We investigate the best online tools which help you to modify, create, and delete PDF files. What can really be done with a PDF file? You have an opportunity to edit the document to increase its security, insert some images and other objects into it or add information on one PDF page to another. Also each editor has completely different set of options and we will tell you about each of them in details below. So check out our list of the most convenient and easy to use editors for making whatever changes to your document.
If there is one application that is more popular than Microsoft Office these days, it’s got to be PDF. When you think of creating a document, chances are the first thing that comes to mind is a PDF file. That’s why we decided to put together this list of the best free pdf editors available, from which you can find plenty of options, ranging from simple text editors to full-fledged word processors and even PDF creators.
Online PDF editor is a professional tool that helps to edit and create PDFs online. It is simple and fast, plus it has lots of free templates and themes. If you need to create or to edit PDFs online, this place is the best place for you. We provide the best PDF services online.
Pdf is absolutely nowhere near a long-held, decades-old standard. But it has definitely been around for long enough to have taken its place in our collective imaginations. The digital revolution and the age of global software corporations have brought us here, and now we have dozens (if not hundreds) of different ways of creating, editing and reading pdfs, for free or for a fee.
PDF Benefits
Compared to other formats, PDF offers the following benefits:
- Preserve format: PDFs display exactly how you lay them out no matter what device or program you’re using to view them.
- Save storage: The PDF file format allows you to compress relatively large file sizes KBs, making it easier to save on storage space.
- Legally binding: The PDF is the only file format that can accommodate e-signatures for a document to be legal and binding.
The downside of PDF is that it doesn’t let you edit text or replace other elements easily. For that, you need a PDF editor. Unfortunately, because Adobe (the original creators of the PDF) still owns certain technologies associated with the format, it isn’t always easy to find tools to edit PDFs.
Smallpdf Online PDF Editor
What We Like
- Is completely free.
- Lets you add more text to the PDF.
- Can put white space over areas you want to erase.
- Supports importing shapes.
- Can load and save PDFs from various sources.
What We Don’t Like
- Doesn’t let you edit existing text.
- Limited to two PDF edits per day.
One of the quickest ways to add images, text, shapes, or your signature to a PDF is with Smallpdf.
This website allows you to upload a PDF, make changes to it, and then save it back to your computer, all without needing to make a user account or pay for any anti-watermarking features.
You can open files from your computer or your Dropbox or Google Drive account.
Importing shapes is possible if you want a rectangle, square, circle, arrow, or line. You can change the object’s main color and line color, as well as the thickness of its edge.
Text size can be small, regular, medium, large, or extra large, but you can’t change the font type, just the color.
When finished editing the PDF, you can decide where you want it saved; to your device or your Dropbox account. You can also generate a share link that anyone can use to download the PDF. Something else you can do is run the document through Smallpdf’s PDF splitter tool if you want to extract the pages.
If you edit two PDFs within one day, you’ll have to wait until the next day to keep using the site, or upgrade/pay.
This site works with all operating systems that support a modern web browser.
LibreOffice Draw
What We Like
- Edits any text on the page.
- Doesn’t leave a watermark.
- Lots of other editing features.
What We Don’t Like
- Must download the whole suite of programs just to use the PDF editor.
LibreOffice Draw is LibreOffice’s flowchart and diagram program, but it also lets you open and edit PDFs. Use the File > Open menu to select the PDF you want to edit, and then zoom up to the text to select and change whatever you want.
One of the neat things about editing PDFs with this program is that it’s made for creating and manipulating objects, so you can just as easily edit non-text things, too, like images, headings, colors, etc.
When you’re ready to save, don’t use the typical save option; go instead to File > Export As to find the PDF option.
It works with Windows, macOS, and Linux.
PDF BOB
What We Like
- Super easy to use.
- No user account required.
- Supports multiple conversion methods.
- Use it in several languages.
- Zero ads and saves without a watermark.
What We Don’t Like
- Doesn’t edit existing text.
- Few font options.
- Only one upload source (your computer).
PDF BOB is a free online PDF editor that requires no user account. Just upload your PDF, make the changes you need to, and then export it to PDF again to finish up.
There are several tools here to edit your PDF, like a text tool that lets you select a custom color and font type, an image picker, an underliner, a colored pencil/marker, and a few shape tools.
You can also use this website to delete pages from the PDF and add new ones to it. When you save, there’s even a password option to secure the document.
When you’re done editing, export to the PDF format or, if you log in, JPG and PNG. Files can be saved back to your computer or imported directly into Google Drive or Dropbox.
Although PDF BOB doesn’t let you edit the PDF text, you can convert it to one of the Word formats to do so in a word processor.
PDFelement – Easy-to-use PDF Editor
PDFelement is an outstanding PDF editor for Windows that tops the list. It is a worthy alternative to Adobe Acrobat, which has been widely regarded as the industry standard when it comes to PDF editing. The good thing is that this wonderful PDF editor has a free trial that comes with basic PDF editing solutions. Meanwhile, the paid version offers good value for the cost, as it is affordable when compared to other PDF editors.
It boasts of a lot of incredible features which include annotating, editing, and converting PDFs to other formats, adding signatures, and filling PDF forms. In fact, this best Windows PDF editor gives you a complete solution to edit PDF files like never before. For example, it can help you edit pdf text, add, remove, extract images from PDF, edit and remove watermarks, background, and so on. More importantly, it allows you to enjoy a large cloud storage space (up to 100GB) from Wondershare Document Cloud. Download this simple PDF editor now.
