iLovePDF vs Smallpdf vs PDFTrusted: In-Depth Comparison
Facts checked on Β· By the PDFTrusted team
iLovePDF and Smallpdf are two of the most popular PDF websites in the world, and both are good at what they do. So which one should you use β and is there a reason to look at anything else?
We compared iLovePDF, Smallpdf and PDFTrusted across six areas that matter in daily use: the tools themselves, ease of use, privacy and security, devices and apps, AI features, and pricing. Every competitor fact comes from that companyβs own pricing, security and help pages, linked at the end.
Transparency note: PDFTrusted wrote this comparison, so we have tried hard to be fair. Competitor prices and features come from their own public pages, linked in Sources. If anything has changed, tell us and we will update it.
Executive Summary: Our Recommendation
π iLovePDF is the widest toolkit of the three. If you need specialist tools (redaction, PDF compare, forms, PDF/A), very large files, batch processing or desktop and mobile apps, it is hard to beat β and its yearly plan is the cheapest here.
π Smallpdf is the most polished all-in-one subscription. Made in Switzerland in 2013, it pairs a friendly interface with unlimited AI tools, Sign.com signature requests and mobile apps on Pro, with strong compliance credentials.
π PDFTrusted is the privacy-first option. Twenty everyday tools run on your own device so the files are never uploaded, the free plan has no ads or watermark, and Pro is the lowest monthly price at $5.99.
We compared them across six areas:
- 1Essential PDF Tools
- 2Ease of Use
- 3Privacy and Security
- 4Devices and Apps
- 5AI Features
- 6Pricing and Free Plan
π‘ Tip: You donβt have to pick just one. Many people keep a privacy-first tool for personal documents like IDs and bank statements, and use a full suite for specialist jobs like redaction or signature requests.
Comparison Summary: iLovePDF vs Smallpdf vs PDFTrusted
Stars show how strong each product is in that area. π marks the leader when there is one.
Swipe sideways to see all three β
PDFTrustedEssential PDF Tools
Widest: Covers almost every PDF job, including specialist tools.
Polished: 30+ tools with a guided flow for each.
Focused: 37 everyday tools; a few specialist ones still missing.
Ease of Use
Familiar: A clear tool grid that millions already know.
Guided: Friendly, step-by-step screens for every task.
Calm: One job per screen, built for phones first.
Privacy and Security
Certified: ISO/IEC 27001, GDPR, uploads deleted within 2 hours.
Certified: ISO/IEC 27001, GDPR, CCPA, nFADP, deleted after 1 hour.
On-device: Everyday tools never upload; server jobs deleted within 1 hour.
Devices and Apps
Everywhere: Web, Windows, Mac, iOS and Android.
Broad: Web, Windows, iOS and Android.
Web-only: Any modern browser on phone or desktop; no native apps.
AI Features
Practical: Summarizer, translation and PDF to Markdown.
Broadest: Chat, summarize, translate and questions; unlimited on Pro.
Focused: Chat, summarize and questions on up to 200 pages.
Pricing and Free Plan
Low yearly: $48 a year, plus a free year for students.
Bundled: $108 a year with AI and Sign.com included.
Low monthly: $5.99 a month or $49 a year; ad-free free plan.
Best for
Heavy users and teams who want the widest toolset, very large files, batch processing and desktop or mobile apps β at a low yearly price.
Visit iLovePDFPeople and small teams who want a polished all-in-one PDF app with unlimited AI tools, e-signature requests and mobile apps in one subscription.
Visit SmallpdfStudents, professionals and anyone handling personal documents who want everyday PDF jobs done privately on their own device, ad-free, at the lowest monthly price.
Try PDFTrusted freeiLovePDF vs Smallpdf vs PDFTrusted at a Glance
| Feature | iLovePDF | Smallpdf | PDFTrusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes, limited per tool | Yes, daily download limit | Yes, 20 jobs a day |
| Paid plan (monthly) | $7 | $12 | $5.99 |
| Paid plan (yearly) | $48 | $108 | $49 |
| Max file size (paid) | 4 GB per task | Unlimited | 100 MB |
| Everyday tools on your device | No, server | No, server | Yes, 20 tools |
| Server files deleted | Within 2 hours | After 1 hour | Within 1 hour |
| ISO/IEC 27001 | Yes | Yes | No |
| Signature requests | Yes (iLoveSign) | Yes (Sign.com) | No, self-sign only |
| Redact / compare | Both | Redact | Not yet |
| AI tools | Summarize, translate | Chat, summarize, translate, questions | Chat, summarize, questions |
| Apps | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android | Windows, iOS, Android | Browser only |
| Interface languages | 26 | 24 | 18 |
Prices in USD for one user, before tax, as listed on October 1, 2026.
