Finest PDF editors 2025: Premium, funds, and free choices

[ad_1]

PDF recordsdata are ubiquitous on this cross-platform world, making it potential to view and share paperwork throughout a spread of gadgets. Whereas merely viewing or commenting on a PDF may be achieved with free software program, there are occasions whenever you would possibly want to have interaction with a PDF doc extra extensively, resembling making edits, reorganizing a file, or working with others to make adjustments. That’s the place a a full-featured PDF editor is available in.

The most effective PDF editors permits you to edit, create, alter, and convert PDF recordsdata identical to you'll with some other textual content doc. Adobe Acrobat is probably the most well-known choice for most individuals. Its repute is definitely deserved given its glorious function set and general utility. But it surely’s additionally fairly costly.

Fortunately, there’s a complete vary of respectable and even nice third-party PDF editors that present cheaper options to Adobe’s premier product.

PROMOTION

EaseUS PDF Editor – Edit, Convert, Compress & Shield PDFs

Combine PDF maker, PDF editor, PDF converter, and PDF reader in a single full pack with all of the fundamentals you want. The clear interface simplifies your PDF work to edit, convert, remark, annotate, merge, break up, background, web page, watermark, signal PDFs, or fill kinds. Your PDF workloads are down by batch processing effectively.

Now 25% OFF Unique Code: PCWORLD25

Free Obtain

Our picks beneath cowl the gamut of PDF modifying wants and budgets.

Why you need to belief us: At PCWorld, we’ve been testing PC {hardware} and software program for over 40 years. Our analysis course of is at all times hands-on and thorough, considering real-world utilization wants. We don’t ever advocate one thing we wouldn’t be comfy utilizing ourselves. To study extra about our standards for PDF editors scroll to the underside of this text.

Adobe Acrobat Professional – Finest PDF editor general

<img decoding="async" data-wp-init="callbacks.setButtonStyles" data-wp-on-async--click="actions.showLightbox" data-wp-on-async--load="callbacks.setButtonStyles" data-wp-on-async-window--resize="callbacks.setButtonStyles" width="2400" height="1600" class="product-chart-item__image" alt="Adobe Acrobat Pro - Best PDF editor overall" src="https://b2c-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Adobe-Acrobat-Review-Hero.jpg?quality=50&strip=all" loading="lazy" sizes="2400"/> Execs

Simply navigable tabbed interface

Complete PDF modifying options

Streamlined sharing function makes it simpler to fill paperwork and get signatures Cons

Wealthy function set may be overwhelming for brand new customers

Worth When Reviewed: $19.90/mo I $239.88/yr

Adobe Acrobat Professional stays the trade normal for good cause. Its wealthy mixture of creation, modifying, reviewing, and safety features are mimicked by the perfect various choices, however we really feel Acrobat nonetheless does it finest. Its latest interface redesign makes it a lot simpler to navigate by its sturdy toolset than the nested menus of yore, and its cloud subscription choice places its superior options inside attain of extra people and small companies. (See the way it compares to the Adobe Acrobat Customary.)

Although lots of its options can be found in different, cheaper PDF editors, Acrobat continues to be the editor in opposition to which all others are judged. And, as of this yr, it’s additionally the primary PDF editor that we all know of to include AI into the function combine. See our article on “5 methods Adobe Acrobat’s AI Assistant offers you a productiveness edge.”

Learn our full Acrobat Professional DC evaluation Foxit PDF Editor 13 – Finest PDF editor runner-up

<img decoding="async" data-wp-init="callbacks.setButtonStyles" data-wp-on-async--click="actions.showLightbox" data-wp-on-async--load="callbacks.setButtonStyles" data-wp-on-async-window--resize="callbacks.setButtonStyles" width="3885" height="3024" class="product-chart-item__image" alt="Foxit PDF Editor 13 - Best PDF editor runner-up" src="https://b2c-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Foxit-PDF-editor.jpg?quality=50&strip=all" loading="lazy" sizes="3885"/> Execs

Multi-platform

Enterprise-ready capabilities

AI integration helps with doc modifying Cons

Will be costly relying on product license

Worth When Reviewed: PDF Editor: $129.99/yr or $10.99/mo; PDF Editor+: $159.99/yr or $13.99/mo

Foxit PDF Editor hits all the suitable notes for a premium PDF editor and may even tackle the formidable Adobe Acrobat. It’s filled with options which can be positive to please energy customers—all of the requisite content material modifying instruments; evaluation and markup options; kind fill and signing assist; and permissions and password safety.