Pros
- PDFelement can do what Adobe can do, making it the editor with the best value for money.
- Users can try it out before they commit to buying it.
- Its simple design provides a user-friendly interface for both beginners and pros.
- It is secured with your documents.
- It has OCR technology, which allows you to edit/extract the PDF files from scanning.
- Moreover, it possesses the Document Cloud service, making you access your cloud documents on any device.
- It allows you to edit, convert, annotate, sign, protect, compress PDF files, and so on.
Cons
- It has limited features when used as a free PDF editor with the trial version.
Price
- The free version offers basic PDF solutions.
- Only costs $79.99 for the PDFelement professional version, which offers a comprehensive PDF solution.
System Support
- Windows System Support: Best PDF reader and editor for Windows Vista/7/8/10/11.
- Mac System Support: Highly compatible with all macOS from 10.14 to the latest macOS 11.
Nitro Pro PDF File Editor
The Nitro Pro PDF editor offers many PDF editing features similar to other PDF editors for Windows 10 listed above. Its features include the ability to edit, create and merge, review, and collaborate, among others. In addition, the Nitro editor will allow you to fill, sign, and secure your PDF files. It supports all windows operating systems and comes in 2 versions, personal and business. The professional version costs $179.99 and has its own set of more advanced features.
Pros
- It is easy to use and also fast.
- Includes OCR technology for editing scanned PDFs.
Cons
- It is expensive in comparison to other top PDF editor software.
- The trial version has limited features.
Price: The professional version costs $179.99 with its own set of features.
System Support: It can work on Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10/11 PDF editor.
Acrobat® Pro DC PDF Editing Software
There is no doubt that the Adobe Acrobat PDF editor sets the pace for PDF editing and is widely regarded as the best PDF editing tool for Windows 10; however, it is considered to be overpriced. It is important to note that PDF editing is not just for large businesses but also for individuals and small businesses, and therefore the price is critical. But Adobe is still a great PDF editor with top-class features that helps users convert, edit, and annotate, among other functions.
Pros
- One of the best PDF editors with top-notch features.
- It is easy to use with a decent and friendly user interface.
- OCR technology is available to edit scanned PDFs.
Cons
- It is a more expensive PDF editor when compared to other alternatives.
- It may not be suitable for individuals and small businesses due to the cost.
Price: It costs $179.88 for one year or $14.99 per month for the subscription.
System Support: This PDF editor can be compatible with all Windows systems.
EasePDF
Best for the online tools for your PDF files.
EasePDF Pricing: EasePDF offers a free plan. It also offers premium membership plans i.e. Monthly Plan ($4.95 per month), and an Annual Plan ($49.95 per year).
EasePDF is an online platform for converting and editing PDFs. It is an all-in-one solution that has functionalities to edit, compress, split, merge, and rotate a PDF. It provides more than 30 tools. It is a regularly updated platform. The platform is safe to use as it performs the automatic deletion of links and files in 24 hours.
Features:
- EasePDF will let you convert word, excel, PPT, jpg, and HTML documents to PDF format.
- Similarly, you can convert PDF to Word, Excel, PPT, JPG, and HTML.
- It provides security to your documents through 256-bit SSL encryption.
- As it is an online tool, can be used on any platform like Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android.
Verdict: EasePDF is a free online PDF converter. It is easy to use and eliminates the need to download and installation of the software. It provides encryption to your files. This online tool supports universal conversion and will let you convert files anytime, anywhere. It also offers premium membership plans.
Qoppa PDF Studio
Best for being a PDF Editor that can be used across most computing platforms such as Windows, macOS, Linux, and more.
PDF Studio Pricing: $89 One-Time Fee for 2 computers. Volume, Education & Non-Profit Discount available.
An easy-to-use, full-featured PDF editing software that is a reliable alternative to Adobe® Acrobat® and provides all PDF functions needed at a fraction of the cost. PDF Studio maintains full compatibility with the PDF Standard.
Features:
- Create, Upload, or Scan to PDF
- Annotate and Markup PDFs
- Convert From Multiple Formats
- Create & Fill Forms
- Merge & Split
- Secure PDFs
- Batch Processing
- OCR (Make PDF Searchable)
Verdict: This powerful PDF editor allows you to easily create, scan or convert documents to PDF as well as markup and edit existing PDFs.
At a fraction of the price as Adobe® Acrobat®, it also comes with very advanced features such as permanent redaction, imposition, file size reduction, preflight and even page resize! This editor can be used on multiple computing platforms such as Windows, macOS, Linux.
What Is the Best Free PDF Editor?
These software options include some of the best free online PDF editing tools. We’ve also listed a handful of free PDF editors for Mac and Windows PCs, along with some mobile-ready editors that allow you to amend documents on the go. All of the following editors are either free to use or come with a free trial available.
Conclusion
When it comes to editing a PDF file, there are a lot of apps out there. It’s a good thing too, since we all seem to need them from time-to-time. But maybe you have some PDF files that need some work done on them. You’ve tried every app in the app store and can’t find one that does exactly what you need for free.
With the increasing number of laptops and tablets, the best pdf editors is something that everyone can have. But not everyone knows that they exist and what they’re good for. And more often than not it’s hard to choose the right pdf editor – even though almost everything has a pdf file format. Plus, there are tons of different kinds of pagination formats, but they all work best in their own specific ways, which gives some of them an advantage over others.