What is iLovePDF?
βEvery tool you need to work with PDFs in one placeβ
iLovePDF is one of the most visited PDF websites in the world. It describes itself as the #1 most-used online PDF software and says it processes 16.5 million documents every day.
It is a Europe-based company, fully GDPR compliant and ISO/IEC 27001 certified. Besides the web app it offers desktop apps for Windows and Mac, mobile apps for iOS and Android, e-signatures through iLoveSign, and a developer API.
The toolset is the widest of the three: beyond the everyday basics it covers redaction, PDF comparison, PDF forms, cropping, repair, PDF/A, OCR, translation and an AI summarizer.
Best for: Heavy users and teams who want the widest toolset, very large files, batch processing and desktop or mobile apps β at a low yearly price.
What is Smallpdf?
βWe make PDF easy.β
Smallpdf was made in Switzerland in 2013, starting with a single tool to compress PDFs. It now offers 30+ tools and says it has served over a billion people, with 40+ million monthly users.
It is ISO/IEC 27001 certified and compliant with GDPR, CCPA and the Swiss nFADP. Files are encrypted with TLS and, per Smallpdf, deleted from its servers after one hour.
The product is known for a clean, friendly interface. The Pro plan bundles strong compression, text editing, OCR, unlimited AI tools and a Sign.com Premium subscription for signature requests, with mobile apps and a Windows app.
Best for: People and small teams who want a polished all-in-one PDF app with unlimited AI tools, e-signature requests and mobile apps in one subscription.
What is PDFTrusted?
βFree PDF tools for every task, on any deviceβ
PDFTrusted is a newer, privacy-first PDF toolkit with 37 tools for organizing, compressing, converting, editing, signing, protecting and AI work. It is available in 18 languages and works in any modern browser on phone or desktop.
Its difference is where files go. Twenty everyday tools β merge, split, organize, compress, edit, sign, watermark, protect, unlock, image tools and more β run entirely inside your browser, so those files are never uploaded. OCR, Office conversion and AI run on a secure server, and those files are deleted within one hour.
The free plan has no ads, no watermark and needs no account for basic work. Pro is $5.99 a month or $49 a year and raises jobs to 200 pages, files to 100 MB, and adds 1 GB of storage.
Best for: Students, professionals and anyone handling personal documents who want everyday PDF jobs done privately on their own device, ad-free, at the lowest monthly price.
iLovePDF vs Smallpdf vs PDFTrusted: Essential PDF Tools
iLovePDF has the widest toolset, Smallpdf covers every core job with polish, and PDFTrusted focuses on the essentials and runs most of them on your device.
PDFTrustedMost people use a handful of tools again and again: merge, compress, convert to and from Word, and sign. We looked at how each product handles those jobs, and what extra tools are there when you need them.
Merging and organizing PDFs: all three make merging easy; PDFTrusted does it without uploading your files
iLovePDF: Merge PDF is a single big βSelect PDF filesβ button with Google Drive and Dropbox import. You drag files into order and download. Free users can merge up to 25 files of up to 100 MB; Premium raises that to 500 files and 4 GB.
Smallpdf: Smallpdfβs merger is a browser-based combiner with no installation: drop your files, arrange them and combine. Files are encrypted with TLS and removed from its servers after one hour.
PDFTrusted: PDFTrusted merges PDFs and photos (JPG, PNG, HEIC and more) into one file, with page reordering and blank-page insertion. The whole job runs inside your browser, so the files never leave your device. Split, extract, delete, rotate and organize work the same way.
Compressing PDFs: Smallpdf and iLovePDF offer strong server-side compression, while PDFTrusted compresses on your device with a clear size result
iLovePDF: Compress PDF offers compression levels and accepts files up to 200 MB on the free plan β the most generous free compress limit here. Processing happens on iLovePDFβs servers.
