The free PDF Candy alternative, with batch work included
PDF Candy's free plan works one file at a time, with hourly, page and size limits it does not put numbers on. KovaPDF is free too, and its batch tools take 10 files at once without an account, 50 with a free one.
- Batch work on many files is free
- A free account raises the free allowance
- 24 tools work in your browser, so those files are never uploaded
KovaPDFPDF Candy- Price
- KovaPDFFree
- PDF Candy$4 a month billed yearly, or $99 once
- Many files at once
- KovaPDFFree, up to 10
- PDF CandyPaid plans only
- To get a higher allowance
- KovaPDFA free account
- PDF CandyA paid plan
- Files deleted
- KovaPDFWhen the job ends
- PDF CandyWithin 2 hours
- Runs in your browser
- KovaPDF24 tools
- PDF CandyWeb tools upload files
- Offline Windows app
- KovaPDFFree, 28 tools
- PDF CandyFree with a limit, 35 tools
PDF Candy's facts read from its own pages on 10 October 2026.
KovaPDF vs PDF Candy, feature by feature
Price, limits, tools, privacy and apps, checked against PDF Candy's own pricing and help pages on 10 October 2026.
| Feature | KovaPDFFree | PDF CandyFree plan |
|---|---|---|
| Price and limits | ||
| Price | KovaPDFYes: Free: every tool. Pro from $3.99 a month, billed yearly | PDF Candy$6 a month, or $4 a month billed yearly |
| One-off licence | KovaPDFNo; free, or Pro by the month or year | PDF CandyYes: $99 once, for one version |
| Free use | KovaPDFPartly: Limited free allowance | PDF CandyPartly: Hourly and page limits, numbers not published |
| To get a higher allowance | KovaPDFYes: A free account | PDF CandyPartly: A paid plan |
| Many files at once | KovaPDFYes: Free, up to 10 files (50 signed in) | PDF CandyNo: Paid plans only |
| Account | KovaPDFYes: Not needed | PDF CandyYes: Not needed |
| Tools | ||
| Compress, merge, split | KovaPDFYes: Free | PDF CandyPartly: Free, one file at a time |
| Edit PDF | KovaPDFYes: Free, including the text itself | PDF CandyYes: Yes |
| OCR (read scanned pages) | KovaPDFYes: Free, 9 languages | PDF CandyYes: Yes |
| Formats it converts | KovaPDFOffice, OpenDocument, images, HTML, CSV, TXT, ZIP | PDF CandyYes: Far more, from EPUB and MOBI to DjVu and DWG |
| Fill in a form's own fields | KovaPDFNo: No, you type over the blanks instead | PDF CandyYes: Yes, PDF filler |
| Make a fillable form | KovaPDFYes: Free, fields found for you | PDF CandyNot stated on its pages |
| Digital signature with your certificate | KovaPDFYes: Free | PDF CandyNot stated on its pages |
| AI tools | KovaPDFPartly: Summary, limited; translate on a computer | PDF CandyYes: Summary, chat and translate |
| Bangla and Hindi font converters | KovaPDFYes: Bijoy and Kruti Dev to Unicode | PDF CandyNo: Not in its tool list |
| Privacy | ||
| Where files are processed | KovaPDFYes: 24 tools in your browser; the rest on our server | PDF CandyWeb tools upload; the desktop app works on your PC |
| When uploads are deleted | KovaPDFYes: When the job finishes | PDF CandyPartly: Within 2 hours |
| Apps and languages | ||
| Windows app | KovaPDFYes: Free, 28 tools offline | PDF CandyYes: 35 tools offline, free with an operations limit |
| Site languages | KovaPDF27 | PDF Candy19 |
Prices and limits change. We read PDF Candy's pages on 10 October 2026; check their site before you pay for a plan.
Which one should you use?
Choose KovaPDF if…
- You have a pile of files. Batch tools take 10 files without an account and 50 with a free one, and Merge takes up to 30. On PDF Candy, more than one file at a time is a paid feature.
- You do not want to pay to raise the limit. On KovaPDF a free account raises the free allowance. On PDF Candy, no hourly limits is part of the paid plans.
- You would rather not upload private files. 24 KovaPDF tools run in your browser on any computer, with nothing to install.
