Filzy vs Smallpdf
Two PDF toolkits, two business models. Smallpdf is Swiss, mature and server-based. Filzy runs entirely in your browser. Here is the side by side.
TL;DR
Smallpdf is the Swiss-engineered, mature option with a polished UI, a desktop app and 28+ PDF tools. Filzy is the better fit if you do not want your file to leave your device, do not want a 2-document daily cap on the free tier, and want image and video tools alongside PDF in one suite. Compression and conversion ratios are similar at equivalent quality settings.
Feature by feature
| Filzy | Smallpdf | |
|---|---|---|
| Files uploaded to a server | No, runs locally in WebAssembly | Yes, Swiss servers |
| Daily cap (free tier) | None | ~2 documents per day |
| Watermark on free tier | No | No |
| Account required | Beyond 3 files, free | Beyond daily cap |
| Pro plan | Coming soon | ~$9/month |
| PDF tool surface | 18+ | 28+ |
| Image and video tools | Yes, 50+ | PDF only |
| API | On the roadmap (Pro) | Oui (REST) |
| Desktop app | Installable PWA | Yes, Windows/macOS |
| Dropbox / Google Drive integrations | Non | Oui |
| Languages | EN, FR | 20+ |
| Pricing (free tier) | Free, 3 files/tool without account, free with account beyond | 2 docs/day, paid beyond |
Frequently asked questions
According to their documentation, files are encrypted in transit and stored on Swiss servers, then deleted within an hour. That is industry-standard for cloud PDF services. Filzy avoids the question entirely by never receiving the file in the first place.
Smallpdf free allows about 2 document operations per day per IP. After that you have to subscribe to Pro (currently around 9 USD per month) or wait for the cooldown. Filzy has no daily cap.
At equivalent compression settings, yes. Both Smallpdf and Filzy use libimagequant for PNG and an optimised JPEG encoder. Filzy outputs the same ratio of size reduction without uploading the file.
Filzy is a PWA (Progressive Web App), it can be installed from your browser like a desktop app. The processing engine is identical. A native desktop wrapper is on the roadmap.
If you need their REST API for automation, their team-collaboration features, or their integrations with Dropbox/Google Drive triggered server-side. For everyday browser-based PDF work, Filzy covers the same ground without the upload.
Try Filzy on the same files
No upload, no daily cap, free tier without account for the first 3 files. The output is byte-equivalent to what Smallpdf produces.
Open Filzy compress PDF