Smallpdf: Smallpdf says it can reduce PDF size by up to 99%. Basic compression is free; Strong Compression is a Pro feature. Like merge, files are deleted from its servers after one hour.
PDFTrusted: PDFTrusted compresses in your browser and shows the size before and after. You choose Extreme, Recommended or Less, which helps with strict upload limits like 100 KB or 200 KB. Free files can be up to 25 MB.
Converting to and from Office: all three convert Word, Excel and PowerPoint both ways; iLovePDF adds OCR inside conversions
iLovePDF: iLovePDF converts PDF to Word, Excel and PowerPoint and back, plus HTML to PDF and PDF/A. It also offers OCR versions of PDF to Word and PDF to Excel for scanned files. Free Office conversions are limited to 15 MB per file.
Smallpdf: Smallpdf converts to and from Word, Excel, PowerPoint and images, and also handles HWP, Pages, EPUB, ZIP and CSV to PDF. OCR inside PDF to Word, Excel and PPT is a Pro feature.
PDFTrusted: PDFTrusted converts PDF to Word, Excel and PowerPoint and back, plus OpenOffice files, RTF, HTML, web pages (URL), EPUB, TXT, CSV and ZIP to PDF. Office conversions run on a secure server and the files are deleted within one hour. Free conversions handle up to 20 pages.
Signing and specialist tools: iLovePDF and Smallpdf support signature requests and more specialist tools; PDFTrusted signs on your device
iLovePDF: Sign PDF lets you sign yourself or send signature requests to others, with advanced e-signatures and an audit trail through iLoveSign. iLovePDF also offers redaction, PDF compare, PDF forms, crop and repair.
Smallpdf: Smallpdf signs documents and, through the Sign.com Premium subscription included in Pro, sends signature requests with templates and an activity timeline. It also has redaction, crop, flatten, a form filler and an annotator.
PDFTrusted: PDFTrustedβs Sign PDF lets you draw, type or upload your signature and place it on any page, all inside your browser. It also edits text, adds watermarks and page numbers, protects and unlocks PDFs, and repairs damaged files. Signature requests, redaction and compare are not available yet.
Verdict: If you need specialist tools like redaction, compare, PDF/A or signature requests, iLovePDF and Smallpdf have you covered. If your work is the everyday set β merge, compress, convert, sign, protect β all three do the job, and PDFTrusted is the only one that runs most of those tools on your own device.
iLovePDF vs Smallpdf vs PDFTrusted: Ease of Use
All three are genuinely easy: one tool per page, one big upload button, one download.
PDFTrustedOnline PDF tools win or lose on the first minute. We looked at how quickly a new visitor can find the tool, understand the options and download a result β on desktop and on a phone.
Interface and first-time experience: a three-way tie β each takes a different route to the same simplicity
iLovePDF: The homepage is a grid of tool cards with short descriptions and category filters (Organize, Optimize, Convert, Edit, Security, PDF Intelligence). Each tool page is a single large button, which makes iLovePDF very quick for people who already know what they want.
Smallpdf: Smallpdf leads with βWe make PDF easy.β and keeps that promise: spacious pages, a big drop zone, and a short plain-language explanation of each tool right below it.
PDFTrusted: PDFTrusted uses one job per screen with plain options, large tap targets and a result card showing what changed (for example, the size saved). The same layout works on phones, so finishing a form upload from a mobile browser is as easy as on a laptop.
Languages and help: iLovePDF and Smallpdf offer more interface languages; PDFTrusted localizes every tool page in 18
iLovePDF: iLovePDFβs language menu lists 26 languages, and it has a help center and FAQ covering common questions.
Smallpdf: Smallpdfβs language menu lists 24 languages, with a help center, a blog full of how-to guides, and priority support on paid plans.
PDFTrusted: PDFTrusted is available in 18 languages, each with native, translated tool pages and URLs. Every tool page includes a step-by-step guide and FAQ, and support is by email (priority on Pro).
Verdict: There is no wrong choice on ease of use. iLovePDF is fastest for people who know its grid, Smallpdf is the most guided, and PDFTrusted is the calmest on a phone.
iLovePDF vs Smallpdf vs PDFTrusted: Privacy and Security
iLovePDF and Smallpdf hold ISO/IEC 27001 certificates and delete uploads after 1β2 hours; PDFTrusted avoids uploading everyday files at all.
