PDF files are popularly used in our daily lives. We often come across PDF documents in schools, offices and other professional places. If you want to edit your pdf files then most probably your search will end here. Read this article to know more about editing pdf files and pdf editing software.
With the Best Software for Editing PDF Documents, you can edit text, fix formatting, or insert bolds or italics in any PDF document. There are 300+ advanced editing tools included. You can also extract the text from your original PDF files and keep them separated as a TXT file.
Free pdf editing software is a programs that allow you to edit pdf files. In general, it’s called as free pdf editor. Any pdf editing software should allow you to do basic and advanced editing of your pdf files such as adding new content, removing pages, inserting and mixing texts and images, document encryption and making marginal notes, etc.
Explore the best software for editing PDF documents available to download and buy right now, in this handy comparison chart. No time to read all the reviews of PDF software packages? This comparison table lists only the very best programs based on performance and usability, according to user ratings made by verified purchasers.
When Would You Need to Edit PDFs for Free?
As the world becomes more digitally transformed, it’s inevitable that you will come across PDF documents in the course of a normal day – invoices, contracts, eBooks, bank statements, credit card statements, tax forms, insurance forms… these are just some of the examples of the widespread use of PDF. Here are several use cases where you’re not a regular PDF user but still need a robust and free PDF tool to deal with the task at hand:
- Filling out interactive PDF forms
- Signing a document and sharing it online
- Making annotations on a project document to provide feedback
- Marking up a file for corrections
- Adding or deleting texts and images for proofreading.
For the above common PDF usage scenarios, it will be easily realized by using a PDF editor, such as Wondershare PDFelement – PDF Editor, an all-in-one PDF Solution, making you can edit pdf files with ease. For example, it helps you add, delete texts, images, watermarks, background, forms, and so on. It’s compatible with Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android systems, and you can try it for free. Also, if you want to use an online PDF editor, here are some options for you below. You can choose the right PDF editor based on your need.
TOP Free PDF Editor for Windows
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.TRY IT FREE
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.
Foxit PhantomPDF
Foxit PhantomPDF is one of the top multipurpose PDF editor software tools for Windows that doesn’t just let you edit your PDF files, but also offers great PDF viewing and creation capabilities. Its editing festures incorporate page customization, watermarks, section altering, security choices, and the option to convert your PDFs into different file formats. The software costs $129 for business use and $89 for the Standard version.
Pros:
- Easy-to-use interface
- Seamless PDF editing solutions
- Option to convert PDF files into different file formats
Cons:
- Doesn’t offer the option to convert files to EPUB
- More expensive than some of the other solutions on this list
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.
PDFescape
PDFescape is a reliable, intuitive and portable PDF software that you can use at home and on the go. This PDF software for Windows 10 can help you read your PDFs and digital publications in 3D with unique page-flipping technology. The software allows you to save the document in your preferred format such as Docx, RTF, HTML or PDF.
Pros:
- Option to convert files to different file formats
- Creation and editing solutions in one convenient location
- Easy to install
- Runs seamlessly
Cons:
- Very long installation process and the OCR plug-in is a separate download
- Doesn’t offer enough solutions for users who need to work with and edit PDFs on a regular basis
Nitro Pro 9
Nitro Pro 9 is another comprehensive PDF editor for Windows 10 that allows you to convert and create PDF documents and appreciate an energizing scope of altering arrangements which makes it very simple for you to edit your PDF files. The software presents decent consolidation features as well and makes it possible to edit your pages and content using the software. There’s also an option to connect to Nitro Cloud and enjoy the cloud-based collaboration of your PDF files. However, the software can cost as much as $136.99.
Pros:
- Exciting editing tools and capabilities
- Password protection and signing of PDF documents
- Cloud-based collaboration
Cons:
- Quite expensive
- Not possible to embed audio or video files into your PDF document
PDFpenPro 11
Best PDF editor
SPECIFICATIONS
Cost: $130/yearDeveloper: SmileOnMyMacCompatibility: macOSCategory: PDF editorTODAY’S BEST DEALSVISIT SMILE SOFTWARE
REASONS TO BUY
+Excellent OCR+Extensive set of editing and annotation tools
REASONS TO AVOID
-Editing OCR’d text not always clean
PDFpenPro is a macOS-only PDF editor that’s been available for many years. It’s also available in a less expensive version with fewer editing options. (That version, PDFpen, is available for iOS devices as well as Macs.)