- You need more than a drawn signature. Sign with your own certificate, or collect other people's signatures with a certificate of completion, both free.
- You write in Bangla or Hindi. Bijoy and Kruti Dev converters sit next to the PDF tools.
Choose PDF Candy if…
- You would rather pay once. PDF Candy sells a $99 lifetime licence for its web and desktop version, with minor updates included.
- You convert unusual formats. PDF Candy handles EPUB, MOBI, DjVu, DWG, HWP, Pages and many more, across 90+ tools.
- You want more tools offline. PDF Candy's Windows app has 35 tools that work fully offline on your PC. KovaPDF's has 28.
- You are a student or a teacher. PDF Candy gives its paid web plan free for a year to students and teachers.
The tools you use, under the same names
Open the tool, drop your file in. No account, nothing to install.
Why people look for a PDF Candy alternative
PDF Candy has more than 90 tools and a friendly, tidy site, and its free plan needs no account. The catch is the pace of work. The free plan has hourly and page limits and a file-size limit, and PDF Candy does not publish the numbers. It also works one file at a time: processing more than one file at once is a paid feature. Reviews often mention waiting between tasks, which adds up when you are taking a long document apart page by page.
The web plan costs $6 a month. Web plus the desktop app is $4 a month billed yearly, or $99 once for a lifetime licence. That licence covers the version you buy with its minor updates, not later major versions. Subscriptions renew automatically, with an email reminder first.
What you get on KovaPDF, free
- Many files at once. Batch tools such as Split PDF take 10 files without an account and 50 with one, and Merge PDF takes up to 30.
- Free without an account. Every tool works without signing in, within a limited free allowance that refills over time. A free account raises it.
- More than a drawn signature. Digital Signature signs with your own certificate, and Request Signatures collects other people's signatures with a certificate of completion.
- Forms. PDF Forms finds the blank lines and boxes on a page and turns them into real form fields.
- No card needed. Every tool works free, with no card and no trial. Pro is there if you want no limits, and you can cancel any time.
Is PDF Candy safe?
Yes. PDF Candy is run by Icecream Apps, a software company in Cyprus. Files uploaded to its website are kept on its servers for up to 2 hours and then deleted, and its servers are in the EU and the USA. Its Windows app works on your own computer, so those files stay with you.
KovaPDF goes one step further on the website: 24 tools, such as Merge, Split, Protect and PDF to JPG, work entirely in your browser, so the file is never uploaded. Tools that need our server delete your file as soon as the job is done.
Moving over takes a minute
There is nothing to install and no account to make. Open the KovaPDF tool with the same name as the PDF Candy tool you used, drop the file in and download the result. On a Windows computer, the free desktop app also works offline for 28 tools.
PDF Candy alternative: common questions
Is PDF Candy free?
Yes, with limits. Its free plan needs no account, but it has hourly, page and file-size limits and works on one file at a time. The paid plans remove the hourly limits and add batch work.
What are PDF Candy's free limits?
PDF Candy says its free plan has hourly and page limits and a limited file size, but it does not publish the numbers on its pricing page. Batch processing is not part of the free plan.
PDF Candy free or Pro: what is the difference?
Pro removes the hourly limits, allows files up to 500 MB per task, processes many files at once and skips the queue. It costs $6 a month, $4 a month billed yearly with the desktop app, or $99 once.
Is there a free alternative to PDF Candy?
Yes. KovaPDF has the everyday tools (split, merge, compress, convert, edit, OCR, sign) and they are all free, including batch work on many files. PDF Candy converts more unusual formats, such as EPUB, DjVu and DWG.
Is PDF Candy safe?
Yes. It deletes uploaded files within 2 hours and its desktop app works on your own computer. If you would rather not upload a file from the website, use a KovaPDF tool that runs in your browser, such as Merge, Split or Protect.
Does KovaPDF have an offline app like PDF Candy?
Yes. The free Windows app works offline for 28 tools. PDF Candy's Windows app has 35 offline tools and is also free to start, with a limit on operations.
KovaPDF next to other PDF services
PDF Candy is a trademark of its owner. KovaPDF is not connected with, or endorsed by, PDF Candy. The facts above come from PDF Candy's own public pages, read on 10 October 2026.