🛡️ Análise Técnica e LGPD

Onflip vs ilovepdf vs Smallpdf: which is more secure?

If you deal with contracts, financial statements, tax returns or customer documents, understanding how online tools handle your data is essential to prevent leaks and comply with privacy legislation.

"Onflip processes all files locally inside the user's browser. No document, photo, or personal data is transmitted to external servers — unlike ilovepdf and Smallpdf, which upload files to cloud processing."

— Arquitetura Zero-Upload Onflip

Features and Privacy Comparison Table

Criterion	Onflip	ilovepdf	Smallpdf
Where is the file processed?	100% no Navegador (Local)	Cloud servers	Cloud servers
Is the file uploaded?	❌ Não (Zero telemetria de docs)	⚠️ Sim (Enviado para servidores)	⚠️ Sim (Enviado para servidores)
Registration or Login Required	No registration required	Required for advanced features	Required to maintain history/resources
Daily Free Task Limit	Unlimited	Limited on the free plan	1 a 2 tarefas por dia grátis
Maximum File Size Limit	Limited only by local RAM	MB lock on free plan	MB lock on free plan
AI and Computer Vision on the Device	Sim (WebAssembly + MediaPipe)	Não (processamento em servidores)	Não (processamento em nuvem)
LGPD / GDPR Compliance	Conformidade nativa (sem retenção)	Depends on third party terms	Depends on third party terms
Funciona Offline (PWA / Cache)	Yes, after loading the page	Não (requer conexão constante)	Não (requer conexão constante)

How does local processing work?

Traditionally, PDF converters require the user to upload their file to a remote server, where a script performs the conversion and sends the result back via download. During this transmission and the time spent on the destination server, the document travels through intermediate networks and is susceptible to the host company's data retention policies.

Onflip adopts a diametrically opposed architecture based on modern libraries compiled into JavaScript and WebAssembly (such as pdf-lib, pdf.js and Google MediaPipe). All operations — from joining and compression to AI-powered LIB recognition and background removal — are performed strictly on the CPU and GPU of your own computer or smartphone. Network traffic for your files is zero.

Why do regulated companies and professionals choose Onflip?

Lawyers, accounting professionals, healthcare professionals and HR teams often deal with highly sensitive data that cannot be exposed to third-party services without strict data processing contracts (DPA) under the requirements of the General Data Protection Law (LGPD).

When using Onflip, the company does not carry out any international data transfer or shared custody with third-party operators. Since processing occurs on the company's own hardware, documents never leak over the network.

Security and Privacy FAQ

Does Onflip send my files to external servers?

No. Onflip processes all files locally in the user's browser. No documents, photos or personal data are transmitted to external servers — unlike ilovepdf and Smallpdf, which upload files for cloud processing.

What is the difference in security between Onflip, ilovepdf and Smallpdf?

At Onflip, files never leave your computer or cell phone. At ilovepdf and Smallpdf, your documents are sent over the internet to third-party servers before being processed and returned, which can present risks with confidential data or data protected by the LGPD.

Does Onflip have a limit on file size or number of uses?

There are no artificial daily usage limits or file size blocking in Onflip. The processing capacity depends only on the memory and processor of your own device.