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Overleaf vs pdfFiller vs Smallpdf Comparison

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Overleaf

4.2(59 reviews)

Starting at $15 /Month

  • Free Trial
  • Individuals
  • Large Enterprises

Overleaf is an online document creation tool that connects people who write with people who design. It takes the hassle out of the traditional document production workflow so that user can focus on writing and content wi…

pdfFiller

4.5(8,757 reviews)

Starting at $8 /Month

  • Free Trial
  • Large Enterprises
  • Medium Business

pdfFiller allows users to quickly and easily create PDF files on their Windows PC. Users can fill a PDF form with their own data, or upload an existing Microsoft Word template. Once filled, a PDF document can be saved fo…

Smallpdf

3.2(518 reviews)

Starting at $7 /User/Month

  • Free Trial
  • Freelancers / Consultants
  • Large Enterprises

Smallpdf is a software to create PDF documents on the fly. With this software anyone can easily create PDF documents from any printable document like doc, xls, ppt. Its very easy to use and have fast conversion speed. Sm…

pdfFiller leads on user satisfaction with a 4.5-star rating across 8,757 reviews.

Overleaf vs pdfFiller vs Smallpdf — at a glance

FeatureOverleafpdfFillerSmallpdf
Rating4.2 / 54.5 / 53.2 / 5
Reviews598,757518
Starting price$15 /Month$8 /Month$7 /User/Month
Free trial Yes Yes Yes
Free version No No No
Best forIndividuals, Large Enterprises, Medium BusinessLarge Enterprises, Medium Business, Small BusinessFreelancers / Consultants, Large Enterprises, Medium Business
CategoryDocument Creation SoftwareDocument Creation SoftwareDocument Creation Software
PlatformsSaaS/Web/CloudSaaS/Web/Cloud, Mobile - Android, Mobile - iOS, Installed - Windows, Installed - MacSaaS/Web/Cloud, Mobile - Android, Mobile - iOS, Installed - Windows, Installed - Mac
APIAvailable
Support modesOnline24/7 (Live rep)24/7 (Live rep), Business Hours, Online
CertificationsGDPRSOC 2, HIPAA, GDPRSOC 2, GDPR
Data residencyGlobalUSGlobal

Key differences between Overleaf and pdfFiller

  • Pricing: Overleaf starts at $15 /Month, while pdfFiller starts at $8 /Month.
  • Target audience: Overleaf is built for Individuals and Large Enterprises, while pdfFiller targets Large Enterprises and Medium Business.
  • User satisfaction: pdfFiller scores higher with a 4.5-star average.
  • Deployment: Overleaf supports SaaS/Web/Cloud; pdfFiller supports SaaS/Web/Cloud, Mobile - Android, Mobile - iOS, Installed - Windows, Installed - Mac.

Compare Overleaf vs pdfFiller vs Smallpdf — and walk away knowing which one fits.

01

Which tool fits your team best

02

Which is actually cheaper for your team size

03

Where each product wins, per real buyers

Most Document Creation Software tools look identical on paper. This comparison cuts to the differences that matter — pricing structure, team fit, and what real buyers found after signing up.

Overleaf - Document Creation Software
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pdfFiller - Document Creation Software
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Smallpdf - Document Creation Software
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Biggest differences

Start here before you go deeper into features.

Overleaf

Best for collaborative LaTeX document creation and academic publishing online.

Choose if
  • You need real-time, in-browser collaboration on LaTeX documents.
  • Your team consists of researchers or technical writers focused on academic or technical content.
  • You want a simple, streamlined workflow that minimizes formatting hassles.
Consider alternatives if
  • Your team requires offline document editing capabilities.
  • You need advanced design customization beyond LaTeX formatting.

pdfFiller

Best for simple, efficient PDF form creation and filling on Windows PCs.

Choose if
  • You need to quickly fill and save PDF forms repeatedly with saved data.
  • Your workflow requires easy integration of Microsoft Word templates into PDFs.
  • You want built-in emailing and WYSIWYG printing options within a streamlined app.
Consider alternatives if
  • Your team requires advanced document workflow automation or extensive collaboration features.
  • You need cross-platform or mobile support beyond Windows.

