CoolUtils Online PDF Merger vs PDF Candy

CoolUtils Online PDF Merger combines multiple files into one PDF in a browser, without signup or software installation. The free tool accepts up to five files per pass, with a limit of 50 MB per file. The order of the upload slots determines the sequence in the merged document. JPG, PNG and GIF images are accepted as well, with each image becoming a PDF page. CoolUtils says uploads and downloads use encrypted SSL/TLS connections and are processed in isolated environments. The product page says documents are used for merging and are not stored afterward; CoolUtils also says uploaded files and converted results are automatically deleted from its servers within 24 hours. The listed platform availability includes Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, web and Windows, though the primary platform is web. The online page does not list integrations, batch merging or page selection. CoolUtils recommends its desktop product for recurring or folder-level work and command-line automation.

PDF Candy is a PDF toolkit for editing, converting, merging, splitting, compressing, signing, protecting and managing documents. Its tools include text editing, annotations and OCR, while AI features can summarize, chat with and translate PDF documents. Users can import files from Google Drive or Dropbox and save updated versions back to cloud storage. PDF Candy Desktop is a Windows download with 35 tools that can operate offline; the company lists 98 PDF tools and 19 languages. Access is listed for web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android. The free plan has page and hourly restrictions, limited file size, no batch processing and a desktop operations limit. Students and teachers can get one year of PDF Candy PRO online at no cost, with no hourly limits and uploads up to 500 MB. PDF Candy says files are deleted from its servers within two hours after processing. The free plan is available, with paid access from $6/mo.