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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 | WeCompress | Smallpdf | Switch / compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Image compression | 92/100 2048 × 2048 · PNG | Not tested in topic | Compare in task topic → |
| PDF to Word | Not tested in topic | 89/100 DOCX · Output attached | Compare in task topic → |
| PDF compression | 96/100 PDF · Output attached | 90/100 PDF · Output attached | Active task |
| Scanned PDF OCR | Not tested in topic | 89/100 PDF · Output attached | Compare in task topic → |
| PDF merge & split | Not tested in topic | 92/100 PDF · Output attached | Compare in task topic → |
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Browse this task →| Criterion | WeCompress PDF compression 96/100 Seven-aspect task score Free login-free zero-config compression shrinks our test PDF by ~95% (to 84 KB) while retaining 100% selectable vector text for files up to 50 MB; it lacks batch upload or manual DPI presets and processes in the cloud. Tested export PDF · Output attached Historical test · 2026-10-26 | Smallpdf PDF compression 90/100 Seven-aspect task score The free Basic preset shrinks the 1.66 MB 2-page PDF by 93.5% to 107.8 KB without login while retaining 100% selectable vector text, but Moderate/Strong presets require Pro and free usage is capped at ~2 tasks/day. Tested export PDF · Output attached Historical test · 2026-10-23 |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & rules | ||
| Pricing plans | WeCompress online file and image compressor web tool (excludes separately sold NXPowerLite Desktop software) · 2026-10-21 Plan · source date Monthly / one-time Annual bill / period Quota & limits WeCompress Online Free2026-10-21 ↗ Free Free Free Free without login; max 50 MB per file (supports JPEG/PNG/TIFF and PDF/Office documents) with ad-free, unwatermarked export. 1 plan / billing-period records, all listed; — means that period is not recorded. The WeCompress web tool explicitly states it is free, ad-free, and requires no registration for files up to 50 MB (supporting JPEG, PNG, TIFF, PDF, PowerPoint, Word, and Excel), with automatic deletion after processing. Users needing larger file limits or offline batch compression are directed to the separate NXPowerLite Desktop software. Cancellation, sources & verification recordWeCompress web is completely free with no subscription charges; NXPowerLite Desktop is sold separately by Neuxpower. WeCompress official online file compressor page ↗ · 2026-10-21 Capture 1 ↗ | Smallpdf USD web individual and team plans; default 2-seat team bill · 2026-10-20 Plan · source date Monthly / one-time Annual bill / period Quota & limits Free2026-10-20 ↗ Free Free Free Daily downloads and file size are limited, without exact figures; PDF-to-Word OCR is a Pro feature. Pro2026-10-20 ↗ USD 15/month USD 120/year Monthly 1 user; unlimited document downloads; OCR and text editing. Annual 1 user; actual annual bill USD 120; unlimited downloads with OCR. Team · 2 seats2026-10-20 ↗ USD 24/month USD 192/year Monthly 2-seat total; USD 12/seat/month; supports 2–19 seats. Annual 2-seat annual total USD 192; shown equivalent USD 8/seat/month; supports 2–19 seats. 7 plan / billing-period records, all listed; — means that period is not recorded. Current USD web prices show actual annual bills. Team entries use the default 2-seat total and identify the per-seat rate. The free daily allowance is not quantified. Verification has gaps; unknown prices and quotas are not inferred. Cancellation, sources & verification recordFAQ says the trial can be cancelled without charge, reverting to Free at the end of 7 days. Paid refund details were not verified. Official feature and pricing page ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗ Official feature and pricing page ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗ Official feature and pricing page ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗ |
| Free & trial allowance on the test date | Free no-login single-file compression up to 50 MB for PDF/Office/images; multi-file batch and offline compression require NXPowerLite Desktop | Free tier includes Basic compression for ~2 tasks/day; Moderate/Strong presets and unlimited tasks require Pro |
| Cancellation & refunds | WeCompress web is completely free with no subscription charges; NXPowerLite Desktop is sold separately by Neuxpower. | FAQ says the trial can be cancelled without charge, reverting to Free at the end of 7 days. Paid refund details were not verified. |
| Disclosure of costs & limits | Upfront 'Max. 50 MB' and 'Auto-deleted after processing' disclosures on the landing page | Labels Basic (free) vs Moderate/Strong (Pro) after upload, without stating the daily task cap on the landing page |
| Task quality | ||
| Measured fixture results | File reduction: 94.94% · Output size: 84 KB · Selectable text retained: 100% · Page 2 preserved: Yes | File reduction: 93.5% · Output size: 107.8 KB · Selectable text retained: 100% · Page 2 preserved: Yes |
