Siliph vs SodaPDF:
Free Forever vs Freemium Gates
SodaPDF uses a freemium model — basic viewing is free, but compression, OCR, conversion, and security require $10+/mo. Siliph keeps core tools free, adds free AI, and never gates features behind paywalls.
No Feature Gates
SodaPDF locks compression, OCR, PDF-to-Excel, security, and Bates numbering behind paid plans. Siliph gives you all core tools free — 50+ utilities with no premium tier for features.
Free AI Assistant
SodaPDF has zero AI. Siliph includes free AI Document Assistant — summarize, chat, extract data from any PDF. No upgrade required, no token limits for normal use.
No Account Required
SodaPDF forces account creation before you can process a single file. Siliph: upload, process, download — zero friction, zero tracking.
Siliph vs SodaPDF Feature Comparison
Free tier capabilities compared
| Feature | Siliph | SodaPDF |
|---|---|---|
| Compress PDF | Free (presets to 50KB/100KB...) | Pro only |
| OCR (Make Searchable) | Free | Pro only |
| PDF to Excel/Word/PPT | Free | Pro only |
| Password Protect / Unlock | Free | Pro only |
| Bates Numbering | Free | Pro only |
| AI Document Assistant | Free | None |
| Account Required | No | Yes |
| Exam Photo Resizers | 20+ presets | Not available |
The freemium trap
SodaPDF's model: hook you with free viewing, then gate every useful action behind a subscription. Need to compress a 10MB scan for a government portal? "Upgrade to Pro." Need OCR on a scanned contract? "Upgrade to Pro." Need to password-protect a tax return? "Upgrade to Pro."
Siliph breaks this pattern. Compression, OCR, conversion, security, Bates numbering, AI chat — all free. We monetize via optional paid plans for higher limits (500MB, priority processing, history), not by withholding core functionality.
AI that SodaPDF doesn't have
SodaPDF is a format toolkit. It doesn't read your documents. Siliph's AI Document Assistant does: "What are the payment terms in this contract?" → instant answer with page citations. "Extract all vendor names and amounts from this invoice batch" → structured data. Free, browser-native, no desktop install.
Stop paying for basics. Start finishing work.
Compression, OCR, conversion, security, AI — all free. No account, no feature gates.