The Best Free PDF Editor in 2023 To 2024
The Best Free PDF Editor in 2023 To 2024 | Free PDF Editor
The Best Free PDF Editor makes it easy and simple to Edit PDF files, without paying for an expensive subscription service.
Since their introduction in the 90s, PDF or Portable Document Format files have become an easy way to create and share large documents. That's because their creator, Adobe co-founder Dr. John Warnock, originally came up with the idea for PDF, so that anyone could create a file that had the same formatting and appearance, no matter what. computer or operating system. But it was opened again.
While these days you can open and read PDF files directly from your browser, you'll need a PDF editor if you want to make changes, convert them to other file formats, or sign them. Fortunately, there are still many excellent free PDF editors out there if you don't find yourself working with PDF often enough to invest in a paid solution. However, if you end up working on more PDFs, many of the options on this list also have paid tiers that include additional features and allow you to edit an unlimited number of documents.
For those who want to view PDFs without opening a browser, these are the best free PDF readers and if you need to sign additional documents that are not in PDF format, we have highlighted the best eSign software solutions.
Whether you want to edit PDFs online or on your desktop computer, these are the best free PDF editors that can take the hassle out of making changes to PDF files.
Top 5 Best Free PDF Editors in 2023 To 2024
1. Smallpdf - Best Free PDF Editor
2. Sejda - Best Online PDF Editor
3. PDF24 Creator - Best Overall Free PDF Editor
4. PDF Candy - Best Free PDF Editor Tools
5. Apple Preview - Best Free PDF Editor For Mac Users
1. Smallpdf - Best Free PDF Editor
PROS
- Cloud-based
- A powerful range of tools
- Allows you to convert PDFs to other formats
CONS
- Can only process two documents per day
Smallpdf was created in Switzerland in 2013 as a tool for compressing and editing PDFs. One thing that sets this free PDF editor apart from the competition is that it is available in 24 different languages and is used in 195 countries around the world.
The main focus of SmallPDF is to provide an excellent user experience which makes its online PDF editor very easy to use. On its website, you can upload a PDF and start creating annotations and taking notes. You can also add images, text, and shapes to PDFs. Once you have made the necessary changes, SmallPDF allows you to compress a PDF or export it as a Word, Excel, or PowerPoint file.
If you want even more functionality, you can upgrade to the paid version of Smallpdf. While the web version is a bit cheaper, you can pay a little more to take advantage of the desktop version so you can work offline. The company also offers a 7-day free trial so you can test out its paid features for yourself before deciding whether or not to upgrade.
2. Sejda - Best Online PDF Editor
PROS
- No account required
- Simple and easy-to-use interface
- Uploaded files are deleted after five hours
CONS
- File size limitations
- Still in beta
Like PDF Candy and SmallPDF, Sejda is another free online PDF editor. What sets it apart from other similar offerings is its security features as all files uploaded to the service are erased from its servers after just five hours. This means you can use it to work on sensitive documents without worrying about your data being leaked or stolen.
Sejda also offers a desktop version with the biggest difference being that unlike in the cloud, all processing is handled locally. Whichever free version you choose, Sejda limits you to working on a maximum of three tasks per day, one file at a time and files cannot be larger than 50MB or 200 pages.
In addition to being able to edit the text in a PDF, you can add new text as well as images, including shapes and drawings. Sejda lets you add annotations, create forms, whiteout sections of a document, and more. For those who decide to upgrade, Sejda is available as a weekly, monthly or annual subscription, although there are discounts for larger teams with multiple users.
3. PDF24 Creator - Best Overall Free PDF Editor
PROS
- Completely free
- Fast and light
- Lots of features for every need
CONS
- Occasionally a bit clunky
PDF24Creator's website may be a bit out of date, but that's because this free PDF editor and converter is from 2006. It is built by a small team based in Berlin and is a project of Geek Software.
