Tarumak Studio vs iLovePDF — Honest Comparison
iLovePDF is one of the oldest and most widely used PDF tool suites available online, with tens of millions of users. It is polished, well-maintained, and covers the full range of PDF operations. It also has a paid Pro tier, mobile apps, and cloud integrations. Tarumak Studio is newer, narrower in some respects, but built on a different privacy model. Here is an honest breakdown of both.
The short answer
Use iLovePDF if you need OCR for scanned documents, Microsoft Office format conversion, e-signatures, mobile apps, or Google Drive and Dropbox integration. The iLovePDF Pro plan is a genuinely capable product for teams and power users.
Use Tarumak Studio if you want to process files without uploading them to a server, if you need more than two free operations per day, if you want design and marketing tools alongside PDF tools, or if you prefer not to create an account.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Tarumak Studio | iLovePDF Free | iLovePDF Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merge PDFs | Unlimited | 2/day | Unlimited |
| Split PDFs | Unlimited | 2/day | Unlimited |
| Compress PDFs | Unlimited | 2/day | Unlimited |
| PDF to JPG / JPG to PDF | Unlimited | 2/day | Unlimited |
| OCR (scanned PDFs) | No | No | Yes |
| Word / Excel / PowerPoint → PDF | No | 2/day | Unlimited |
| eSign PDF | No | 2/day | Unlimited |
| Google Drive / Dropbox integration | No | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile app (iOS / Android) | No | Yes | Yes |
| Files uploaded to server | No | Yes | Yes |
| Account required | No | No (basic); Yes (more) | Yes |
| Image tools (15 types) | Yes | Basic only | Basic only |
| Marketing tools (UTM, OG image, etc.) | 8 tools | None | None |
| Developer tools | 10 tools | None | None |
| Cost | Free | Free (limited) | From ~4 USD/mo |
Where iLovePDF wins
OCR for scanned documents. If you scan paper documents and need them to be searchable or copy-pasteable, iLovePDF Premium's OCR support is the right tool. Tarumak Studio cannot make scanned PDFs searchable — it is on the roadmap but not yet available.
Microsoft Office conversion. Word, Excel and PowerPoint to PDF and back is one of the most common professional workflows. iLovePDF handles this on both free and paid tiers. Tarumak Studio does not offer Office format conversion yet.
eSignatures. Send a PDF for someone else to sign, track signature status, and store signed copies. iLovePDF supports this on its free plan with daily limits. Tarumak Studio does not offer signing.
Cloud integrations. Connect Google Drive or Dropbox to pull files directly without downloading them first. Useful for professionals who live in cloud storage. Tarumak Studio is local-only.
Mobile apps. iLovePDF has native iOS and Android apps. Tarumak Studio has no dedicated mobile app, though all tools work in a mobile browser.
Where Tarumak Studio wins
No upload, no exposure. Every iLovePDF operation — free or paid — sends your file to their servers. iLovePDF's privacy policy states files are deleted within two hours after processing, and they are GDPR-compliant. This is a reasonable standard for most uses. However, for sensitive contracts, personal identification documents, medical forms, or confidential business filings, the safest approach is to never upload in the first place. Tarumak Studio's browser-based approach provides this guarantee architecturally, not just by policy.
No daily caps on core operations. The iLovePDF free plan allows 2 operations per day across all tools combined. Merge one PDF, you have used one of your two daily operations. Tarumak Studio has no per-day or per-month limits. Compress 50 PDFs in a row if you need to.
No account required — ever. iLovePDF prompts account creation to unlock more features. Tarumak Studio works identically for every visitor with no account, no email address, and no sign-up flow.
Width of tools beyond PDF. iLovePDF is excellent at PDF tasks but limited beyond them. Tarumak Studio provides 15 image tools, 8 marketing tools (UTM builder, Open Graph image generator, color palette extractor, social media resizer), and 10 developer utilities alongside the PDF suite. A designer who needs to compress images, build UTM links, generate a QR code, and compress a PDF can do all of it on one site without leaving.
No ads. Tarumak Studio does not show advertising on any tool page. iLovePDF's free tier shows ads.
iLovePDF Premium: is it worth it?
If you work with PDFs professionally and regularly need OCR, Office conversion, and unlimited operations, iLovePDF Premium at around 4 USD per month is reasonable value. It is a more complete product than Tarumak Studio for pure PDF power-users.
If you primarily need to merge, split, compress or convert PDFs and you use these tools casually rather than professionally, Tarumak Studio gives you all of that with no account and no payment, and the browser-based processing makes it the more private choice.
When to use which
Use iLovePDF Premium when: OCR, Office conversion, eSignatures, and cloud integration are core to your workflow, and you process PDFs professionally every day.
Use iLovePDF free when: you need one or two PDF operations and have no privacy concerns about uploading the file.
Use Tarumak Studio when: you value privacy, you want unlimited free operations, you need tools beyond PDF (image, marketing, developer), or you want to avoid creating yet another account.
Frequently asked questions
Does iLovePDF upload files to their servers?
Yes. iLovePDF processes all files server-side. Their privacy policy states files are deleted within two hours. Tarumak Studio processes everything in your browser — files never leave your device.
What is iLovePDF free plan limit?
iLovePDF free limits users to 2 PDF tasks per day across all tools. After that, you must wait until the next day or upgrade. Tarumak Studio has no daily limit.
Is Tarumak Studio a good iLovePDF alternative?
Yes, for core PDF tasks (merge, split, compress, rotate, password protect, convert to/from images). Tarumak Studio does not yet offer OCR, Office format conversion, or eSignatures — these remain advantages for iLovePDF.
Does iLovePDF have a free plan?
Yes. iLovePDF is free with limits of 2 operations per day. A premium plan unlocks unlimited operations, OCR, and team features starting at around 4 USD per month.
Can I use iLovePDF on mobile?
Yes — iLovePDF has dedicated iOS and Android apps. Tarumak Studio has no mobile app but works in any mobile browser.