| Fixture findings | Shrinks 1,659.0 KB to 84.0 KB (-94.94%, 19.75x) while retaining 100.0% of all 27 vector text operators and 12/12 table cells. | Free Basic preset reduced the 1,659.0 KB fixture by 93.5% (107.8 KB output) with both pages and 100% selectable vector text preserved. |
| Original historical observation | Powered by Neuxpower's NXPowerLite engine, WeCompress compressed the 1,659.0 KB test PDF down to 84.0 KB (-94.94%, 19.75x) in 1.68s of server processing while keeping all 27 vector text operators and financial table cells 100% selectable (02_result.png). | Even though Smallpdf locks Moderate and Strong presets behind Pro, its free Basic preset still shrinks our 1.66 MB fixture to 107.8 KB (-93.5%, beating its -86% UI estimate) while keeping 100% of vector text selectable (01b_workspace.png, 02_result.png). |
| Suitable uses · historical assessment | Users seeking maximum zero-config PDF size reduction (-94.94%) without login while keeping 100% selectable vector text | Occasional users compressing 1–2 PDFs per day who want high size reduction (-93.5%) and 100% vector text fidelity without logging in |
| 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 watermark-free vector PDF (84.0 KB, 94.94% reduction) | Full 2-page native vector PDF (107.8 KB · -93.5% · watermark-free · Basic preset & daily limit) |
| Watermark observation | Watermark-free | Watermark-free |
| Batch & API | Single-file upload up to 50 MB on web; batch compression via desktop client | Batch PDF compression requires Pro |
| Recorded free-tier dimensions | Not verified | Not verified |
| Attached file dimensions | Not verified | Not verified |
| Speed & reliability | ||
| Timing observation | Network-observed server wait: 1.68s · End-to-end reference: 10.82s | Network-observed server wait: 5.08s · End-to-end reference: 5.78s |
| Date & fixture | 2026-10-26 · 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 | No login required | No login required within the daily free task allowance |
| Manual adjustment | Not verified | Not verified |
| Interaction observations | Not verified | First task completes and downloads without login in Basic mode, though two of the three compression presets and the header persistently promote a Pro Free Trial. |
| Background & reputation | ||
| Service lifecycle notice | Not verified | Not verified |
| Operator | Neuxpower Solutions Ltd. | Smallpdf AG |
| Recorded origin | London, UK (est. 1997) | Zurich, Switzerland |
| Domain history record | 1997–Present (Neuxpower) | 2013–Present |
| Background & reputation assessment | Not verified | Founded in Zurich, Switzerland in 2013 by Smallpdf AG with ISO/IEC 27001 certification. |
| External reputation record | Web companion to the long-standing NXPowerLite document and PDF compression engine. | Not verified |
| Engineering & privacy | ||
| Processing location | Uploaded for cloud processing | Uploaded for cloud processing |
| Third-party tracking record | No third-party services listed in this record; this is not proof that none exist. | No third-party services listed in this record; this is not proof that none exist. |
| Engineering & privacy assessment | Not verified | Complies with Swiss Federal Data Protection Act and EU GDPR with TLS encryption and 1-hour automatic cloud file deletion. |
| Retention statement | Explicit retention period unconfirmed; inspect policy record | Claims deletion within 1 hours; deletion not independently verified |
| Evaluation basis | ||
| Pricing transparency | 26.5 / 35 Clearly separates the free "Basic" preset from Crown-badged Pro "Moderate / Strong (Smallest)" presets after upload; the free Basic tier actually beats its "~228.9 kB (-86%)" estimate by exporting a 107.8 KB (-93.5%) watermark-free PDF, though the ~2 tasks/day cap is not disclosed on the landing page (01_landing.png, 01b_workspace.png, 02_result.png). | |
| Interaction restraint | 24 / 30 First task completes and downloads without login in Basic mode, though two of the three compression presets and the header persistently promote a Pro Free Trial. | |
| Background & reputation | 19 / 20 Founded in Zurich, Switzerland in 2013 by Smallpdf AG with ISO/IEC 27001 certification. | |
| Engineering & privacy | 14 / 15 Complies with Swiss Federal Data Protection Act and EU GDPR with TLS encryption and 1-hour automatic cloud file deletion. | |
| Task quality | 65 / 65 Size Reduction: -94.94% (1659 KB → 84 KB, 19.75× ratio) · Selectable Vector Text Retained: 100% · Page 2 Preserved: Yes | 65 / 65 Deterministic PDF stream inspection: even on the free Basic preset, Smallpdf shrinks the 1,659.0 KB fixture to 107.8 KB (-93.5%, 15.39× ratio, beating its 228.9 KB UI estimate) 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 | 19 / 20 Clean unwatermarked export (8/8); Export spec: Complete 2-page watermark-free vector PDF (84.0 KB, 94.94% reduction) | 15.5 / 20 Free Basic preset exports a complete 107.8 KB 2-page watermark-free vector PDF, but locks Moderate/Strong presets and batch compression behind Pro and caps free usage at ~2 tasks/day (15.5/20) |
| Processing speed | 14.5 / 15 Network-observed server wait: 1.68s (API mode: cloud_nxpowerlite_azure_job; network upload 9.14s / end-to-end 10.82s shown for reference only, never penalized) | |