Apart from being surprisingly feature-rich for a free PDF editor, PDF24 Creator is a very small program that can run smoothly on older systems. In terms of features, it allows you to create new PDFs, merge existing ones, compress PDFs, convert PDFs to other formats, extract specific pages to create a new document, and optimize PDFs for the web. PDF24 Creator also lets you apply OCR to PDF so that you can convert scanned images to text.
PDF24 Creator has a minimalist user interface and it's clear that the program has been designed around speed first. All the important features are easy to find and when you first open the software, you are presented with a grid of editing options.
4. PDF Candy - Best Free PDF Editor Tools
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PROS
- Loads of features
- OCR capabilities
- Windows version available
CONS
- No Mac or mobile apps
- The free version only allows for one task each hour
PDF Candy can be used as an online PDF editor, although a desktop version for Windows is also available. The free version has a lot more functionality but you can upgrade to a paid plan to remove the limit of being able to complete only one task per hour. PDF Candy also offers a lifetime plan if you want to skip adding another monthly subscription to your budget.
The web-based editor lets you convert PDF to various formats, merge PDF, compress PDF, extract text and images, resize pages, crop PDF, add watermarks and add a list of buttons. All present with different features. In total, there are 44 different tools to help you create, edit, and convert PDFs.
Once you have made the necessary changes to a PDF, you can download the file directly to your computer or save it to your Google Drive or Dropbox cloud storage. You can also edit multiple PDF files and when you go this route, PDF Candy queues them up so you can download everything at once.
5. Apple Preview - Best Free PDF Editor For Mac Users
PROS
- Included with all Macs
- Image-editing tools included
- Can annotate and add signatures to PDFs
CONS
- Only available for macOS
- Lacks OCR
Unlike Microsoft Windows, Apple includes a built-in PDF editor for free with macOS as Apple Preview and it's surprisingly capable. In addition to letting you work with PDF files, it also includes several image-editing features.
When it comes to PDFs, Apple Preview lets you fill out forms and add signatures using its markup tools. However, you can also combine PDF documents, move pages from PDF to PDF, add text, highlight, and more. Apple's free PDF editor allows you to password-protect PDF files containing sensitive information.
Apple Preview may be a simple free PDF editor but it gets the job done and the best part is that it comes pre-installed on every MacBook, iMac, Mac Mini, and the rest of the company's Mac devices. Unfortunately, it's not available for iPhones or iPads, so you'll want to edit your PDF on the desktop before sharing your finished documents on mobile.
Which Are The Best Free PDF Editors?
If you need a free PDF editor then your best option is PDF Candy. It has many of the features you'd normally pay for, including excellent text scanning and several file-conversion features.
PDFescape is second only to PDF Candy, which offers great annotation and form-creation and editing tools for its free service. (There are also two payment tiers).
Mac users need to look no further than the PDF-editing tools that come with their MacBook or iMac. Preview is built into macOS and includes both image-editing and annotation tools. This should be your first stop if you only need to attach an electronic signature to a PDF.
We've also tested FormSwift, a great option if you work with forms, and SmallPDF, a basic program that excels at converting files. Like Preview, Smallpdf is good for adding electronic signatures to documents.
How to Choose the Best Free PDF Editor for You?
Choosing the best free PDF editor is like choosing the paid version of a document editor - identify exactly what you want to do with the PDF file and go for the program that offers you the features that you need to complete it. Will give
It can be as simple as deciding whether you need a PDF editor that handles document creation and design or whether you just want something that can leave comments and suggestions on a digital file.
Because it's free software, you should pay attention to any limits placed on the free tier. Are there any restrictions on the size of the documents you can edit or are some devices locked behind a paywall? If the answer to the latter question is yes, find out if it's worth paying for that particular facility.
If you're editing your PDF from a computer, check to see if you have built-in software that can handle the task. For example, Mac users may not realize how good Preview is at annotating documents and adding signatures to PDFs. You can save a lot of time finding the best free PDF editor if it's already under your nose.
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