The Foxit PDF Editor+ plan for companies ($159.99 per yr vs. $129.99 for people) provides eSign, AI-assisted Good redaction, and a lift to 150GB of cloud storage, over the 20GB for the usual plan.

Foxit helps tons of file codecs, and including hyperlinks, pictures, and recordsdata to a PDF is trouble-free.

Certainly, ease-of-use is one in every of Foxit’s nice strengths. This system makes use of a Microsoft Workplace-style ribbon interface which teams duties in a well-known and intuitive interface, making for a seamless integration together with your workflow. It additionally gives ChatGPT integration so you'll be able to simply get assist together with your paperwork from an AI assistant.

Sure, it’s priced on the upper aspect for a PDF editor, however with all it has going for it, Foxit PDF Editor greater than earns its maintain. Plus, you'll be able to strive it out at no cost for seven days to see if you happen to prefer it earlier than making a dedication. Should you’re on the lookout for an Acrobat alternative, you gained’t discover many higher.

Learn our full Foxit PDF Editor evaluation EaseUS PDF Editor – Finest low-cost PDF editor

<img decoding="async" data-wp-init="callbacks.setButtonStyles" data-wp-on-async--click="actions.showLightbox" data-wp-on-async--load="callbacks.setButtonStyles" data-wp-on-async-window--resize="callbacks.setButtonStyles" width="4032" height="3024" class="product-chart-item__image" alt="EaseUS PDF Editor - Best cheap PDF editor" src="https://b2c-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/EaseUS-PDF.jpg?quality=50&strip=all" loading="lazy" sizes="4032"/> Execs

Full set of modifying instruments

Annotation choices allow straightforward collaboration

Simple interface Cons

Home windows solely

Wants subscription to take away utilization limits

Worth When Reviewed: Free I $29.95/mo I $49.95/yr I $79.95/lifetime

EaseUS PDF Editor may not have the title recognition of among the different editors on this record, but it surely’s greater than able to holding its personal within the crowded PDF editor market. It gives the entire important instruments for managing PDF recordsdata with none of the flowery or hard-to-understand options. It permits customers to leap proper in to their toolset and get straight to modifying.

Whereas EaseUS’s options are nice, they're additionally fairly normal fare amongst PDF editors. What makes it stand out among the many pack is its reasonably priced worth—$29.95 a month, $49.95 yearly, or $79.95 for a lifetime license. It’s an amazing worth for many who repeatedly edit PDFs and don’t need to pay out the nostril.

EaseUS additionally gives a totally useful free model (with embedded watermarks in your edited paperwork) so customers can take it for a spin to see if it meets their wants earlier than they decide to paying any cash.

Learn our full EaseUS PDF Editor evaluation PDF Sweet – Finest free PDF editor

<img decoding="async" data-wp-init="callbacks.setButtonStyles" data-wp-on-async--click="actions.showLightbox" data-wp-on-async--load="callbacks.setButtonStyles" data-wp-on-async-window--resize="callbacks.setButtonStyles" width="4032" height="3024" class="product-chart-item__image" alt="PDF Candy - Best free PDF editor" src="https://b2c-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/PDF-candy.jpg?quality=50&strip=all" loading="lazy" sizes="4032"/> Execs

Many superior options

OCR functionality

Very straightforward to make use of Cons

No Mac assist

Free trial solely gives fundamental options

Worth When Reviewed: Free

PDF Sweet is the uncommon free PDF editor that gives loads of the options you’d usually should pay for. We’re speaking scanning, a number of file-conversion choices, and OCR performance. A whopping 44 instruments in all. That is what makes PDF Sweet stand out among the many multitude of lesser free PDF editors.

