PDFtk vs PDFsam

Struggling to choose between PDFtk and PDFsam? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

PDFtk is a Office & Productivity solution with tags like pdf, editor, merge, split, rotate, encrypt, decrypt.

It boasts features such as Merge PDFs, Split PDFs, Rotate PDF pages, Encrypt and decrypt PDF files, Fill PDF forms, Add or update PDF metadata, Optimize PDF files and pros including Free and open source, Lightweight and fast, Cross-platform, Powerful command-line interface, Automatable workflows.

On the other hand, PDFsam is a Office & Productivity product tagged with pdf, editor, merge, split, rotate, extract.

Its standout features include Split PDF files, Merge PDF files, Rotate PDF pages, Extract PDF pages, Mix PDF pages, Visually reorder PDF pages, Encrypt and decrypt PDF files, Fill out PDF forms, and it shines with pros like Free and open source, Easy to use graphical interface, Good basic PDF editing features, Available on Windows, Mac and Linux.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

PDFtk

PDFtk

PDFtk is an open-source command-line tool for working with PDF documents. It enables users to merge, split, rotate, encrypt and decrypt PDF files. PDFtk is lightweight, fast and cross-platform.

Categories:
pdf editor merge split rotate encrypt decrypt

PDFtk Features

  1. Merge PDFs
  2. Split PDFs
  3. Rotate PDF pages
  4. Encrypt and decrypt PDF files
  5. Fill PDF forms
  6. Add or update PDF metadata
  7. Optimize PDF files

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Free and open source

Lightweight and fast

Cross-platform

Powerful command-line interface

Automatable workflows

Cons

Command-line only (no GUI)

Steep learning curve

Limited documentation and support


PDFsam

PDFsam

PDFsam is an open-source PDF editing software that allows users to merge, split, rotate, mix and extract pages from PDF files. It has a graphical user interface and offers basic PDF manipulation functionalities for free.

Categories:
pdf editor merge split rotate extract

PDFsam Features

  1. Split PDF files
  2. Merge PDF files
  3. Rotate PDF pages
  4. Extract PDF pages
  5. Mix PDF pages
  6. Visually reorder PDF pages
  7. Encrypt and decrypt PDF files
  8. Fill out PDF forms

Pricing

  • Free
  • Open Source

Pros

Free and open source

Easy to use graphical interface

Good basic PDF editing features

Available on Windows, Mac and Linux

Cons

Limited advanced PDF editing capabilities

Slower performance with large PDF files

Lacks optical character recognition (OCR)