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Test scope & comparison notes
These are recorded facts, not a unified ranking. Tested tiers and scope are not consistently recorded. Read pricing with its date and timing with its conditions. Privacy observations reflect visible flows and statements, not a security audit.
Cross-task capability coverage across selected products
Each product is scored independently per task edge; switch tasks below while keeping shared products selected| Task edge | online-convert.com | PDF Candy | Switch / compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Image compression | 90/100 2048 × 2048 · PNG | Not tested in topic | Compare in task topic → |
| PDF to Word | Not tested in topic | 90/100 DOCX · Output attached | Compare in task topic → |
| PDF compression | 94/100 PDF · Output attached | 92/100 PDF · Output attached | Active task |
| Scanned PDF OCR | 94/100 PDF · Output attached | 87/100 TXT · Output attached | |
| PDF merge & split | Not tested in topic | 94/100 PDF · Output attached | Compare in task topic → |
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Browse this task →| Criterion | Online-Convert PDF compression 94/100 Seven-aspect task score Online-Convert performed strongly in the 2-page hybrid PDF compression benchmark, completing server-side processing in 12.06 seconds to deliver a 79.0 KB document. It achieved a 95.24% file reduction (20.99x) while retaining 100.0% of all 17 vector text operators and table figures with zero logins and no watermarks. Tested export PDF · Output attached Historical test · 2026-11-05 | PDF Candy (Icecream Apps Compress PDF) PDF compression 92/100 Seven-aspect task score Clean, ad-free login-free compression reduced the 1.66 MB 2-page PDF by 93.12% to 114.1 KB with 100% selectable vector text retained, though the 1-task/hour free limit is not disclosed on the landing page. Tested export PDF · Output attached Historical test · 2026-10-23 |
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| Pricing & rules | ||
| Pricing plans | Online-Convert free trial credits, Pay As You Go packages and subscriptions · 2026-10-31 Plan · source date Monthly / one-time Annual bill / period Quota & limits Free Trial2026-10-31 ↗ Free Free Free 16 free trial credits upon signup without payment details Supports evaluation of most conversion and compression tools；Shared standard queue with file size limits；No automatic renewal；Valid until credits exhausted Pay As You Go (240 Credits)2026-10-31 ↗ USD 8 · one-time payment Usage / one-time Usage / one-time 240 credits ($0.0333/credit), valid for 1 year Access to all tools, no waiting queue, priority processing Rules [1] [2] [3]Pay As You Go (480 Credits)2026-10-31 ↗ USD 14 · one-time payment Usage / one-time Usage / one-time 480 credits ($0.0292/credit), valid for 1 year Full tools access, zero wait queue, ad-free experience Rules [1] [2] [3]Monthly Subscription (2800 Credits)2026-10-31 ↗ USD 29/month — Monthly 2800 credits per month (up to 2800 standard tasks or 350 AI tasks) All features, no waiting queue, batch concurrent processing, no ads；Unused monthly credits do not roll over；Renews monthly, cancel anytime in dashboard；Valid during active billing period Annual Subscription (2800 Credits/mo)2026-10-31 ↗ — Annual price not verified Annual 2800 credits per month; UI states $23.17 USD/month equivalent without full annual total All features, no waiting queue, batch concurrent processing, no ads；Annual billing total not stated upfront; held as null with partial coverage；Renews annually；Valid during annual period 5 plan / billing-period records, all listed; — means that period is not recorded. Anonymous conversions for basic files; 16 free trial credits upon registration; Pay As You Go packs: 240 credits for $8, 480 for $14; monthly subscription $29/mo for 2800 credits; annual plans state monthly equivalents without full upfront invoice total. Verification has gaps; unknown prices and quotas are not inferred. Cancellation, sources & verification recordCancellation and refund terms unverified Online-Convert Plans & Pricing ↗ · 2026-10-31 Capture 1 ↗ | PDF Candy USD web and desktop + web bundles · 