PDF Loft and Soda PDF compared
Soda PDF sells Pro, Team and Business plans with e-signing, OCR and a Windows desktop application. The pricing page we read shows no dollar amounts, and does not state where files are processed or for how long they are kept. PDF Loft publishes prices, processing and retention, but has fewer features aimed at organisations.
Competitor facts as published on their websites, checked . Where a page did not say, the table reads Not published.
Where PDF Loft is stronger
- PDF Loft Pro is USD 12 a month billed yearly, or USD 18 a month billed monthly. The Soda PDF pricing page we read shows "See prices" links, not amounts.
- 21 of PDF Loft's 39 tools run in the browser, so the file never leaves your device. The Soda PDF pages we read do not say where files are processed.
- PDF Loft states exactly what is kept: nothing for browser tools on the web, and for server runs (which include every tool in the mobile apps and the API) the input is deleted when the run finishes and an unsaved result after 2 hours. The Soda PDF pages we read do not state a retention period.
Where Soda PDF is stronger or equal
- Soda PDF includes e-signing in all plans. PDF Loft sends signature requests too, with an allowance that depends on the plan.
- Soda PDF offers OCR search on Pro and Team and OCR editing on Business.
- Soda PDF has a Windows desktop application and a web app for iOS and Android phones. PDF Loft has mobile apps and a desktop app that are built but not yet published.
- Soda PDF offers Business plans with self-serve management and phone support.
Side by side
| Capability | PDF Loft | Soda PDF |
|---|---|---|
| Main paid plan | Pro: USD 12 a month billed yearly (USD 144 a year), or USD 18 a month billed monthly. Team: USD 48 a month billed yearly. Business: USD 199 a month billed yearly. Prices exclude tax. | Pro, Team and Business plans. Dollar amounts are not shown on the page; it shows "See prices" links.Source |
| Free use | Every tool, 3 tasks a day, files up to 25 MB, up to 5 files in one run. No card needed. | Size and daily usage limitations may apply. No figures given.Source |
| Where files are processed | On the web, 21 of 39 tools run in your browser, so the file is not uploaded. The other 18 run on PDF Loft servers, and so does every tool in the mobile apps and the API. | Not published |
| Files kept after processing | On the web, browser tools keep nothing on our servers. Server tools, and every tool run from the mobile apps or the API, delete the files you give them when they finish, and delete a result you do not save 2 hours after it is made. | Not published |
| Number of tools | 39 tools | Not published |
| E-signing | Send a document for signature to people who need no account: signers sign one after the other or all at once, from a template or a one-off document, and each request has a timeline whose entries are chained so that a change shows, and a completion certificate. Signature requests a month: 2 on Free, 50 on Pro, 300 on Team and 1,500 on Business. Sign PDF also adds your own signature, drawn, typed or uploaded. | Included in all plansSource |
| OCR | OCR PDF makes a scanned PDF searchable in 10 languages, up to 3 in one run. | OCR search on Pro and Team; OCR editing on BusinessSource |
| Several files at once | Up to 5 files in one run on Free, 25 on Pro, 50 on Team and 100 on Business, for the tools that take several files. Each output file counts as one task. | IncludedSource |
| Team plans | Team and Business plans. For a team sharing one library, one set of stamps and one allowance. Business adds SAML and OpenID Connect single sign-on with automatic provisioning (SCIM). | A Team plan with extra discounts per licence, and a Business plan with self-serve plan management, deployment on all platforms and phone supportSource |
| Developer API | A public REST API described by an OpenAPI 3.1 document, with API keys, scopes, idempotency keys and signed webhooks, and an MCP server for AI assistants. Included in the Team plan and above. The Zapier and Make apps are built but not yet published to their directories. | Not published |
| Desktop and mobile apps | A web app that runs in the browser. Mobile apps for iOS and Android, a desktop app and a browser extension are built but are not yet in the app stores or published for download, so there is no separate desktop or mobile app to install today. | Windows desktop, and a web app on iOS and Android smartphonesSource |
| Interface languages | 10 languages | 15 language versions in its selectorSource |
Read the Soda PDF facts at www.sodapdf.com/. The full table of all products is on the comparison page.
Questions
- What does Soda PDF cost?
- The pricing page we read names Pro, Team and Business plans but shows "See prices" links instead of amounts, so we cannot state a price.
- Does Soda PDF say how long it keeps my files?
- The pages we read do not. PDF Loft states exactly what is kept: nothing for browser tools on the web, and for server runs (which include every tool in the mobile apps and the API) the input is deleted when the run finishes and an unsaved result after 2 hours.