# CloudConvert API vs Foxit PDF Services API > CloudConvert scores 66.4 (B) to Foxit PDF Services's 48.3 (D) for pdf conversion. Prices, MCP, x402, uptime and agent notes side by side. - Canonical: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cloudconvert-vs-foxit-pdf-services - Markdown: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cloudconvert-vs-foxit-pdf-services.md (~2,250 tokens) - Slim: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cloudconvert-vs-foxit-pdf-services.min.md (~730 tokens, same facts, less prose, for token-sensitive contexts) - JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cloudconvert-vs-foxit-pdf-services.json (this page as data, same URL with Accept: application/json) - Site index for agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt (full text: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms-full.txt) - API: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json - Updated: 2026-10-09 CloudConvert API scores 66.4 (B) on agent readiness against Foxit PDF Services API's 48.3 (D), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. Foxit PDF Services API leads on payments & pricing. Both do pdf conversion. - CloudConvert API: grade B, 66.4/100, rank #291 of 950. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/cloudconvert.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/cloudconvert.json - Foxit PDF Services API: grade D, 48.3/100, rank #818 of 950. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/foxit-pdf-services.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/foxit-pdf-services.json - Best PDF manipulation and conversion APIs for AI agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/best/pdf-tools/index.md - All 24 pdf comparisons: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/pdf-tools/index.md ## Which one, for what ### CloudConvert API (B) Good for: An agent that converts between many file formats, merges to PDF, or needs OCR, PDF/A, encryption and page operations in one job, with storage on S3, Azure or Google Cloud. Ahead on: - Reliability, 80 against 47 - Agent ergonomics, 71 against 49 - Security & auth, 71 against 40 - Maintenance & community, 68 against 38 - Transparency & trust, 75 against 63 Watch for: No OpenAPI document and no API changelog were found. The blog has one post since August 2024 ### Foxit PDF Services API (D) Good for: An agent that needs conversion, page operations, protection, redaction, forms and OCR at a flat per-request price with free failures. Ahead on: - Payments & pricing, 40 against 35 Also in its favour: - Runs on your own machine Watch for: OAuth client credentials carry no scopes, so every application credential can convert, delete and download ## Score by category | Category | Weight | CloudConvert API | Foxit PDF Services API | Edge | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 80 | 47 | CloudConvert API +33 | | Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run | | Schema & documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 59 | 62 | Foxit PDF Services API +3 | | Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 71 | 49 | CloudConvert API +22 | | Security & auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 71 | 40 | CloudConvert API +31 | | Payments & pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 35 | 40 | Foxit PDF Services API +5 | | Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run | | Maintenance & community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 68 | 38 | CloudConvert API +30 | | Transparency & trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 75 | 63 | CloudConvert API +12 | | Negative events | ≤15 | 0 | 0 | | | **Total** | | **66.4 · B** | **48.3 · D** | | ## Facts side by side | Fact | CloudConvert API | Foxit PDF Services API | | --- | --- | --- | | Kind | HTTP API | HTTP API | | Vendor | CloudConvert (Lunaweb GmbH) | Foxit Software Incorporated | | Hosted endpoint | `https://api.cloudconvert.com/v2` | `https://na1.fusion.foxit.com/pdf-services` | | Transports | HTTP | HTTP, stdio | | Auth | OAuth or key | OAuth | | Pricing | Freemium | Freemium | | x402 | no | no | | Licence | Proprietary service under CloudConvert's terms of service. The SDKs and the CLI on GitHub are MIT | Proprietary service under the Foxit API Service Agreement. The MCP server is MIT per its package.json, with no licence file in the repository | | Tools exposed | 24 | 42 | | Read-only variant documented | no | no | | llms.txt | yes | no | | MCP registry | not listed | `io.github.foxitsoftware/foxit-pdf-api-mcp-server` | | Last release | 2026-09-03 | 2026-07-13 | | Terms last updated | no date given | 2025-06-30 | | Privacy policy last updated | no date given | no date given | | Customer content may train models | not found in the text | not found in the text | | Terms restrict automated access | not found in the text | not found in the text | | Terms restrict benchmarking | yes | not found in the text | | Terms or service can change without notice | not found in the text | yes | | Arbitration or class-action waiver | not found in the text | not found in the text | | Popularity | 192 stars, 104k npm/wk | 12 stars, 47 npm/wk | ## Verdicts **CloudConvert API.