PDF Editors Why You Need a Free PDF Editor
PDF editors are indispensable tools for anyone who works with PDF files. Whether it’s part of your job, you manage PDFs personally, or you have a one-off editing task, a top editor program is an essential piece of software. While full-featured editors like Adobe’s Acrobat Pro DC offer all the bells and whistles, a free PDF editor can provide most of the key tools without the added cost. Plus, many free PDF editors are browser-based, eliminating platform and device compatibility issues.
This article reviews the best free PDF editors available, comparing features, and highlighting their strengths to help you choose the right tool for your needs. We'll explore options like PDF Candy, PDFgear, Sejda PDF Editor, and Apple Preview for Mac users.
Top Picks Our for Free PDF Editors
Here's a rundown of our top picks for the best free PDF editors, along with their pros and cons:
PDF Candy: The best overall free PDF editor, offering a wide range of features like scanning, multiple file conversions, and OCR functionality. However, the free version limits users to one task per hour.
PDFgear: A sophisticated free PDF editor with a full set of features, including editing, annotation, conversion, merge, split, compression, password protection, e-sign, and an AI co-pilot function. It offers a polished interface and is completely free.
Sejda PDF editor: A versatile option available online and as a desktop application, performing dozens of PDF tasks, including editing and form creation. There are daily usage limits without a subscription.
Apple Preview PDF editor: The best free PDF editor for Mac users, offering a full set of PDF markup tools and support for form filling. Available exclusively to Mac users.
Key Features What to Look for in a Free PDF Editor
When choosing a free PDF editor, consider these key features:
Content editing: The ability to add, modify, and reorganize text, insert images, and rearrange pages within the PDF document.
Create, convert, and export PDFs: The capability to create PDF files from various formats (Word, JPG, HTML) and export PDFs to editable formats (Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, etc.) while preserving original formatting.
Review and annotate: Tools to add comments, sticky notes, shapes, and drawings to PDF files.
Signatures: The option to create and add electronic signatures to documents, simplifying document signing processes.
“Free PDF editors offer essential tools without the price tag of premium software, making them a great choice for various PDF tasks.
Editorial Team
Explore More
Dive deeper with these features:
Feature Comparison Table
A detailed table comparing features across all mentioned PDF editors.
User Reviews Section
Read user reviews and ratings for each PDF editor.
Video Tutorials
Learn how to use each PDF editor with easy-to-follow video guides.
FAQ Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is there a difference between a PDF document and a PDF form? Yes. A PDF form is a type of PDF document that has editable form fields a user can fill out.
2. Are Word files and PDF documents different? Yes. They are two entirely different document formats. Word files are used for processing, editing, and making changes to text. PDF documents are for viewing, sharing, and printing documents.
3. Can you stop other people from editing your PDF documents? Yes. You can protect a PDF by opening the file in Acrobat, clicking Tools > Protect. Then you can restrict editing with a password, or encrypt the file.
4. Can I merge PDFs with a free PDF editor? Yes, many free PDF editors, like PDF Candy, allow you to merge PDFs into one document. Open the editor, choose the merge option, add files, and arrange.
5. Does Google have a free PDF editor? Not directly. However, you can use third-party Chrome extensions or Google Drive. Upload to Google Drive, right-click and open with Google Docs, then edit and download as a PDF. Be mindful of formatting issues.