2026-10-21 Plan · source date Monthly / one-time Annual bill / period Quota & limits Free2026-10-20 ↗ Free Free Free No account; page, hourly and file-size limits; no batching. Numeric limits are not listed. Web Monthly2026-10-20 ↗ USD 6/month — Monthly Monthly web-tool subscription; up to 500 MB/task, no hourly limits, and high-priority processing. Desktop + Web Yearly2026-10-20 ↗ — USD 48/year Annual Billed annually at USD 48.00/year (displayed as USD 4/month equivalent); includes 500 MB/task, no hourly limits, web and desktop access, plus Video Candy and Image Candy web. Billed annually via Paddle at US$48.00/year (applicable taxes calculated at checkout) Desktop + Web Lifetime2026-10-20 ↗ USD 99 · one-time payment Usage / one-time Usage / one-time One payment; desktop perpetual licence is limited to the current major version, including minor updates. 4 plan / billing-period records, all listed; — means that period is not recorded. Confirmed USD 6 monthly, USD 48 yearly (card displays promotional USD 4/month equivalent; verified at USD 48.00/year in the Paddle checkout modal after login on 2026-10-21), and USD 99 one-time. Lifetime covers the licensed version and minor updates, not future major upgrades. Cancellation, sources & verification recordThe page mentions 30-day refunds but also conditions them on recurring unresolved errors; eligibility follows the refund policy. Cancellation retains access through the paid period. Official feature and pricing page ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗ Official feature and pricing page ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗ Logged-in pricing page and Paddle checkout annual bill verification ↗ · 2026-10-21 Capture 1 ↗ |
| Free & trial allowance on the test date | Anonymous guests can convert everyday small files; registered users receive 16 trial credits | Free users can run 1 task per hour before hitting the hourly cooldown or upgrading to PRO |
| Cancellation & refunds | Not verified | The page mentions 30-day refunds but also conditions them on recurring unresolved errors; eligibility follows the refund policy. Cancellation retains access through the paid period. |
| Disclosure of costs & limits | Immediate processing upon upload, direct download and delete links provided in result table | Exposes Recommended and Maximum compression options upfront, though the 1-task/hour limit is not stated on the landing page |
| Task quality | ||
| Measured fixture results | File reduction: 95.24% · Output size: 79 KB · Selectable text retained: 100% · Page 2 preserved: Yes | File reduction: 93.12% · Output size: 114.1 KB · Selectable text retained: 100% · Page 2 preserved: Yes |
| Fixture findings | 95.24% file reduction (1.66MB to 79KB, 20.99x) with 100.0% retention of vector text and tabular layouts. | Reduced the 1,659.0 KB fixture by 93.12% (114.1 KB output) with both pages and 100% selectable vector text preserved. |
| Original historical observation | Online-Convert compressed the 1.66MB test PDF to 79.0 KB under default settings, smooth image resampling with 100% vector typography preserved (02_result.png, 03_download.png). | At its default Recommended setting, PDF Candy compresses our 1.66 MB anchor PDF to 114.1 KB (-93.12%) in 5.2s with 100% of native vector text operator blocks preserved; note the 1-task-per-hour free cooldown (02_result.png, 03_download.png). |
| Suitable uses · historical assessment | Users seeking to reduce large image-heavy PDFs below 100KB without login while preserving sharp vector text under EU GDPR protections | Users compressing one PDF at a time who want an ad-free interface, 100% vector text preservation, or a $99 Lifetime license option |
| Result & output evidence | ||
| Delivery capabilities | ||
| Recorded export specifications | PDF · Output attached · No watermark in test | PDF · Output attached · No watermark in test |
| Historical specification note · not an official maximum | Complete 2-page native vector PDF (79.0 KB, 95.24% reduction) | Full 2-page native vector PDF (114.1 KB · -93.12% · watermark-free · 1 task/hr free limit) |
| Watermark observation | No watermark | Watermark-free |
