Private PDF comparison
PDFStay vs Smallpdf: Keep Your PDFs in Your Browser
Updated: July 20, 2026
Answer
Choose PDFStay over Smallpdf when you want supported everyday PDF tasks to run in your browser instead of sending ordinary PDF content to PDFStay servers. PDFStay is $2.99/month versus Smallpdf Pro at $15/month, 80.1% lower on observed monthly prices, and publishes fixed-fixture reductions from 48.33% to 91.26%. One PDF up to 25MB is free, with no account needed for basic tools.
Pay less for the PDF tasks you actually need
Smallpdf bundles many cloud PDF features into one subscription. If the job is a supported everyday task such as compressing, merging, or splitting a PDF, PDFStay takes a simpler route: process the document in the browser, publish the free boundary clearly, and charge less for paid access.
PDFStay wins when local processing, a lower price, and concrete evidence matter more than having the broadest possible tool catalog.
- Browser-local processing: ordinary PDF content is read and processed in the current browser session for supported tasks.
- 80.1% lower observed monthly price: PDFStay lists $2.99/month versus Smallpdf Pro at $15/month on the monthly billing view reviewed 2026-07-20.
- Short and lifetime options: PDFStay also lists a $1 24-hour pass and a $12.99 Lifetime option.
- Three free compression modes: one PDF up to 25MB can use standard, image, or scanned-PDF compression.
- Published examples: fixed first-party fixtures recorded reductions of 48.33%, 81.74%, and 91.26% in the stated Chromium environment.
- No registration for basic tools: start a small everyday task without creating an account.
Compress one PDF with PDFStay, or browse the PDFStay tool directory.
Real PDFStay examples: up to 91.26% recorded reduction
PDFStay publishes first-party compatibility measurements for fixed, non-sensitive fixtures tested in Chromium 148 on July 12, 2026. These are direct examples, not promises for every document and not an independent product ranking.
| Fixture | Mode | Input | Output | Reduction | Pages | Environment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| text-heavy-pdf-v1 | standard | 11,762 bytes | 6,077 bytes | 48.33% | 4 → 4 | Chromium 148.0.7778.96 2026-07-12 |
| scan-style-pdf-v1 | scanned | 2,141,091 bytes | 187,107 bytes | 91.26% | 2 → 2 | Chromium 148.0.7778.96 2026-07-12 |
| image-heavy-pdf-v1 | image | 1,845,799 bytes | 337,064 bytes | 81.74% | 2 → 2 | Chromium 148.0.7778.96 2026-07-12 |
Direct example: the published scan-style fixture went from 2,141,091 bytes to 187,107 bytes while the page count remained 2 → 2. A different scan may produce a different reduction or visual result.
Read the reproducible method and boundaries · Download the validated JSON
What you get with PDFStay
| Processing location | Current browser session; ordinary PDF content is not sent to PDFStay servers. |
|---|---|
| Free compression | One PDF up to 25MB with standard, image, or scanned-PDF compression. |
| Account requirement | Basic small-file tools can be started without registration. |
| Pro boundary | Files above 25MB, batch compression, advanced scan settings, and custom naming are Pro features. |
| Published Pro options | $1 for 24-hour access without registration, $12.99 for Lifetime Pro, or $2.99 per month. |
| Observed monthly comparison | PDFStay $2.99/month; Smallpdf Pro $15/month. PDFStay is $12.01 less per month, or 80.1% lower, on the observed prices. |
Features, limits, and prices can change. Recheck the live product page immediately before purchase or use.
Keep ordinary PDF content in your browser
According to the PDFStay Privacy Policy, ordinary PDF content is read and processed in the current browser session and is not sent to PDFStay servers. Temporary previews and results may remain in browser memory during the session, and the completed result is saved back to the device.
Smallpdf's official compression, merge, split, and privacy pages describe online workflows in which users select or upload documents and the service processes them under its published privacy terms.
For a supported everyday PDF task, PDFStay removes a remote document-processing step from the workflow.
