iText pdfOptimizer vs PDF.co

iText pdfOptimizer9.1Visit PDF.co8.8Visit

Higher score iText pdfOptimizer #2 in PDF Compression Software 9.1/10 Free plan · 30-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 2 of 3 features Visit iText

vs

PDF.co #5 in PDF Compression Software 8.8/10 30-day trial Free trial✓ 1 of 3 features Visit PDF.co

• iText pdfOptimizer fits best

  Developers embedding PDF optimization

• PDF.co fits best

  Businesses automating PDF compression workflows

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Side by side

Feature	iText pdfOptimizer 9.1/10 Visit ↗	PDF.co 8.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.1	8.8
Ranking	#2 in PDF Compression Software	#5 in PDF Compression Software
Best for	Developers embedding PDF optimization	Businesses automating PDF compression workflows
Pricing model	Free	Paid
Starting price	Free	$8.99/mo
Free plan	✓ (best)	—
Free trial	30 days	30 days
Free trial length	30 days	30 days
Deployment	Self-hosted	Cloud, Self-hosted
Integrations	5 integrations	13 integrations
Features iText pdfOptimizer 2/3 · PDF.co 1/3
Batch compression	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Offline desktop app	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
API access	✓	✓
Specs
Compression modes	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Maximum file size	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Supported platforms	api, self_hosted	web, api, self_hosted
Our review
Pros	Preset and custom profiles cover high, mid, low, and lossless compression. Optimizes images, fonts, streams, color spaces, and document structure. Supports batch processing, automation, size checks, and custom reports.	Four compression presets plus image, font, resolution, and quality controls Full API access, asynchronous processing, and self-hosted deployment Integrations with Zapier, Make, n8n, and other workflow platforms
Cons	Commercial licensing uses custom or volume-based pricing. The AGPLv3 option requires disclosure of the application's full source code. Designed for Java and .NET integrations rather than general browser use.	No free plan Annual-plan monthly-equivalent pricing requires annual billing Enterprise pricing and features are customized
Our verdict	iText pdfOptimizer is a developer-focused add-on for the iText Core PDF library, intended for teams embedding PDF optimization into Java or .NET applications. It can optimize PDFs for file size or processing speed through configurable… Read the review →	PDF.co is a hosted REST API platform for automating PDF processing and document workflows. It is aimed at developers and organizations that need to compress, convert, extract, parse, edit, merge, split, encrypt, decrypt, or fill PDF forms… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• iText pdfOptimizer — where it wins

  • Preset and custom profiles cover high, mid, low, and lossless compression.
  • Optimizes images, fonts, streams, color spaces, and document structure.
  • Supports batch processing, automation, size checks, and custom reports.

  Where it doesn't

  • Commercial licensing uses custom or volume-based pricing.
  • The AGPLv3 option requires disclosure of the application's full source code.
  • Designed for Java and .NET integrations rather than general browser use.

• PDF.co — where it wins

  • Four compression presets plus image, font, resolution, and quality controls
  • Full API access, asynchronous processing, and self-hosted deployment
  • Integrations with Zapier, Make, n8n, and other workflow platforms

  Where it doesn't

  • No free plan
  • Annual-plan monthly-equivalent pricing requires annual billing
  • Enterprise pricing and features are customized

• iText pdfOptimizer9.1/10 · Free plan · 30-day trial

  A developer-focused PDF optimizer with detailed controls, automation, and flexible licensing.

  Visit iTextFull verdict →
• PDF.co8.8/10 · 30-day trial

  A paid PDF automation API with compression controls, integrations, and self-hosted support.

  Visit PDF.coFull verdict →