Detailed comparison with M2pdf
Comparison table
| Feature | CarefulTools | M2pdf |
|---|---|---|
| Formats and files | ||
| Formats | PDF, HTML and TXT | PDF only |
| PDF with searchable, selectable text | Yes | Yes |
| One file with everything, or one per conversation or message | Yes | Yes |
| Password | Yes: PDF and attachments ZIP (AES-256) | Not shown in its settings |
| Layout and page | ||
| Paper size | 10 sizes and a custom size | 9 sizes |
| Margins | 4 levels | 4 levels |
| Page numbers | Yes | Not shown in its settings |
| Batch “Gmail print” mode | Yes | Does not have this mode |
| Cleaning and order | ||
| Cleaning of quoted replies, signatures and disclaimers | 5 levels, in 25 languages | Not shown in its settings |
| Group into conversations | Yes | Not shown in its settings |
| Order as in the Gmail inbox | Yes | Not shown in its settings |
| Separator lines between messages and conversations | Yes: between messages and between conversations | No |
| Remove the lines or choose their style, thickness and colour | Yes | Not shown in its settings |
| Attachments | ||
| All original attachments inside the PDF (in the reader’s paperclip) | Yes | No |
| Attached images and PDFs as pages | Yes | Yes |
| Word, PowerPoint and Excel as pages | Yes | No |
| Choose which attachment types to show as pages (one by one) | Yes: 5 switches | No: images and PDFs go together |
| Pages, paperclip and originals ZIP at the same time | Yes, in any combination | No: you must pick a single option |
| Automatic rotation of images and spreadsheets to fit their shape | Yes, with an on/off toggle | No |
| Excel inside the PDF | ||
| Clean, continuous tables without wasted pages | Yes | Does not show Excel files |
| Table size | Automatic or manual | Does not show Excel files |
| Sheet and section shown on each page | Yes | Does not show Excel files |
| Header rows repeated on each new page | Yes | Does not show Excel files |
| HTML and TXT | ||
| Interactive HTML with side menu and attachment downloads | Yes | Has no HTML |
| Attachments visible inside the HTML | Yes: independent switches per format | Has no HTML |
| Attachment text inside the TXT | Yes: independent switches per format | Has no TXT |
| File name and folder | ||
| Automatic file name with email details | 5 ready-made formats or custom with 8 details and 4 date styles | Fixed with 3 details (date, subject and sender) |
| Choose the destination folder on the computer | Yes (directly in the extension, without touching Chrome) | No: always goes to the browser’s downloads |
| A new folder for each download | Configurable (optional when multiple files are generated) | Always, with date and time |
| Save straight to the cloud (Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive…) | No | No |
| Languages | ||
| Document language different from the extension’s | Yes | No |
| Extension languages | 25 | 1 |
Attachments
In M2pdf you must pick a single option for attachments, and images and PDFs always go together. Word and PowerPoint are not shown as pages and for Excel files only the file name appears. In CarefulTools you choose one by one which types show as pages (images, PDFs, Word, PowerPoint and Excel), you can keep every original inside the PDF itself, in your reader’s paperclip, and also add a ZIP, in any combination.
Layout, cleaning and order
Both let you choose the paper size (M2pdf, 9 sizes; CarefulTools, 10 and a custom size), four margin levels and the orientation. M2pdf’s settings do not show cleaning of quoted replies and signatures, grouping into conversations, page numbers or separator lines. CarefulTools offers five cleaning levels in 25 languages, groups messages into conversations ordered as in your Gmail inbox and lets you style the lines (shape, thickness and colour).
CarefulTools also has a batch “Gmail print” mode: it saves multiple emails with the same layout as printing from Gmail, with optional header and footer, scale and up to 16 pages per sheet. M2pdf does not have this mode.
Excel, HTML and TXT
M2pdf only creates PDFs and does not show spreadsheets. CarefulTools stacks tables one below another to save paper, with the sheet and section on each page, and also creates HTML, with a side index and attachments inside, and TXT, with the attachments’ text.
File name and folder
M2pdf builds the file name with a fixed format of three details (date, subject and sender), without choosing the date format; CarefulTools offers five ready-made formats or a custom one with eight details and four date formats. M2pdf’s settings do not show a password option; CarefulTools protects the PDF and the attachments ZIP with AES-256.
To choose where files are saved on your computer, M2pdf does not allow choosing a folder in the extension and sends them to Chrome’s downloads; CarefulTools lets you choose your destination folder directly without touching Chrome’s. M2pdf always creates a folder with year, month, day, hour, minute and second for each download; CarefulTools offers that grouping as a configurable option when multiple files are generated.
Languages
M2pdf comes in one language. CarefulTools comes in 25, and the document can be in a different language from the extension’s.
When M2pdf is the better fit
- If you only need PDF and showing attached images and PDFs is enough.
- If you want every download to go to its own folder with the date and time.
When CarefulTools is the better fit
- If you need HTML or TXT as well as PDF.
- If you need to see Word, PowerPoint and Excel inside the PDF, or keep the originals in the PDF itself.
- If you want to remove quoted replies and repeated signatures.
- If you want to batch-save with Gmail’s print look or several pages per sheet.
- If you prefer to choose the folder without changing it for all of Chrome, or to protect the PDF with a password.
- If you need the extension or the document in another of the 25 languages.
Switching is easy
There is nothing to move: install CarefulTools, choose your settings once and select the emails in Gmail. The files you already saved are still yours. CarefulTools will soon be on the Chrome Web Store.
How we made this comparison
We made it on 4 and 5 October 2026 by installing and using both extensions to test their features directly, and from what M2pdf’s Chrome Web Store listing says. When a feature is not shown in its settings, we say exactly that, without claiming it does not exist. Features of either may change: if you see something out of date, write to support@carefultools.com and we will correct it.
M2pdf is a trademark of its owner. CarefulTools is not affiliated with M2pdf.