gs-batch-pdf vs Smallpdf

gs-batch-pdf is a free, MIT-licensed command-line tool for processing PDF files in parallel on Windows, Linux, and macOS. It applies Ghostscript presets including /screen, /ebook, /printer, /prepress, and /default, and converts files to PDF/A-1, PDF/A-2, or PDF/A-3. Correct PDF/A-2 and PDF/A-3 conversion requires Ghostscript 10.04.0 or newer. Recursive directory processing can report progress for each file. You can keep the smaller result or always keep the newly processed file, add filename prefixes or suffixes, and choose whether failures prompt, skip, or abort. Silent options support unattended runs, including forced overwrites, suppressed output-folder opening, and skipped errors. Arbitrary Ghostscript options are accepted. Python 3.12 or later and a separately installed Ghostscript executable are required; pipx is recommended, while pip is also supported. No API access is listed.

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.