Smallpdf

Best for

Freelancers / Consultants, Large Enterprises, Medium Business

Overleaf: Best for collaborative LaTeX document creation and academic publishing online. pdfFiller: Best for simple, efficient PDF form creation and filling on Windows PCs.

Description

Overleaf is an online document creation tool that connects people who write with people who design. It takes the hassle out of the traditional document production workflow so that user can ... Read More about Overleaf

pdfFiller allows users to quickly and easily create PDF files on their Windows PC. Users can fill a PDF form with their own data, or upload an existing Microsoft Word template. Once filled, ... Read More about pdfFiller

Smallpdf is a software to create PDF documents on the fly. With this software anyone can easily create PDF documents from any printable document like doc, xls, ppt. Its very easy to use and ... Read More about Smallpdf

Entry Level Pricing

  • Starts from $15
  • Starts from $8 , Billed Yearly
  • Starts from $7 , Billed Yearly

Free Trial Availability

User Ratings

Based on verified Spotsaas reviews

4.2

(59)

Best Company Size

Small BusinessMedium Business
1-50 employees51-500 employees
Get pricing help
Get pricing help
Get pricing help

Software Demo

Demo

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Step 1 of 4

How big is your team?

We tailor recommendations to companies your size.

Trusted by teams at

Compare Overleaf, pdfFiller and Smallpdf on pricing

Review starting price, plan structure, and free-trial access side by side so you can see which option fits your budget and buying process.

Pricing Option

        Starting From

        • $15
        • $8 , Billed Yearly
        • $7 , Billed Yearly

        Pricing Plans

        • Not Available
        • Basic

          • One User

          • Edit, fill, draw, print, save, or fax

          • Convert PDFs to editable word documents

          Show more +

        • Premium

          • Up to 5 users

          • Send documents out to be signed using SignNow

          • USLegal Forms Library

          Show more +

        • airSlate Business Cloud

          • Minimum 10 Users

          • The most powerful PDF editor

          • Business process automation

          Show more +

        • Free

          • Access to 21 Smallpdf tools

          • Work on website and mobile app

          • Process up to 2 documents per day

        • Pro

          • Includes features of Free plan, plus

          • Strong Compress, convert scanned PDFs to Word, and digital seal protection on signatures

          • Unlimited document processing

          Show more +

        • Team

          • Includes features of Pro plan, plus

          • Easy and flexible billing management

          • Add more users as needed

          Show more +

        • Browse all pricing plans

        Pricing Page

        Overleaf pricing
        pdfFiller pricing
        Smallpdf pricing

        Other Details

        Organization Types supported

        • Small Business
        • Freelancers
        • Medium Business
        • Large Enterprises
        • Individuals
        • Small Business
        • Freelancers
        • Medium Business
        • Large Enterprises
        • Individuals
        • Small Business
        • Freelancers
        • Medium Business
        • Large Enterprises
        • Individuals

        Platforms Supported

        • Browser Based (Cloud)
        • Mobile - iOS
        • Mobile - Android
        • Installed - Windows
        • Installed - Mac
        • Mobile - Windows
        • Browser Based (Cloud)
        • Browser Based (Cloud)
        • Mobile - iOS
        • Mobile - Android
        • Installed - Windows
        • Installed - Mac
        • Mobile - Windows
        • Browser Based (Cloud)
        • Browser Based (Cloud)
        • Mobile - iOS
        • Mobile - Android
        • Installed - Windows
        • Installed - Mac
        • Mobile - Windows
        • Browser Based (Cloud)

        Modes of support

        • 24/7 (Live rep)
        • Business Hours
        • Online
        • 24/7 (Live rep)
        • Business Hours
        • Online
        • 24/7 (Live rep)
        • Business Hours
        • Online

        API Support

        • Not Available
        • Available
        • Not Available
        Get help choosing
        Get help choosing
        Get help choosing

        Security & Compliance

        Certifications, data handling, and security controls for IT and compliance evaluators.

