AvePDF vs PDFOptim

AvePDF is a browser-based service for editing, converting, and managing PDF and other electronic documents. Its tools cover merging, splitting, compression, conversion, protection, redaction, signing, OCR, PDF/A conversion and validation, and scanning. The converter handles more than 100 formats, including raster and vector images, office and text formats, CAD, and SVG. Files can be uploaded from Google Drive, Dropbox, or a web address, with results saved to cloud storage. The Free plan costs nothing and includes 50+ document tools, 2 processing operations per 6 hours, files up to 128 MB, and up to 10 files per processing. Premium costs $45 a year, billed annually as one payment per user; it includes unlimited processing, files up to 512 MB, and up to 100 files per processing, as well as no ads, technical support, and early beta access. Free-service uploads may be retained to improve services, including to train models; Premium files are not retained. Premium subscribers also receive multiple levels of encryption.

PDFOptim provides browser tools to compress, merge, split, rotate, and reorder PDF files, alongside native apps for macOS, iOS, iPad, and Windows. Browser processing uses JavaScript and WebAssembly without uploading files to PDFOptim servers, and the tools work offline after the page has loaded; initial loading and license verification need internet access. Compression offers Web, Standard, Print, and Custom settings, and can reduce PDF size by up to 90%. Compress Only mode strips metadata and compresses internal streams without re-rendering software-created PDFs, preserving selectable text. Multiple PDFs can be batch-compressed, while downloading all results as a ZIP requires Pro. The free plan allows three operations per day on files up to 25 MB. Pro Monthly costs $4.99 a month and includes unlimited operations, files up to 200 MB, and batch ZIP downloads. Lifetime costs $19, paid once, with the same operation and file limits, batch ZIP downloads, future tools, and priority email support. The native apps process documents locally; a 30-day money-back guarantee is also listed.