Smallpdf vs PDFsam Basic

Fit:

Migration notes

Local page-processing replacement for Smallpdf merge, split, rotate and extract tasks. No cloud account migration; retain PDF files. Basic lacks Smallpdf OCR, content editing and compression workflows.

Sources: pdfsam.org, smallpdf.com · checked 2026-10-21

SmallpdfPaid incumbent

Entry priceNot established

Pricing modelper-seat, billed annual

OwnerSmallpdf AG

Pro annual billing offered; numeric price failed to render in official page extraction (ellipsis). Source

Smallpdf plans reviewed
Pro	entry	Not established
Team	business	Not established
Business	enterprise	Quote only

PDFsam BasicOpen-source alternative

Fit for Smallpdf

License

GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 Permissions of this strongest copyleft license are conditioned on making available complete source code of licensed works and modifications, which include larger works using a licensed work, under the same license. Copyright and license notices must be preserved. Contributors provide an express grant of patent rights. When a modified version is used to provide a service over a network, the complete source code of the modified version must be made available. May Commercial useModificationDistributionPatent usePrivate use Must License and copyright noticeState changesDisclose sourceNetwork use is distributionSame license No LiabilityWarranty Summary from GitHub's choosealicense.com

Paid-feature tier A

Self-host

Paid-feature limitsNone established

PDFsam Basic plans reviewed
PDFsam Basic	free desktop/core	Free

What you may give up

No paid-feature limits established for this edition.

Local desktop app, not a hosted web service or self-hosted server.

Tier A: The named Basic desktop edition runs locally without watermarks or file-size limits; all six Basic tools are free. Enhanced and Visual are distinct commercial products, not extra Basic OSS modules. Basic handles page manipulation rather than full text editing, OCR or conversion. License source

What running it takes

PDFsam Basic packaged desktop runtime

Hover or focus an icon for its name. Dashed means not established; struck through means no; grouped icons are alternatives.

Local desktop application, not a server deployment. No external database/cache/queue/SMTP service needed by documented binary installation. Build tools are separate from runtime. Infrastructure and staff time are not priced here; this page does not compare total cost.