PDFTrustedBank statements, IDs, contracts and medical letters all pass through PDF tools. Security has two parts: how well a provider protects files on its servers, and whether the files need to reach a server in the first place.
Where your files are processed: PDFTrusted processes everyday tools on your device; iLovePDF and Smallpdf process on their servers
iLovePDF: Files are uploaded over HTTPS with encryption and processed on iLovePDFβs servers. Premium and Business add regional file processing, so you can choose where your files are handled (7 and 11 regions).
Smallpdf: Files are uploaded over 256-bit TLS and processed on Smallpdfβs servers. Its tools are browser-based in the sense that nothing needs installing, but the processing happens server-side.
PDFTrusted: Twenty everyday tools β merge, split, organize, rotate, compress, edit, sign, watermark, page numbers, protect, unlock, repair and image conversions β run inside your browser using your device. For those jobs the file is never uploaded. OCR, Office conversion and AI need a server and are sent over HTTPS.
Retention, encryption and certifications: iLovePDF and Smallpdf have formal certifications; Smallpdf and PDFTrusted delete server files fastest
iLovePDF: iLovePDF holds ISO/IEC 27001 certification and is fully GDPR compliant. Its FAQ says files are kept a maximum of 2 hours so you can download them, then removed, and you can delete them yourself after each task.
Smallpdf: Smallpdf is ISO/IEC 27001 certified, GDPR, CCPA and nFADP compliant, and undergoes annual security audits. It automatically deletes files from its servers after one hour.
PDFTrusted: Server-side jobs are cleaned up after processing and deleted within one hour at most. PDFTrusted does not keep a document archive unless you choose to save files to Pro Storage. It does not yet hold an ISO/IEC 27001 certificate.
Verdict: If your organization requires a certified vendor, iLovePDF and Smallpdf both hold ISO/IEC 27001. If you simply want fewer copies of your files on other peopleβs servers, PDFTrusted is the only one of the three where everyday jobs never leave your device.
iLovePDF vs Smallpdf vs PDFTrusted: Devices and Apps
iLovePDF has the most apps, Smallpdf has mobile and Windows apps, and PDFTrusted runs in the browser on any device.
PDFTrustedSome people live in the browser; others want an app on the desktop or phone, with offline access and a scanner. Here is what each product offers beyond its website.
Web, desktop and mobile: iLovePDF covers the most platforms; PDFTrusted needs nothing installed
iLovePDF: iLovePDF has desktop apps for Windows and Mac (also in the Mac and Microsoft stores) and mobile apps for iOS and Android with scan to PDF. Premium unlocks full access across web, desktop and mobile.
Smallpdf: Smallpdf offers iOS and Android apps with a PDF scanner, plus a Windows app. The free plan has limited mobile access; Pro unlocks it fully.
PDFTrusted: PDFTrusted has no app to install. Every tool is designed to work in a phone browser with large controls, and on-device tools keep working even on slow connections once the page has loaded. There is no native scanner app yet.
Verdict: Choose iLovePDF if you want native apps on every platform, Smallpdf if mobile and Windows cover you, and PDFTrusted if you prefer not to install anything.
iLovePDF vs Smallpdf vs PDFTrusted: AI Features
Smallpdf has the broadest AI set on Pro, iLovePDF adds summarize and translate, and PDFTrusted focuses on chat, summaries and study questions.
PDFTrustedAI tools that summarize long reports, answer questions or translate documents are now a standard part of PDF suites. We compared what each offers and how much you can use it.
What the AI tools can do: Smallpdf has the most AI tools; PDFTrusted and iLovePDF cover the core uses
iLovePDF: iLovePDF offers an AI Summarizer and Translate PDF in Standard and Advanced modes, plus PDF to Markdown for feeding documents into other AI tools. Premium includes 2,000 AI credits.
Smallpdf: Smallpdfβs AI PDF Assistant includes Chat with PDF, an AI summarizer, Translate PDF and an AI question generator. Pro gives unlimited access, with documents up to 50 MB and 100k words.