        SOC 2

        ✓ Yes
        ✓ Yes

        HIPAA

        ✗ No
        ✓ Yes
        ✗ No

        GDPR

        ✓ Yes
        ✓ Yes
        ✓ Yes

        Single Sign-On (SSO)

        ✓ Yes
        ✓ Yes

        Multi-Factor Auth (MFA)

        ✓ Yes

        Data Encryption

        ✓ Yes
        ✓ Yes
        ✓ Yes

        Audit Logs

        ✓ Yes

        Data Residency

        🌐 Global
        🇺🇸 US
        🌐 Global

        Overleaf vs pdfFiller User Reviews & Rating Comparison

        User Ratings

        Rating Distribution

        38

        12

        0

        0

        0

        2785

        308

        52

        10

        81

        807

        4

        0

        6

        25

        Spotsaas Editor’s POV generated by AI

        Buyer sentiment

        Users appreciate Overleaf for its ease of collaboration and simplifying complex document formatting, though some note limitations in design flexibility and reliance on internet connectivity.

        What buyers like

        • Ease of collaboration
        • Simplifies LaTeX formatting
        • Real-time editing

        Common complaints

        • Limited design customization
        • Requires internet connection

        Buyer sentiment

        Users generally appreciate pdfFiller for its ease of use and efficient PDF form handling, though some desire more advanced features and clearer pricing.

        What buyers like

        • Ease of use
        • Form filling efficiency
        • Integration with Word templates

        Common complaints

        • Lack of advanced collaboration features
        • Pricing transparency

        Buyer sentiment

        Buyer sentiment is mixed across 842 reviews, so it is worth reviewing the tradeoffs closely.

        What buyers like

        • Fast PDF creation
        • Easy to use
        • Supports multiple formats

        Common complaints

        • Limited editing features
        • Basic functionality
        • No advanced PDF management

        Pros and Cons

        • Real-time collaborative editing in-browser

        • Simplifies LaTeX document creation and formatting

        • Enables early and late stage collaboration between writers and designers

        • Limited advanced design customization compared to desktop publishing tools

        • Dependent on internet connection for live collaboration

        • Easy PDF form filling and creation on Windows

        • Ability to save and reuse data for repeated form filling

        • Integrated emailing and printing options within the app

        • Limited advanced workflow or collaboration features

        • No publicly available pricing details

        • Quickly converts various document types to PDF

        • User-friendly design for all skill levels

        • Fast conversion speeds enhance productivity

        • Limited editing capabilities compared to competitors

        • Basic features may not meet all needs

        Positive Reviews

        No reviews available for the product

        No reviews available for the product

        No reviews available for the product

        List of Customers

        Customers

        Caltech

        Caltech

        The University of Queensland

        The University of Queensland

        York

        York

        No Customers information available.

        Verizon

        Verizon

        Hilton

        Hilton

        Unilever

        Unilever

        Media and Screenshots

        Screenshots

        Overleaf screenshot

        2 Screenshots

        Draw Arrows

        4 Screenshots

        No screenshots available.

        Videos

        video-0

        1 Videos

        video-0

        2 Videos

        video-0

        3 Videos

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        Compare similar software options

        Disclaimer: This research has been collated from a variety of authoritative sources. We welcome your feedback at [email protected].

        Frequently asked questions

        Which is better, Overleaf or pdfFiller?
        pdfFiller edges out the other on user ratings (4.5 vs 4.2). That said, the best pick depends on your use case — use the comparison tables above to evaluate each dimension.
        Do Overleaf and pdfFiller offer a free trial?
        Yes, both Overleaf and pdfFiller offer a free trial.
        What is the starting price of Overleaf vs pdfFiller?
        Overleaf starts at $15 /Month. pdfFiller starts at $8 /Month.
        What are the top alternatives to Overleaf?
        Top alternatives to Overleaf include Manuscripts, Etherpad, PleaseReview, Documint, Microsoft Word.
        What are the top alternatives to pdfFiller?
        Top alternatives to pdfFiller include Documint, Adobe Acrobat DC, PDFelement, Fill, Adobe Sign.

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