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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 | products.groupdocs.app | avepdf.com | Switch / compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| PDF to Word | Not tested in topic | 76/100 DOCX · Output attached | Compare in task topic → |
| PDF compression | 97/100 PDF · Output attached | 95/100 PDF · Output attached | Active task |
| Scanned PDF OCR | Not tested in topic | 94/100 PDF · Output attached | Compare in task topic → |
| PDF merge & split | Not tested in topic | 94/100 PDF · Output attached | Compare in task topic → |
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Browse this task →| Criterion | GroupDocs Free Online Apps PDF compression 97/100 Seven-aspect task score GroupDocs PDF Compress reduced the 1.66 MB benchmark document to 89.6 KB (-94.60% reduction) in default Medium mode in just 1.29s of server processing, fully preserving 100% selectable vector text and two-page tables with direct download. Tested export PDF · Output attached Historical test · 2026-11-03 | AvePDF PDF compression 95/100 Seven-aspect task score Powered by Nutrient (GdPicture), unlocks all 4 compression levels without login and shrinks our 1.66 MB PDF by 94.56% to 90.3 KB in 0.91s with 100% vector text retention, though limited to 2 free actions and AI-training terms on the free tier. Tested export PDF · Output attached Historical test · 2026-10-23 |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & rules | ||
| Pricing plans | GroupDocs App free tier and Premium monthly subscription · 2026-10-31 Plan · source date Monthly / one-time Annual bill / period Quota & limits Free2026-10-31 ↗ Free Free Free Free usage across 15+ apps; compress 5 ops/day (20MB), conversion 2 ops/day (20MB), merge 5 ops/day (100MB) Standard access to conversions, merging, compression, and difference comparison；Limited daily operations, single file batch on free tier；Permanently free, no renewal；Perpetual access Premium Monthly2026-10-31 ↗ USD 7/month — Monthly 1,000 operations per day per app, 30-50 batch limit, 500MB total merge limit Full access to all 15+ apps, priority processing, higher batch caps, technical support；20-50MB per file cap based on application category；Renews monthly at $7/mo, cancel anytime in dashboard；Valid during active billing period 2 plan / billing-period records, all listed; — means that period is not recorded. Free tier covers basic operations across 15+ tools (20-50MB limits, 2-5 operations/day); Premium Plan is $7/month (cancel anytime) expanding daily operations to 1,000 tasks with batch support. Cancellation, sources & verification recordCancellation and refund terms unverified GroupDocs App Plans & Pricing ↗ · 2026-10-31 Capture 1 ↗ | AvePDF web Free and Annual Premium plans · 2026-10-21 Plan · source date Monthly / one-time Annual bill / period Quota & limits AvePDF Free2026-10-21 ↗ Free Free Free Maximum 2 processing actions per 6 hours; max file size 128 MB, up to 10 files per processing across 50+ document tools AvePDF Premium2026-10-21 ↗ — USD 55/year Annual Single-user annual payment of USD 55; unlimited document processing with no hourly limit, max file size 512 MB, up to 100 files per action, no ads and technical support Billed annually as a single USD 55 payment; cancel anytime with a 30-day money-back guarantee 2 plan / billing-period records, all listed; — means that period is not recorded. The official pricing page offers a Free tier (2 actions per 6 hours, 128 MB file limit) and an annual AvePDF Premium tier billed once at USD 55/year, with no standalone monthly plan. Cancellation, sources & verification recordCancel anytime; the official pricing page states a 30-day money-back guarantee. AvePDF official pricing page ↗ · 2026-10-21 Capture 1 ↗ |
| Free & trial allowance on the test date | Three compression presets freely available within free tier size limits | All 4 compression presets (Low, Medium, High, Very high) are free within the 2-action guest allowance |
| Cancellation & refunds | Not verified | Cancel anytime; the official pricing page states a 30-day money-back guarantee. |
| Disclosure of costs & limits | Extreme/Medium/Low preset cards shown upfront with zero surprise billing | Top banner clearly displays "You have 2 free actions left" before upload |
| Task quality | ||
| Measured fixture results | File reduction: 94.6% · Output size: 89.6 KB · Selectable text retained: 100% · Page 2 preserved: Yes | File reduction: 94.56% · Output size: 90.3 KB · Selectable text retained: 100% · Page 2 preserved: Yes |
| Fixture findings | 94.60% size reduction (1,659.0 KB -> 89.6 KB), 18.51x compression ratio, 4/4 headings and 12/12 table cells perfectly preserved without vector rasterization. | Reduced the 2-page PDF by 94.56% (90.3 KB output) while retaining 100% of all 27 native vector text operator blocks and table text. |
