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Test scope & comparison notes
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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 | pdfescape.com | lightpdf.com | Switch / compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| PDF to Word | Not tested in topic | 78/100 DOCX · Output attached | Compare in task topic → |
| PDF compression | 93/100 PDF · Output attached | 88/100 PDF · Output attached | Active task |
| Scanned PDF OCR | Not tested in topic | 82/100 DOCX · Output attached | Compare in task topic → |
| PDF merge & split | Not tested in topic | 90/100 PDF · Output attached | Compare in task topic → |
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Browse this task →| Criterion | PDFescape PDF compression 93/100 Seven-aspect task score Veteran guest-usable PDF compressor delivering High Compression mode that slashes 1.62 MB dual-page anchor by 98.00% down to 33.2 KB while preserving 100% of 27 vector text operators and tables in 4.62s server wait. Tested export PDF · Output attached Historical test · 2026-11-02 | LightPDF PDF compression 88/100 Seven-aspect task score Delivers an extreme 98.22% size reduction (down to 29.5 KB) with 100% selectable vector text retention for logged-in free accounts, though guests face a sign-in gate and 20.01s cloud wait. Tested export PDF · Output attached Historical test · 2026-10-23 |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & rules | ||
| Pricing plans | PDFescape Free online tools, Premium and Ultimate annual desktop suites · 2026-10-31 Plan · source date Monthly / one-time Annual bill / period Quota & limits Free Online2026-10-31 ↗ Free Free Free Up to 10 stored files for 7 days, 10 MB per file limit Web-based PDF viewing, basic editing, form filling & creation, encryption, and sharing；Ad-supported; lacks desktop offline text/image editing and advanced conversion Premium (billed yearly)2026-10-31 ↗ — Annual price not verified Annual Up to 100 stored files for 30 days, 40 MB per file limit Ad-free, desktop & online PDF editing, PDF to Word conversion, merge & compress, page numbering & watermarks；Displayed as $2.99/month billed yearly without disclosing the upfront annual invoice total Ultimate (billed yearly)2026-10-31 ↗ — Annual price not verified Annual No expiration on online file storage, 40 MB per file limit All Premium features plus advanced form designer, digital signatures, and permanent redaction；Displayed as $5.99/month billed yearly without disclosing the upfront annual invoice total 3 plan / billing-period records, all listed; — means that period is not recorded. Free online tools allow up to 10MB/10 files without registration; Premium and Ultimate display monthly equivalents ($2.99/mo and $5.99/mo billed yearly) without stating the upfront annual billing invoice total. Verification has gaps; unknown prices and quotas are not inferred. Cancellation, sources & verification recordCancellation and refund terms unverified PDFescape Plans & Pricing ↗ · 2026-10-31 Capture 1 ↗ | LightPDF Individual Free, Monthly, Annual and Perpetual plans; Team & Business and Education tabs priced separately · 2026-10-21 Plan · source date Monthly / one-time Annual bill / period Quota & limits Free Plan2026-10-21 ↗ Free Free Free Web only; max file size 10 MB, 1-year cloud storage for up to 5 files; downloading converted DOCX requires signing in to a free account Monthly Plan2026-10-21 ↗ USD 19.99/month — Monthly 1-month full access to all PDF tools across Web, Mobile and Desktop, unlimited file size, plus 1,000 AI credits/month Promotional price USD 19.99/month (strikethrough USD 29.99), billed monthly, cancel anytime；Unused AI credits expire monthly Annual Plan2026-10-21 ↗ — USD 49.99/year Annual 1-year full access to all PDF tools across 5 platforms (1 active device at a time), unlimited file size, plus 1,000 AI credits/month 3-day free trial then USD 49.99/year (strikethrough USD 89.99; skipping trial saves USD 5)；1,000 AI credits per month expire monthly Perpetual Plan (Lifetime)2026-10-21 ↗ USD 109.99 · one-time payment Usage / one-time Usage / one-time One-time payment for lifetime access to all PDF tools across 5 platforms, unlimited file size, plus 40,000 AI credits 40,000 AI credits granted instantly and valid until used 4 plan / billing-period records, all listed; — means that period is not recorded. Individual pricing lists Free, Monthly USD 19.99, Annual USD 49.99 (with 3-day trial or $5 skip-trial discount), and Perpetual USD 109.99; per-feature AI credit deductions require hover tooltips and enterprise plans require custom quotes. Verification has gaps; unknown prices and quotas are not inferred. Cancellation, sources & verification recordCancel recurring subscriptions via support ticket or payment platform email link; money-back guarantee is 30 days for Perpetual, 7 days for Annual, and 3 days for Monthly. LightPDF official Individual pricing page ↗ · 2026-10-21 Capture 1 ↗ |
| Free & trial allowance on the test date | Free guest processing for files under 10MB with Regular and High levels, zero paywall intercept | Free watermark-free single-file export after logging into a free account; bulk compression requires VIP |
| Cancellation & refunds | Not verified | Cancel recurring subscriptions via support ticket or payment platform email link; money-back guarantee is 30 days for Perpetual, 7 days for Annual, and 3 days for Monthly. |
| Disclosure of costs & limits | Pricing page discloses monthly and annual subscriptions with monthly equivalent presentation | Prompts unauthenticated guests to sign in after compression completes |
| Task quality | ||
