Best pdf-cli Alternatives in 2026
Updated
20 platforms from PDF compression software ranked against pdf-cli on the same published basis.
- 1pdf-cli vs iText pdfOptimizer
- 2pdf-cli vs Compresto
- 3pdf-cli vs PDF Candy
- 4pdf-cli vs PDF2Go
- 5pdf-cli vs Smallpdf
- 6pdf-cli vs AvePDF
- 7pdf-cli vs FS PDF Compressor
- 8pdf-cli vs PDF Compressor
- 9pdf-cli vs PDF24 Compare PDF
- 10pdf-cli vs PDFOptim
- 11pdf-cli vs Xodo Compress PDF
- 12pdf-cli vs Adobe PDF Services API
- 13pdf-cli vs Online2PDF
- 14pdf-cli vs Sejda PDF Editor
- 15pdf-cli vs Compressify
- 16pdf-cli vs iLovePDF
- 17pdf-cli vs BentoPDF Hyper Compress
- 18pdf-cli vs PDF.co
- 19pdf-cli vs PDFify
- 20pdf-cli vs Online PDF Compressor
pdf-cli alternatives compared
| # | Platform | Score | Free plan | From | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | iText pdfOptimizer | 6.6 | No | — | API |
| 2 | Compresto | 6.5 | No | $49/mo | API |
| 3 | PDF Candy | 6.0 | Free plan | $0.33/mo | Android, iOS, Linux, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 4 | PDF2Go | 6.0 | Free plan | Free | Android, Browser, iOS, Linux, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 5 | Smallpdf | 6.0 | Free plan | $10/mo | Android, iOS, Web, Windows |
| 6 | AvePDF | 5.9 | Free plan | $3.75/mo | Android, iOS, Linux, Web |
| 7 | FS PDF Compressor | 5.9 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 8 | PDF Compressor | 5.9 | Free plan | Free | Web |
| 9 | PDF24 Compare PDF | 5.9 | Free plan | Free | Android, iOS, Linux, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 10 | PDFOptim | 5.9 | Free plan | $4.99/mo | iOS, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 11 | Xodo Compress PDF | 5.9 | Free plan | $7.99/mo | Android, Browser, iOS, Linux, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 12 | Adobe PDF Services API | 5.8 | Free plan | Free | Web |
| 13 | Online2PDF | 5.8 | Free plan | Free | Web |
| 14 | Sejda PDF Editor | 5.8 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 15 | Compressify | 5.6 | Free plan | Free | Web |
| 16 | iLovePDF | 5.6 | No | — | Android, iOS, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 17 | BentoPDF Hyper Compress | 5.4 | No | — | Linux, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 18 | PDF.co | 5.3 | No | $8.99/mo | Web |
| 19 | PDFify | 5.3 | No | — | Mac |
| 20 | Online PDF Compressor | 5.2 | No | — | Web |
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Questions about pdf-cli alternatives
What is the best alternative to pdf-cli?
iText pdfOptimizer, number 1 in PDF compression software with a score of 6.6 out of 10. The others here: Compresto, PDF Candy, PDF2Go and 16 more.
What is the best free alternative to pdf-cli?
PDF Candy is the best-ranked alternative with a free plan. 13 of the 20 alternatives here publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
How are these alternatives ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes, open and connectable first: a public API, open-source code, the depth of its documentation and a free tier to try it on. Model lists are sorted by the figure in their title, exactly as each provider publishes it.