** API keys and OAuth tokens carry six scopes, the terms promise 99.9 per cent monthly uptime with refunds, and uploaded files are deleted within 24 hours. No OpenAPI document or changelog was found, and the per-credit price is drawn by a script on the pricing page. **Foxit PDF Services API.** One credit per successful request, with failed calls, uploads, polling and downloads free, and a 500-credit yearly free plan. Access has no scopes, and the official MCP server reads and writes any local path. The status page has no component for the API, and no changelog was found. ## Before you call either ### CloudConvert API 1. Build each job from an import task, one or more processing tasks and an `export/url` task, then read the download links from the export task's `result.files` 2. Call `GET /v2/operations` with `include=options` to find the options a format pair accepts before creating a `convert` task 3. Do not retry a failed task automatically. CloudConvert retries retryable errors itself, and a retry endpoint creates a new task 4. Download output within 24 hours. Tasks, files and export URLs are deleted after that 5. Use `https://sandbox.api.cloudconvert.com/v2` for tests. It consumes no credits and accepts only a fixed set of approved test files ### Foxit PDF Services API 1. Exchange the client ID and secret at `https://na1.fusion.foxit.com/oauth/token` and cache the Bearer token. `expires_in` is about 24 hours and there is no refresh token 2. Upload first with `POST /pdf-services/api/documents/upload`, start the operation, poll `GET /pdf-services/api/tasks/{task-id}` until `COMPLETED`, then download `resultDocumentId` 3. Read the body of a 429. It means either the rate limit (15 a minute in sandbox, 100 in production) or `QUOTA_EXCEEDED` when credits run out 4. Keep uploads under 100 MB, and delete documents with `DELETE /pdf-services/api/documents/{document-id}` when done. Deletion is permanent 5. With the MCP server, pass only paths the task needs. `upload_document` reads any `file://` path and `download_document` writes to any absolute path ## Questions ### Which is better for AI agents, CloudConvert API or Foxit PDF Services API? CloudConvert API scores 66.4 (B) on agent readiness against Foxit PDF Services API's 48.3 (D), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. Foxit PDF Services API leads on payments & pricing. ### Do CloudConvert API and Foxit PDF Services API need an API key? CloudConvert API takes an API key or an OAuth sign-in. Foxit PDF Services API uses an OAuth sign-in. ### Can an agent call CloudConvert API and Foxit PDF Services API without installing anything? Yes. CloudConvert API has a hosted endpoint at https://api.cloudconvert.com/v2 and Foxit PDF Services API at https://na1.fusion.foxit.com/pdf-services. ## For agents - This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cloudconvert-vs-foxit-pdf-services.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cloudconvert-vs-foxit-pdf-services.min.md - Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {"a": "cloudconvert", "b": "foxit-pdf-services"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare cloudconvert foxit-pdf-services` - Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/cloudconvert.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/foxit-pdf-services.json ## Other comparisons with CloudConvert API or Foxit PDF Services API - [CloudConvert API vs iLoveAPI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cloudconvert-vs-iloveapi.md) - [CloudConvert API vs Nutrient DWS Processor API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cloudconvert-vs-nutrient-dws-processor.md) - [CloudConvert API vs PDF.co API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cloudconvert-vs-pdf-co.md) - [Foxit PDF Services API vs iLoveAPI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foxit-pdf-services-vs-iloveapi.md) - [Foxit PDF Services API vs Nutrient DWS Processor API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foxit-pdf-services-vs-nutrient-dws-processor.md) - [Foxit PDF Services API vs PDF.co API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foxit-pdf-services-vs-pdf-co.md)