PDFpenPro is a standout for Mac users thanks to its solid features, not the least of which is an excellent OCR engine. With full PDF-document editing, you can make changes to text and replace images in PDF documents. Additionally, you can create PDFs from scratch, create or edit forms, and create tables of contents for your PDF documents.
The application’s OCR tools are rock-solid. When you open an existing PDF file in PDFpenPro, the application automatically detects whether the document you’re working with is a scanned image or already contains the selectable text. If it’s the former, the application asks whether you want it to recognize the text on the page.
Even with large documents topping 400 pages, PDFpenPro handled text recognition seamlessly in a matter of minutes, making the text searchable and editable. That said, editing recognized text is not as easy as editing text in a non-scanned document.
Acrobat Pro DC
Best PDF editor on Windows
SPECIFICATIONS
Cost: $180/yearDeveloper: AdobeCompatibility: macOS, WindowsCategory: PDF editor
REASONS TO BUY
+Full-featured PDF editing and annotation tool+Excellent OCR
REASONS TO AVOID
-Amateurish and cluttered UI feels unfinishedAdvertisement
You’d expect Adobe Acrobat Pro DC to be great because it comes from Adobe, the birthplace of the portable document format. To some extent, this full-service PDF-editing application meets that expectation.
Acrobat Pro DC offers a complete set of PDF-editing tools, and it even lets you edit scanned documents. Acrobat DC’s OCR engine can convert scanned documents to text, which you can then search through and change.
But Acrobat doesn’t offer to convert an entire document the moment you open it. Instead, the app waits for you to begin using the Pro DC’s edit tools, recognizing and converting the pages as you select them for editing. Changing text in an OCR’d document was simple and the results looked great.
It’s also easy to edit images and text in documents you haven’t scanned. I was able to make changes to everything with zero issues.
What I don’t like about Acrobat Pro DC is the interface. It feels like a half-realized demo of what the app could be. Editing tools surround your document, and the UI feels disorganized, offering few options for customization.
Because it’s designed to work on both Macs and PCs, Acrobat Pro DC looks like it belongs in neither environment. This doesn’t make this program bad at what it’s supposed to do; it just makes you feel like you’re working outside your chosen OS.
PDF Candy
Best free PDF editor
SPECIFICATIONS
Cost: FreeDeveloper: Icecream AppsCompatibility: Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera, SafariCategory: OCR, PDF editing, file conversionTODAY’S BEST DEALSVIEW AT PDF CANDY
REASONS TO BUY
+OCR capabilities+Extensive features for converting, creating files+Solid layout tools for PDFs
REASONS TO AVOID
-Limited text editing features
Our new pick for the best free PDF editor is PDF Candy, because it offers something many free options do not — an OCR feature for scanning text. You can’t edit OCR’d text in this web-based PDF editor, but you are able to upload PDF files and extract text and create a text document, RTF file, or Word document in both .doc and .docx formats.
You can choose from 44 tools to create or convert PDF files. It’s also easy to rearrange pages within a document, add watermarks, protect PDF files with passcodes, edit metadata within a PDF file, split or add pages to documents, and extract images. Actual text editing is pretty limited, the trade-off you make to enjoy a fairly feature-rich free PDF editor.
Once you’ve made your edits in PDF Candy, you can download the edited document or upload a new document to work on. PDF Candy keeps all of your documents in a queue so you can download them all at once after you’ve finished making changes to them.
What is PDF editor software?
PDF editors allow users to upload, create, and edit content within PDFs. These tools help users edit text and images within PDFs, rearrange pages, password-protect files, electronically sign documents, and more. Users can also convert other file formats such as Word documents, Excel sheets, HTML, JPG, Gifs, and images to PDFs (and vice versa).
Conclusion
Everybody needs to create PDF documents at some point in their life. If you have no particular need to edit PDF’s then all you really need is Adobe Acrobat, but if you do, then you’ll find that it’s a pretty nice tool. There are several limitations however and the biggest one is that it only allows you to edit PDFs one at a time. Luckily there are several programs on the market which address this issue.
For most of us pdf is an important part of our daily jobs and we need to edit a pdf document on a regular basis. It might be some documents/books you need to read, but also many other files you are getting from your clients.