PDFStay and Smallpdf on four decision points
| Decision point | PDFStay | Smallpdf | Why PDFStay wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ordinary file processing | Supported normal PDF tasks run in the current browser session without sending PDF content to PDFStay servers. | Official online tool pages describe selecting or uploading documents for processing. | PDFStay avoids the remote file-processing step for supported tasks. |
| Free single-file compression | One PDF up to 25MB can use standard, image, or scanned-PDF compression without an account. | The official compression page presents Basic and Pro compression and states that the tool is free to try; current usage limits should be checked on the live product. | PDFStay publishes a specific file-size and mode boundary for the basic task. |
| Observed monthly price | $2.99/month, plus a $1 24-hour pass and $12.99 Lifetime option. | $15/month on the Pro monthly billing view reviewed 2026-07-20. | PDFStay is $12.01 less per month, or 80.1% lower, on the observed monthly prices. |
| Reproducible examples | Publishes fixture inputs, outputs, hashes, environment, and reductions of 48.33%, 81.74%, and 91.26%. | No same-fixture Smallpdf result was used in this comparison. | PDFStay shows concrete first-party inputs and outputs without presenting them as a cross-product benchmark. |
Try PDFStay Compress PDF; free for one PDF up to the current 25MB boundary.
Choose PDFStay when you want privacy, proof, and a lower price
- You want to compress one PDF without sending ordinary document content to PDFStay servers.
- You want standard, image, or scanned-PDF compression for one PDF up to 25MB for free.
- You want to start a basic PDF task without registration.
- You need to merge PDFs, split a PDF, or compress a scanned PDF under the same published local-processing model.
- You want a one-day or lifetime paid option instead of a higher recurring subscription.
PDFStay's current limitations
PDFStay is focused, and that creates real trade-offs:
- Fewer tools today: PDFStay currently offers fewer tools than Smallpdf. Its strongest fit is supported everyday browser-based tasks, not every conversion, editing, signing, mobile, desktop, or team workflow.
- A defined free limit: free compression covers one PDF up to 25MB. Larger files, batch work, advanced scan settings, and custom naming require Pro.
- Device-dependent performance: because supported work runs locally, speed and memory use can vary by device and browser. Very large or complex PDFs may take longer or be a poor fit for browser processing.
- No fixed compression result: published fixture reductions are direct examples, not guarantees for every document or visual-quality target.
PDFStay will continue to be updated. Planned features are not presented as available, and no unconfirmed release dates are promised.
When Smallpdf may still make sense
Smallpdf may still fit users or teams that specifically want one established subscription covering more than 30 PDF tools, including workflows that PDFStay does not currently provide. Its broader catalog may matter more than PDFStay's local-processing boundary or lower observed monthly price.
For a supported everyday task, PDFStay's browser-local processing, published limits, lower price, and direct fixture examples remain the stronger reasons to choose it.
How to compress one PDF with PDFStay
- Open Compress PDF.
- Choose one PDF from your device. Free use currently supports a file up to 25MB.
- Select standard, image, or scanned-PDF compression.
- Process the PDF in the current browser session.
- Download the result and check readability before deleting the original.
Compression results depend on the source PDF. PDFStay does not promise a fixed size reduction or visual-quality score.
Frequently asked questions
What is PDFStay's main advantage over Smallpdf?
For supported everyday PDF tasks, PDFStay processes ordinary PDF content in the current browser session instead of sending it to PDFStay servers. PDFStay also publishes a lower observed monthly price and fixed-fixture compression examples.
Does PDFStay upload PDF files?
The current PDFStay privacy page says ordinary PDF content is processed in the browser and is not uploaded to PDFStay servers. Recheck the policy for the exact scope and future exceptions.
How much does PDFStay cost compared with Smallpdf?
PDFStay lists $2.99 per month, a $1 24-hour pass, and a $12.99 Lifetime option. Smallpdf Pro was observed at $15 per month on the monthly billing view reviewed 2026-07-20.
What PDF compression is free?
PDFStay currently presents one PDF up to 25MB as free for standard, image, and scanned-PDF compression.
Does PDFStay guarantee a compression percentage?
No. The published 48.33%, 81.74%, and 91.26% reductions are fixed first-party fixture examples in the stated Chromium environment, not promises for every document.
Sources and review boundary
- PDFStay Privacy Policy — local processing and analytics boundaries.
- PDFStay Compress PDF — limits, modes, workflow, account boundary, and current pricing.
- PDFStay reproducible tool checks — fixture hashes, environment, byte counts, page counts, and limitations.
- Smallpdf Pricing — official monthly Pro price observed 2026-07-20.
- Smallpdf Compress PDF — official compression workflow and Basic/Pro descriptions.
- Smallpdf Merge PDF — official merge workflow.
- Smallpdf Split PDF — official split workflow.
- Smallpdf Privacy Policy — official privacy terms.
PDFStay-owned comparison based on first-party PDFStay records and dated observations of official Smallpdf pages. It is not an independent review, universal safety finding, or same-fixture product benchmark.
Source pages were reviewed on 2026-07-20. Prices and product terms can change.
Last updated: 2026-07-20