PDFTrusted: PDFTrusted offers Chat with PDF, Summarize PDF and a question generator for study and review, each with Standard and Advanced AI. Free covers up to 15 pages; Pro handles up to 200 pages per job. Translation is not available yet.
Verdict: Heavy AI users will get the most from Smallpdf Pro. If you mainly want summaries and answers from long reports, PDFTrusted covers that at a lower price, and iLovePDF is handy for translation.
iLovePDF vs Smallpdf vs PDFTrusted: Pricing and Free Plan
PDFTrusted has the lowest monthly price, iLovePDF the lowest yearly price, and Smallpdf bundles the most into Pro.
PDFTrustedAll three have a free plan and a paid plan for individuals. The real difference is what the free plan allows, how much monthly billing costs compared with yearly, and what each paid plan bundles.
iLovePDF plans
| Plan | Basic | Premium | Business |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | $7/monthor $4/month billed yearly ($48/year) | Custom25+ users |
| Includes |
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Note: Premium covers 1β25 users on the same plan. iLovePDF also offers a free year of Premium for students and academics.
Smallpdf plans
| Plan | Free | Pro | Team | Business |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $0 | $12/monthor $9/month billed yearly ($108/year) | $10/seat/monthor $7/seat/month billed yearly (2β19 seats) | Custom20+ seats |
| Includes |
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Note: Pro and Team start with a 7-day free trial that you can cancel at any time.
PDFTrusted plans
| Plan | Free | Pro | Business |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $0forever | $5.99/monthor $49/year | Customcustom volume |
| Includes |
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Note: Payments run through our payment provider, with invoices on every paid plan. Cancel any time.
What the free plan includes: PDFTrustedβs free plan is ad-free with no sign-up; iLovePDF allows bigger free files
iLovePDF: The free Basic plan includes essential tools with limits per task β for example 25 files per merge, and files up to 100 MB for merge or 15 MB for Office and OCR. An ad-free experience is listed as a Premium feature.
Smallpdf: The free plan includes 30+ tools with a daily download limit, limited AI use (documents up to 25β35k words) and a Sign.com free account for 2 documents a month.
PDFTrusted: The free plan includes 20 everyday jobs and 3 advanced uses (OCR, Office, AI) a day, files up to 25 MB, OCR up to 5 pages and AI up to 15 pages. There are no ads, no watermark and no sign-up needed for basic work.
Verdict: On yearly billing, iLovePDF ($48) and PDFTrusted ($49) cost almost the same, and Smallpdf ($108) costs about twice as much but bundles unlimited AI and signature requests. On monthly billing, PDFTrusted is the lowest at $5.99, against $7 for iLovePDF and $12 for Smallpdf.
iLovePDF vs Smallpdf vs PDFTrusted: Pros & Cons
iLovePDF
Pros
- Widest toolset of the three, including redact, compare, crop, forms and PDF/A
- Premium allows files up to 4 GB per task and batch processing
- Desktop apps for Windows and Mac plus iOS and Android apps
- ISO/IEC 27001 certified and GDPR compliant
- Cheapest yearly plan here: $48 per year
- Free Premium year for students and academics
Cons
- Free plan limits batch size and file size per tool (as low as 15 MB for Office and OCR)
- Ad-free experience is listed as a Premium feature
- Monthly billing costs $7, noticeably more than the yearly rate
- Files are uploaded for processing and kept up to 2 hours
Smallpdf
Pros
- Clean, friendly interface with a minimal learning curve
- Unlimited AI tools on Pro: chat, summarize, translate, question generator
- Sign.com Premium for signature requests included in Pro
- ISO/IEC 27001 certified; GDPR, CCPA and nFADP compliant
- Mobile apps and a Windows app
- Team plans with centralized billing
Cons
- Free plan has a daily download limit
- Highest monthly price here: $12 per month
- Files are uploaded for processing (deleted after one hour)
- No Mac desktop app listed
PDFTrusted
Pros
- Twenty everyday tools run fully in your browser β those files are never uploaded
- Free plan with no ads, no watermark and no sign-up needed
- Lowest monthly price: $5.99 per month
- Server jobs (OCR, Office, AI) are deleted within one hour
- Built for phones as much as desktops
- AI chat, summarize and question generation with Standard and Advanced modes
Cons
- Smaller toolset: no redact, crop, compare, translate, PDF/A or form filler yet
- No desktop or native mobile apps β it runs in the browser
- No signature requests or audit trail; signing is for your own signature
- Pro files top out at 100 MB and 200 pages per job
- Newer brand without an ISO/IEC 27001 certificate
Final Verdict: iLovePDF vs Smallpdf vs PDFTrusted and Who Each Is Best For
Best for: Heavy users and teams who want the widest toolset, very large files, batch processing and desktop or mobile apps β at a low yearly price.
