FS PDF Compressor vs Smallpdf

FS PDF Compressor is a free desktop app that compresses PDF files locally with Ghostscript. It is listed for macOS, Windows, and Linux, and its Free plan is free. Users can add one PDF, several PDFs, or a folder for batch processing. Balanced compression is the default, with two optional quality profiles. The app replaces an original only if the compressed version is smaller; Keep original mode can save a separate compressed copy instead. PDFs are processed locally, with no uploads, accounts, analytics, or telemetry. File actions are available in Finder, Windows Explorer, GNOME Files, and KDE Dolphin. An optional Drop Zone provides another way to start compression by dropping files onto a desktop target. The macOS distribution is Developer ID signed and notarized by Apple. The Windows installer is unsigned and updates are manual. On Linux under Wayland, the Drop Zone cannot reliably remain pinned to the desktop layer. The app is released under the GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 or later.

Smallpdf is a PDF service with tools for editing, converting, compressing, organizing, sharing, protecting and scanning documents. Users can add text, shapes, images and freehand annotations, create forms and use OCR. It supports electronic signatures, including signing, requesting signatures and tracking documents. Files can be stored, managed and shared across devices, and the mobile app supports PDF scans, document organization and file sharing. Smallpdf is available on the web, Windows, iOS and Android, and also supports a Chrome extension. Integrations include Google Workspace and Dropbox. Thirty PDF tools are available for free, and the free trial lasts seven days. Pro costs $12 a month, billed monthly per user. Team costs $10 a month per user and covers 2 to 100 users, with a minimum of two seats. Smallpdf says it uses 256-bit TLS encryption for information transfer and is ISO/IEC 27001 certified and compliant with GDPR, CCPA and nFADP. Customer support is available around the clock.