Our verdict: iLovePDF Desktop brings the popular web toolkit to Windows and processes files on your own PC instead of uploading them. Without a subscription, though, it is only a PDF reader: merging, splitting, compressing and converting on the desktop all require Premium. If you already pay for iLovePDF it is a useful extra; otherwise free tools like PDF24 Creator do more at no cost.
About iLovePDF Desktop
iLovePDF started in Barcelona in 2010 as a website for merging and splitting PDFs and launched its desktop app in 2018. The desktop version runs offline and processes documents locally on your computer, which iLovePDF recommends for confidential files. It converts Word, Excel, PowerPoint, JPG and PNG files to and from PDF, works on many documents at once, converts and validates PDF/A for archiving, protects PDFs with passwords and adds right-click conversion and compression in File Explorer.
The free desktop plan is a PDF reader. All desktop tools, unlimited processing and access across web, mobile and desktop come with iLovePDF Premium, which costs $60 per year ($5 a month billed annually) or $9 billed monthly on the official pricing page. On Windows the app is distributed only through the Microsoft Store.
What it does well
- Free PDF reader. Opens and reads large PDF documents offline.
- Local processing. Premium tools process files on your PC instead of iLovePDF's servers.
- Format conversion. Converts Word, Excel, PowerPoint, JPG and PNG files to and from PDF.
- Batch and PDF/A. Processes several documents at once and converts them to archival PDF/A.
- Right-click tools. Converts or compresses a PDF from the File Explorer context menu.
Who it is for
Good fit
iLovePDF Premium subscribers who want to process confidential PDFs offline on Windows.
Look elsewhere
Anyone looking for free PDF tools on the desktop; without Premium the app only reads PDFs.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Files are processed locally, not uploaded
- Same familiar tools as the iLovePDF website
- Batch processing and right-click actions
- One Premium plan covers web, mobile and desktop
Cons
- Free version is only a PDF reader
- Desktop tools need Premium at $60 a year
- Windows version only via the Microsoft Store
How to install iLovePDF Desktop
On Windows iLovePDF Desktop is installed from the Microsoft Store, which the official page links to; there is no separate installer. The reader works without an account. To unlock the tools, sign in with an iLovePDF account that has a Premium subscription.
Questions about iLovePDF Desktop
Is iLovePDF Desktop free?
Only the PDF reader is free. Merging, splitting, compressing, converting and the other desktop tools require iLovePDF Premium, which costs $60 per year or $9 billed monthly.
Does iLovePDF Desktop upload my files?
No. iLovePDF says the desktop app runs offline and processes files locally on your computer, unlike the website, which processes files on its servers.
Where do I download iLovePDF for Windows?
The official iLovePDF Desktop page links to the Microsoft Store listing, which is the only official Windows download.