Best for: People and small teams who want a polished all-in-one PDF app with unlimited AI tools, e-signature requests and mobile apps in one subscription.
PDFTrustedBest for: Students, professionals and anyone handling personal documents who want everyday PDF jobs done privately on their own device, ad-free, at the lowest monthly price.
The best PDF tool is the one that fits the way you work.
Power users and teams who need every tool will be happiest with iLovePDF. People who want a polished, guided app with strong AI and e-signatures will like Smallpdf. And if most of your PDF work is everyday jobs on personal documents, PDFTrusted lets you do them privately on your own device for less.
Use iLovePDF if:
- You need specialist tools like redaction, PDF compare, forms or PDF/A
- You process large batches or files bigger than 100 MB
- You want desktop apps for Windows or Mac and native mobile apps
- You need signature requests with an audit trail
- You are a student or academic β iLovePDF offers a free year of Premium for education
Use Smallpdf if:
- You want a polished, very guided interface for every task
- You use AI often β chat, summarize, translate and question generation are unlimited on Pro
- You need signature requests (Sign.com Premium is included in Pro)
- You want team plans with centralized billing
- You like to test first β Pro starts with a 7-day free trial
Use PDFTrusted if:
- You want everyday files (merge, compress, sign, protect) processed on your own device, never uploaded
- You want a free plan with no ads, no watermark and no sign-up
- You want the lowest monthly price: $5.99
- You work in one of 18 languages with native, localized tool pages
- Your documents are up to 200 pages and 100 MB
Frequently Asked Questions
Is iLovePDF or Smallpdf better?
Both are excellent. iLovePDF has more tools, desktop apps for Windows and Mac, and a cheaper yearly plan ($48). Smallpdf has a more guided interface and bundles unlimited AI tools and Sign.com signature requests into Pro ($9 a month yearly, $12 monthly).
Which PDF tool is the most private?
PDFTrusted runs 20 everyday tools β including merge, compress, sign and protect β inside your browser, so those files are never uploaded. iLovePDF and Smallpdf process files on their servers and delete them within 2 hours and 1 hour respectively; both hold ISO/IEC 27001 certification.
Which is the cheapest?
Monthly, PDFTrusted Pro is the cheapest at $5.99, then iLovePDF at $7 and Smallpdf at $12. Yearly, iLovePDF is $48, PDFTrusted $49 and Smallpdf $108.
Which one handles the largest files?
iLovePDF Premium accepts files up to 4 GB per task, and Smallpdf lists no file size limit on paid plans. PDFTrusted handles up to 25 MB on Free and 100 MB on Pro.
Which one has the best AI tools?
Smallpdf has the broadest AI set β chat, summarize, translate and question generation, unlimited on Pro. iLovePDF offers a summarizer and translation. PDFTrusted offers chat, summaries and study questions on up to 200 pages per job with Pro.
Can I use these tools on my phone?
Yes. iLovePDF and Smallpdf have iOS and Android apps. PDFTrusted has no app but is built to work in any phone browser.
How we compared and sources
We used each productβs public website as a regular visitor would, and took every price, limit and security claim from the companyβs own pages on October 1, 2026. Star ratings are our editorial judgment of how well each product serves that area, and we gave competitors the top score wherever they lead. Screenshots show each productβs public pages as they appeared that day.
- iLovePDF pricing
- iLovePDF FAQ
- iLovePDF security
- iLovePDF features
- Smallpdf pricing
- About Smallpdf
- Smallpdf Compress PDF
- Smallpdf Merge PDF
- PDFTrusted pricing
- PDFTrusted security
iLovePDF and Smallpdf are trademarks of their respective owners. This page is not affiliated with or endorsed by them.