iLovePDF's version is more visible than most: the basics convert freely within generous size caps, but OCR — the feature people genuinely need when they have scanned invoices, photos of documents, or photocopies of agreements — is reserved for the premium plan. That is an important distinction, because OCR is not a luxury tool; in India it is how a shopkeeper digitises a stack of bills and how a professional turns a photographed document into something searchable.
The second hidden dimension is file-size limits. The free tier's size caps are generous enough that you usually do not notice them — until you scan a 90-page agreement at high resolution, or a client sends you a 400-megabyte blueprint. The cap turns an occasional heavy job into a subscription trigger, the same freemium pattern you see across the industry.
Pricing is the third layer of fine print. iLovePDF's premium is quoted in foreign currency, billed annually, and its effective price depends on your region and whatever promotion is running that month. Pricing changes over time, so the official website is the only reliable source for current plans. For an Indian user the true cost moves with timing and the exchange rate — a moving target that makes budgeting harder than a flat price would.
Fairness check: iLovePDF's premium is one of the better-value subscriptions in this category, the desktop apps are genuinely useful, and the product has refined the 'friendly PDF suite' archetype that others copy. If your work is mostly non-sensitive files and you want OCR plus a desktop app, the premium is defensible.
The honest comparison is not Crafex versus iLovePDF on day one. It is Crafex versus the iLovePDF you actually reach after a month of daily use, with the OCR lock, the size caps and the dollar pricing — versus a suite that keeps OCR free within daily limits, drops the caps, and prices everything in rupees.
The honest verdict
Functionally, Crafex and iLovePDF cover the same jobs, and both do them well. The honest split comes down to two questions: do the documents you handle every day demand confidentiality, and do you want business document generators inside the same tool?
Yes on either question points to Crafex. If you routinely handle public or low-sensitivity files at volume and want a native desktop app, iLovePDF stays a strong, friendly choice.
Neither is a wrong answer — they are products built for different tolerance levels of where your files travel. Decide on that, and the rest of the comparison sorts itself out.
Frequently asked questions
Does iLovePDF delete my files?+
iLovePDF uploads files to its servers and states in its privacy policy that they are deleted after a short retention period. That claim is standard practice, but the transfer and processing still happen. Crafex's standard tools create no server copy at all.
Is OCR free on Crafex?+
Yes. Crafex includes free OCR scans within daily limits, processed entirely in your browser. iLovePDF reserves OCR for its premium plan.
Does Crafex have a desktop app?+
Not yet — and it does not need one. Crafex runs in any modern browser, which works on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iPad without installation. iLovePDF offers desktop apps if you prefer one.
What is the free file-size limit on Crafex?+
Because processing is local, practical limits depend on your device rather than a vendor cap. Large files work on capable hardware; there is no arbitrary server-side size gate for typical use.
Which is cheaper over a year?+
If you only need basics, both are effectively free. The moment OCR or batch work enters the picture, Crafex Pro at ₹799/year is dramatically cheaper than an iLovePDF subscription premium tier at full annual price.
Can Crafex handle my confidential forms?+
That is precisely the use case Crafex was built around. Standard tools process everything locally, so there is no upload to intercept, log, or leak. You can even open the tool on an airplane with no connection.
Keep exploring
How this comparison was made
This page was written by the Crafex editorial team and last reviewed in August 2026. We tested both products on the jobs described, consulted public feature lists and pricing pages, and did not accept sponsored placement. Prices, plan limits, and free-tier terms change frequently; where a detail could not be independently verified, it is presented as approximate and we recommend checking the vendor's own website before deciding.
Crafex is not affiliated with iLovePDF. All product names belong to their respective owners.