Irreva vs iLovePDF
iLovePDF is one of the most popular PDF tool suites online. Irreva matches its core workflows — merge, split, compress, convert — while processing files locally in your browser rather than uploading them to a cloud server.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Irreva | iLovePDF |
|---|---|---|
| File processing | Browser (no upload) | Cloud server |
| Free tier limits | Unlimited (local) | Daily task limits |
| Account required | No | No (with limits) |
| Merge PDF | ✅ | ✅ |
| Split PDF | ✅ | ✅ |
| Compress PDF | ✅ | ✅ |
| PDF to Word | ✅ | ✅ |
| PDF OCR | ✅ (Tesseract) | ✅ (cloud OCR) |
| Mobile app | Browser works on mobile | iOS + Android apps |
| API access | ⌠| ✅ Paid |
The privacy difference
iLovePDF uploads your PDF to their servers for processing and deletes it afterward. For most users that's fine. But for contracts, financial statements, medical reports, and HR documents — sending the file to a third-party server is a compliance and privacy risk. Irreva processes using pdf-lib in your browser tab: the file never leaves your device.
When iLovePDF is a better choice
- You need a polished mobile app experience
- You require API access for automated PDF workflows
- You need advanced OCR accuracy on complex scanned documents
- Your PDF is too large to process smoothly in the browser (rare edge cases above 100MB)
When Irreva is a better choice
- Privacy is a requirement (legal, medical, financial documents)
- You hit iLovePDF's daily task limits on the free tier
- You want PDF tools alongside image, developer, and calculator utilities in one place
- You work offline or on low-bandwidth connections
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Irreva really unlimited free?
Yes for local processing — there are no server costs because your device does the work. Some tools have browser memory limits on very large files.
Does iLovePDF delete uploaded files?
iLovePDF states files are deleted from their servers after processing. Their privacy policy governs retention periods.
Can Irreva replace iLovePDF entirely?
For most everyday PDF tasks, yes. For API automation or their dedicated mobile app, iLovePDF has advantages.