iLovePDF is one of the most-used PDF sites in the world, with dozens of tools, desktop and mobile apps, and versions in many languages. For merging, splitting, compressing and converting, it is hard to beat for breadth.
PencoPDF is much smaller. It is built around one job the big toolkits treat as a side feature: changing the words already on the page so the change does not show, including on scans.
The short answer
- For almost any PDF chore, at scale, iLovePDF has more tools, larger limits on its paid plan, and apps for every platform.
- For an invisible text change, or a change on a scan, use PencoPDF.
Changing existing text
iLovePDF's Edit PDF page says you can "select text to edit, move, or delete the existing content", alongside adding text, shapes, comments and highlights.
PencoPDF works line by line: click a line, retype it, and the new words are set in the page's own font, at the same size, on the same baseline and in the same colour, with the old words removed from the file. When a letter is not stored in the file, it picks the closest face by name and letter width rather than a default font. See how to change text in a PDF and keep the same font.
Scanned documents
A scan is a picture, so its words cannot be edited until they are read. PencoPDF reads them as the file opens and lets you retype a line on the scan itself. The old letters are lifted out of the picture and the paper behind them rebuilt, so there is no white box. See how to edit a scanned PDF.
Side by side
| PencoPDF | iLovePDF | |
|---|---|---|
| Change existing text | Free | Yes |
| Retype a line on a scan in place | Yes | Not found on its edit page |
| Desktop and mobile apps | No, browser only | Yes |
| Languages | English | Many |
| Account needed | No | No, for basic use |
| Watermark on downloads | No | See iLovePDF's pricing page |
iLovePDF's free limits and prices differ by tool and change over time. Check ilovepdf.com/pricing for the current ones.
Where iLovePDF is the better choice
- You need a tool PencoPDF does not have, such as HTML to PDF, PDF repair or comparing two PDFs.
- You process a lot of files and want batch jobs, apps and a paid plan with high limits.
- You want the interface in a language other than English.
Where PencoPDF is the better choice
- The edit has to be invisible: same font, same size, same place.
- The document is a scan.
- You want to fix something quickly without thinking about which tool or plan you need.
Privacy
PencoPDF processes files on servers in Germany and deletes them 24 hours after your last edit. Details are in the privacy policy.