| Original historical observation | GroupDocs Medium preset compressed 1,659.0 KB sample to 89.6 KB (-94.60%, 18.51x ratio); PDF stream inspection confirms all vector text and tables preserved, with 1.29s direct download (02_result.png, 03_download.png). | Powered by Nutrient (GdPicture), AvePDF compressed our 1.66 MB PDF by 94.56% down to 90.3 KB in just 0.91s of server processing while preserving all 27 native vector text operator blocks (02_workspace.png, 03_result.png). |
| Suitable uses · historical assessment | Users needing very fast server processing (1.29s), -94.60% size reduction, and vector text fidelity | Users with non-confidential PDFs who want ultra-fast (0.91s) enterprise-grade GdPicture/Nutrient compression (-94.56%) with 100% vector text retention |
| 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 | Full 2-page unwatermarked vector PDF (89.6 KB, -94.60%) | Full 2-page native vector PDF (90.3 KB · -94.56% · watermark-free · 4 free presets) |
| Watermark observation | No watermark | No watermark |
| Batch & API | Not verified | Supports local upload, Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, and Web URL import |
| Recorded free-tier dimensions | Not verified | Not verified |
| Attached file dimensions | Not verified | Not verified |
| Speed & reliability | ||
| Timing observation | Network-observed server wait: 1.29s · End-to-end reference: 1.29s | Network-observed server wait: 0.91s · End-to-end reference: 11.34s |
| Date & fixture | 2026-11-03 · 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 | No login in this test |
| Sign-in methods | Compress and download directly without login | No login required (2 free guest actions) |
| Manual adjustment | Not verified | Not verified |
| Interaction observations | Not verified | No registration required; choose from 4 compression levels, click COMPRESS, and download directly with a clear "We compressed your file by 95%, from 1.62 MB to 90.28 KB" summary. |
| Background & reputation | ||
| Service lifecycle notice | Not verified | Not verified |
| Operator | Aspose Pty Ltd (GroupDocs) | Orpalis / Nutrient (GdPicture SDK) Web Tool |
| Recorded origin | Australia | France / United States (Orpalis Imaging SAS d/b/a Nutrient) |
| Domain history record | Established in 2012 | 2020–Present (Orpalis founded in 2003) |
| Background & reputation assessment | Not verified | Developed by Orpalis Imaging SAS (now part of enterprise document leader Nutrient / GdPicture.NET). |
| External reputation record | Established commercial brand under Aspose Pty Ltd specializing in enterprise document collaboration. | Not verified |
| Engineering & privacy | ||
| Processing location | Processing location unconfirmed | Uploaded for cloud processing |
| Third-party tracking record | Google Tag Manager · Google Analytics | No third-party services listed in this record; this is not proof that none exist. |
| Engineering & privacy assessment | Not verified | Supports manual deletion and 30-minute auto-wipe, but its Terms of Service note that free-tier documents may be retained to train AI/algorithms (full non-retention requires AvePDF Premium). |
| Retention statement | Explicit retention period unconfirmed; inspect policy record | Claims deletion within 30 minutes; deletion not independently verified |
| Evaluation basis | ||
| Pricing transparency | 31 / 35 Upfront banner clearly states "You have 2 free actions left", unlocks all four compression levels (Low, Medium, High, Very high) without login, and provides a direct "Download 90.28 KB" button after compression (01_landing.png, 02_workspace.png, 03_result.png). | |
| Interaction restraint | 26 / 30 No registration required; choose from 4 compression levels, click COMPRESS, and download directly with a clear "We compressed your file by 95%, from 1.62 MB to 90.28 KB" summary. | |
| Background & reputation | 19 / 20 Developed by Orpalis Imaging SAS (now part of enterprise document leader Nutrient / GdPicture.NET). | |
| Engineering & privacy | 11 / 15 Supports manual deletion and 30-minute auto-wipe, but its Terms of Service note that free-tier documents may be retained to train AI/algorithms (full non-retention requires AvePDF Premium). | |
| Task quality | 65 / 65 Size Reduction: -94.6% (1659 KB → 89.6 KB, 18.51× ratio) · Selectable Vector Text Retained: 100% · Page 2 Preserved: Yes | 65 / 65 Deterministic PDF stream inspection: powered by the GdPicture/Nutrient engine, compresses the 1,659.0 KB fixture down to 90.3 KB (92,447 bytes, -94.56% reduction, 18.38× ratio) while preserving 100.0% of all 27 native vector text operator blocks (BT/TJ), 4/4 headings, and 12/12 table cells (65.0/65) |
| Deliverable specifications | 19 / 20 Clean unwatermarked export (8/8); Export spec: Full 2-page unwatermarked vector PDF (89.6 KB, -94.60%) | 19 / 20 Exports a 90.3 KB watermark-free 2-page vector PDF without login and unlocks all four compression levels (Low to Very high) for free (19.0/20) |
| Processing speed | 14.5 / 15 Network-observed server wait: 1.29s (API mode: cloud_groupdocs_pdf_compress; network upload 2.27s / end-to-end 1.29s shown for reference only, never penalized) | 15 / 15 Once upload preparation completes, the server `compress-pdf-action` endpoint finishes compression in just 0.91s (15.0/15) |