| Measured fixture results | File reduction: 98% · Output size: 33.2 KB · Selectable text retained: 100% · Page 2 preserved: Yes | File reduction: 98.22% · Output size: 29.5 KB · Selectable text retained: 100% · Page 2 preserved: Yes |
| Fixture findings | Guest export of full 2-page watermark-free PDF (33.2 KB · -98.00%) retaining 100% of 27 native vector text operators, 4/4 headings, and 12/12 table cells with page 2 token intact in 4.62s server wait. | Reduced the 2-page PDF by 98.22% (down to 29.5 KB) while retaining 100% of selectable vector text and table cells. |
| Original historical observation | PDFescape completed compression on the 1.62 MB dual-page PDF anchor in 4.62s server wait, achieving 98.00% size reduction down to 33.2 KB with all 27 vector text operators, 4/4 headings, and 12/12 table cells intact. | LightPDF compressed our 1.66 MB PDF down to 29.5 KB (-98.22% reduction) in 20.01s while keeping 100% of vector text and table cells selectable (02_workspace.png, 03_result.png). |
| Suitable uses · historical assessment | Users seeking a trusted guest-usable tool to drastically compress PDF file sizes while retaining full dual-page vector text and table fidelity | Users willing to sign into a free account who need maximum file-size reduction (-98.22%, down to 29.5 KB) for strict portal upload limits while keeping text selectable |
| 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 | 2-page intact watermark-free vector PDF (-98.00% extreme reduction) | Full 2-page native vector PDF (29.5 KB · -98.22% · watermark-free · requires free login) |
| Watermark observation | Watermark-free | No watermark |
| Batch & API | Web application handles single files without login; desktop client supports batch workflows | Supports cloud document management and PDF API; batch compression requires VIP |
| Recorded free-tier dimensions | Not verified | Not verified |
| Attached file dimensions | Not verified | Not verified |
| Speed & reliability | ||
| Timing observation | Network-observed server wait: 4.62s · End-to-end reference: 4.91s | Network-observed server wait: 20.01s · End-to-end reference: 23.21s |
| Date & fixture | 2026-11-02 · anchor_pdfcompress_v1 · US-West (California, AS2914) | 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 | Account required in this test |
| Sign-in methods | Basic online compression tools usable without login; email/password accounts supported for desktop suite | Requires free account login (Google / email) to download |
| Manual adjustment | Not verified | Not verified |
| Interaction observations | Not verified | Displays a clear "File size reduced by 98.22% (1.7MB → 30.24KB)" summary and direct download when logged in, though guests encounter a post-compression login prompt. |
| Background & reputation | ||
| Service lifecycle notice | Not verified | Not verified |
| Operator | Avanquest Software (Claranova SE) | AI Document Tool Suite (Wangxu Tech / Apowersoft) |
| Recorded origin | France / USA / Canada | Hong Kong / Shenzhen (Wangxu Technology) |
| Domain history record | Founded in 2007 (operating for nearly 20 years) | 2018–Present |
| Background & reputation assessment | Not verified | Operated by Wangxu Technology (Apowersoft team), offering web and desktop PDF utilities. |
| External reputation record | Veteran document utility operating since 2007, now maintained by public software group Avanquest / Claranova. | Not verified |
| Engineering & privacy | ||
| Processing location | Uploaded for cloud processing | Uploaded for cloud processing |
| Third-party tracking record | Google Analytics · Google Tag Manager · Axeptio · Avanquest Analytics | No third-party services listed in this record; this is not proof that none exist. |
| Engineering & privacy assessment | Not verified | Uses HTTPS transport via aoscdn.com cloud storage with scheduled cleanup of temporary files. |
| Retention statement | Explicit retention period unconfirmed; inspect policy record | Explicit retention period unconfirmed; inspect policy record |
| Evaluation basis | ||
| Pricing transparency | 26 / 35 Unauthenticated guests are prompted to sign in after compression before downloading; once signed in with a free account, clicking Download directly exports the 29.5 KB watermark-free PDF without payment (01_landing.png, 02_workspace.png, 03_result.png). | |
| Interaction restraint | 22 / 30 Displays a clear "File size reduced by 98.22% (1.7MB → 30.24KB)" summary and direct download when logged in, though guests encounter a post-compression login prompt. | |
| Background & reputation | 16 / 20 Operated by Wangxu Technology (Apowersoft team), offering web and desktop PDF utilities. | |
| Engineering & privacy | 13 / 15 Uses HTTPS transport via aoscdn.com cloud storage with scheduled cleanup of temporary files. | |
| Task quality | 65 / 65 Size Reduction: -98% (1659 KB → 33.2 KB, 50.04× ratio) · Selectable Vector Text Retained: 100% · Page 2 Preserved: Yes | 65 / 65 Deterministic PDF stream inspection: compresses the 1,659.0 KB fixture down to just 29.5 KB (30,241 bytes, -98.22% reduction, 56.18× ratio — highest in category) while retaining 100.0% of selectable vector text (7 BT / 10 TJ), 4/4 headings, 12/12 table cells, and the Page 2 token (65.0/65) |
| Deliverable specifications | 19 / 20 Clean unwatermarked export (8/8); Export spec: 2-page intact watermark-free vector PDF (-98.00% extreme reduction) | 17.5 / 20 Exports a 29.5 KB watermark-free 2-page vector PDF on a free logged-in account, gated only by account sign-in (17.5/20) |
| Processing speed | 13 / 15 Network-observed server wait: 4.62s (API mode: async_verified; network upload 0s / end-to-end 4.91s shown for reference only, never penalized) | |
