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Productivity · head to head

iLovePDF vs RowShare

iLovePDF logo

iLovePDF

Productivity

Browser toolbox for merging, splitting, compressing and converting PDFs, processed on the vendor's servers

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
RowShare logo

RowShare

Productivity

Shared online table where each contributor sees only their own rows

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only iLovePDF has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: iLovePDF processing happens on the vendor's servers, so every file is uploaded to a third party, which rules the tools out for client documents, personal data and anything under a confidentiality obligation no matter how briefly the file is held.; RowShare it is a table rather than a spreadsheet, so the formula and analysis capability people expect from Excel is not there, and anything requiring modelling or charting has to be exported and finished elsewhere.
  • They diverge on capability: iLovePDF covers Single-purpose tools, RowShare covers Row-level permissions.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which iLovePDF and RowShare actually diverge.

Attributes where iLovePDF and RowShare differ
AttributeiLovePDFRowShare
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo

Identical on both: platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Productivity).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in iLovePDF

  • Single-purpose tools
  • Format conversion
  • Text recognition conversions
  • File size limits
  • Desktop and mobile applications
  • Digital signatures
  • PDF/A output
  • No account needed

Only in RowShare

  • Row-level permissions
  • Column-level permissions
  • Typed columns
  • Forms
  • Automatic reminders
  • Microsoft Teams integration
  • Zapier connections
  • Excel import and export

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

iLovePDF

  • Combining scanned pages into a single PDF or splitting a large document occasionally, without buying a desktop PDF editor.not RowShare
  • Compressing a PDF that a mail system or an upload form refuses to accept.not RowShare
  • Converting a scanned document into an editable Word or Excel file, which needs the paid text recognition tools.not RowShare
  • A small office needing simple PDF operations across several machines without a per-seat desktop licence.not RowShare

RowShare

  • Collecting a recurring return such as timesheets, budget lines or stock counts where contributors must not see each other's entries.not iLovePDF
  • Replacing an emailed spreadsheet that one person consolidates by hand at the end of every month.not iLovePDF
  • A shared list where some columns belong to the contributor and others are only for the administrator.not iLovePDF
  • A structured departmental table inside Microsoft Teams that does not warrant a full database or a heavier platform licence.not iLovePDF

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

iLovePDF

  • Processing happens on the vendor's servers, so every file is uploaded to a third party, which rules the tools out for client documents, personal data and anything under a confidentiality obligation no matter how briefly the file is held.
  • The free tier is bounded by file size per tool rather than by feature, with Office conversions capped at 15 MB, so the large scanned documents most likely to need converting are precisely the ones most likely to be refused.
  • The conversions that require text recognition, meaning scanned PDF to Word or Excel, are held for the paid plan, and those are the conversions people genuinely struggle with, while the free ones mostly handle files that were digital already.
  • It is a per-account consumer subscription with no organisational administration, so a company that comes to depend on it ends up with staff holding personal subscriptions and no control over what is uploaded or by whom.
  • The API is a separate product with its own pricing, so a workflow prototyped by hand on the website cannot simply be automated under the same subscription and has to be costed again.

RowShare

  • It is a table rather than a spreadsheet, so the formula and analysis capability people expect from Excel is not there, and anything requiring modelling or charting has to be exported and finished elsewhere.
  • It is a small independent product, so putting a recurring business process on it means a single vendor decision can end that process, and unlike the larger alternatives there is no ecosystem or partner network to fall back on.
  • Integration is largely through Zapier rather than deep native connectors, which adds an intermediary service, another subscription and another place for a data flow to fail silently.
  • The niche it occupies is increasingly covered by list tools included in Microsoft 365, so the purchase has to be justified against something the organisation may already be paying for and already administers.
  • Licensing in this category is per user, so if contributors need accounts rather than form links, an occasional contributor costs the same per head as a daily one, and it is worth confirming which model applies before planning a rollout.

Pricing, plan by plan

iLovePDF

Free
  • BasicFree
    • Access to essential iLovePDF tools
    • Limited document processing
    • 1 account
  • Premium$7/month
    • Full access to all iLovePDF tools
    • Unlimited document processing
    • 1-25 accounts
  • Premium Annual$48/year
    • Same as Premium plan
    • 42% discount compared to monthly billing
  • Business$null/mo
    • Custom pricing (contact vendor for quote)
    • Scalable solutions for businesses
    • 25+ accounts

RowShare

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the RowShare review.

Which should you pick?

Choose iLovePDF if

  • You need single-purpose tools.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want format conversion.
iLovePDF review

Choose RowShare if

  • You need row-level permissions.
  • You also want column-level permissions.
RowShare review

Questions people ask

Is iLovePDF or RowShare better?
Neither clearly leads. iLovePDF starts at Free and RowShare at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, iLovePDF or RowShare?
iLovePDF has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for iLovePDF and On request for RowShare.
Does iLovePDF or RowShare run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use iLovePDF for free?
Yes. iLovePDF has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. RowShare starts at On request.
What is iLovePDF best used for?
iLovePDF is most often used for combining scanned pages into a single pdf or splitting a large document occasionally, without buying a desktop pdf editor., compressing a pdf that a mail system or an upload form refuses to accept., converting a scanned document into an editable word or excel file, which needs the paid text recognition tools., a small office needing simple pdf operations across several machines without a per-seat desktop licence.. Of those, combining scanned pages into a single pdf or splitting a large document occasionally, without buying a desktop pdf editor. and compressing a pdf that a mail system or an upload form refuses to accept. are not what RowShare is typically brought in for.
What can iLovePDF do that RowShare cannot?
iLovePDF covers Single-purpose tools, Format conversion, Text recognition conversions, File size limits. RowShare covers Row-level permissions, Column-level permissions, Typed columns, Forms.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

iLovePDF: Do I need an account?

Not for the basic free tools, though they are subject to per-tool size limits and restrictions on batch processing.

RowShare: How is this different from a shared spreadsheet?

Sharing is per row rather than per file. Everyone works in one table, and each person sees only their own rows, which removes the consolidation step rather than speeding it up.

iLovePDF: Is it safe for confidential documents?

Files are uploaded to the vendor's servers for processing. For client material, personal data or regulated documents, use a tool that works locally on the machine instead.

RowShare: Can I get my data out?

Tables export to Excel and CSV, so the data itself moves. The permission structure, forms and reminders that made the process work do not, so an exit means rebuilding the workflow.

iLovePDF: What does Premium add?

Access to every tool including text-recognition conversions and PDF/A, much larger files, unlimited processing, desktop and mobile applications, digital signatures, workflows and no adverts.

RowShare: Is it a database?

No. It is a permissioned table with typed columns, not a relational store you can query, so it collects structured data rather than modelling it.

iLovePDF: Can I use it inside my own application?

Only through the separate developer API, which is priced independently, so plan the automation cost separately from the consumer subscription.

RowShare: Who is behind it?

A French vendor with named enterprise customers. It is a small company, so weigh continuity carefully before making it the home of a process you expect to run for years.

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Related pages

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