| Batch & API | Supports multi-file batch additions and advanced parameter tuning | Supports Google Drive / Dropbox integration and Windows desktop software |
| Recorded free-tier dimensions | Not verified | Not verified |
| Attached file dimensions | Not verified | Not verified |
| Speed & reliability | ||
| Timing observation | Network-observed server wait: 12.06s · End-to-end reference: 13.56s | Network-observed server wait: 5.2s · End-to-end reference: 6s |
| Date & fixture | 2026-11-05 · anchor_pdfcompress_v1 · US-West (California) | 2026-10-23 · anchor_pdfcompress_v1 · US-West (California, AS2914) |
| Repeated tests & reliability | No standardized repetition count, success rate or variability range is recorded. | No standardized repetition count, success rate or variability range is recorded. |
| Interaction experience | ||
| Account requirements | No login in this test | No login in this test |
| Sign-in methods | Direct upload & compress without login | No login required for direct compression and download; PRO login supported |
| Manual adjustment | Not verified | Not verified |
| Interaction observations | Not verified | Clean workspace and download flow with zero third-party ad popups, registration walls, or email gates. |
| Background & reputation | ||
| Service lifecycle notice | Not verified | Not verified |
| Operator | QaamGo Media GmbH | Icecream Apps Ltd. (PDF Candy) |
| Recorded origin | Cologne, Germany | Cyprus |
| Domain history record | Domain registered in 2009 | 2016–Present (10-year PDF utility suite) |
| Background & reputation assessment | Not verified | Operated by Icecream Apps Ltd. (Cyprus) since 2016 as a well-known web and Windows PDF utility suite. |
| External reputation record | Operated continuously by German registered company QaamGo Media GmbH with transparent EU GDPR disclosures. | Not verified |
| Engineering & privacy | ||
| Processing location | Uploaded for cloud processing | Uploaded for cloud processing |
| Third-party tracking record | Google Analytics · Google AdSense · PayPal · Stripe | No third-party services listed in this record; this is not proof that none exist. |
| Engineering & privacy assessment | Not verified | Full SSL/TLS encryption with automatic server file deletion after 2 hours and manual deletion controls on the result screen. |
| Retention statement | Claims deletion within 24 hours; deletion not independently verified | Claims deletion within 2 hours; deletion not independently verified |
| Evaluation basis | ||
| Pricing transparency | 28 / 35 Offers both Recommended compression and Maximum compression without login, producing a direct "Download file" button (114.14 KB) in ~5.2s; however, the 1-task-per-hour free rate limit is not disclosed upfront on the landing screen (01_landing.png, 01b_workspace.png, 02_result.png). | |
| Interaction restraint | 26 / 30 Clean workspace and download flow with zero third-party ad popups, registration walls, or email gates. | |
| Background & reputation | 18.5 / 20 Operated by Icecream Apps Ltd. (Cyprus) since 2016 as a well-known web and Windows PDF utility suite. | |
| Engineering & privacy | 13.5 / 15 Full SSL/TLS encryption with automatic server file deletion after 2 hours and manual deletion controls on the result screen. | |
| Task quality | 65 / 65 Size Reduction: -95.24% (1659 KB → 79 KB, 20.99× ratio) · Selectable Vector Text Retained: 100% · Page 2 Preserved: Yes | 65 / 65 Deterministic PDF stream inspection: default Recommended preset shrinks the 1,659.0 KB fixture to 114.1 KB (-93.12%, 14.54× ratio) while preserving 100.0% of all 27 native vector text operator blocks (BT/TJ), 4/4 headings, 12/12 table cells, and the Page 2 token (65.0/65) |
| Deliverable specifications | 20 / 20 Clean unwatermarked export (8/8); Export spec: Complete 2-page native vector PDF (79.0 KB, 95.24% reduction) | 17.5 / 20 Free tier exports a complete 114.1 KB 2-page watermark-free vector PDF without login, subject to a 1-task-per-hour free rate limit (17.5/20) |
| Processing speed | 11 / 15 Network-observed server wait: 12.06s (API mode: cloud_online_convert_compress; network upload 1.5s / end-to-end 13.56s shown for reference only, never penalized) | |