After all, being free, there are compromises. On this case, the interface is just a little disjointed, with the device icons missing any discernible organizing precept. However when you get conversant in the structure, you’re off and operating.

There’s additionally the very fact of being restricted to 1 PDF job per hour with the free model. This can be a non-issue in case your wants are modest and include the occasional PDF modifying job. In order for you unfettered entry, it's worthwhile to shell out $6 per thirty days, or $48 per yr.

Learn our full PDF Sweet evaluation PDF Skilled – Finest PDF editor for Mac

<img decoding="async" data-wp-init="callbacks.setButtonStyles" data-wp-on-async--click="actions.showLightbox" data-wp-on-async--load="callbacks.setButtonStyles" data-wp-on-async-window--resize="callbacks.setButtonStyles" width="1800" height="1013" class="product-chart-item__image" alt="PDF Expert - Best PDF editor for Mac" src="https://b2c-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Best-Free-PDF-Editor-PDF-Expert-iPAD.jpg?quality=50&strip=all" loading="lazy" sizes="1800"/> Execs

Syncs throughout Mac, iPhone, and iPad

Complete modifying and annotation instruments

Easy, intuitive interface Cons

Requires annual cost

Lifetime license allows use on Mac solely

Worth When Reviewed: Free 7-day trial, then $79.99 yearly

PDF Skilled is a wonderful editor that matches seamlessly into the Apple ecosystem, making it our decide for Macs, iPads, and iPhone customers.

Whereas macOS does embrace a PDF editor in its Preview app, iOS gadgets don’t have a local PDF editor and PDF Skilled fills that hole properly. It has a clear and intuitive interface and gives a plethora of easy-to-use modifying choices resembling web page administration, changing scanned recordsdata into editable paperwork, and conversion to different file codecs, amongst different issues. The pricing plan can be significantly cheaper than a lot of the different prime picks, which means this can be a no-brainer for Apple customers.

Learn our full PDF Skilled (iOS) evaluation Apple Preview PDF editor – Finest free PDF editor for Mac

<img decoding="async" data-wp-init="callbacks.setButtonStyles" data-wp-on-async--click="actions.showLightbox" data-wp-on-async--load="callbacks.setButtonStyles" data-wp-on-async-window--resize="callbacks.setButtonStyles" width="1920" height="1080" class="product-chart-item__image" alt="Apple Preview PDF editor - Best free PDF editor for Mac" src="https://b2c-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Best-Free-PDF-Editor-PREVIEW-MAC.jpg?quality=50&strip=all" loading="lazy" sizes="1920"/> Execs

Full set of PDF markup instruments

Helps kind filling

PDFs may be protected with passwords, encryption, and permission controls Cons

Restricted native sharing choices

Solely obtainable to Mac customers

Worth When Reviewed: Constructed into macOS

Mac customers needn’t look past the macOS for his or her PDF modifying wants, since there's a full set of PDF markup instruments already obtainable at their disposal in Apple Preview. It has the chops to deal with most private and enterprise PDF modifying wants, together with encryption, password safety, and permissions for recordsdata.

Apple Preview’s PDF options and capabilities are spectacular and needs to be all you want for most typical modifying duties. The disadvantage, in fact, is that solely Mac customers can benefit from them.

Learn our full Apple Preview PDF editor evaluation pdfFiller – Finest on-line PDF editor

<img decoding="async" data-wp-init="callbacks.setButtonStyles" data-wp-on-async--click="actions.showLightbox" data-wp-on-async--load="callbacks.setButtonStyles" data-wp-on-async-window--resize="callbacks.setButtonStyles" width="2848" height="1522" class="product-chart-item__image" alt="pdfFiller - Best online PDF editor" src="https://b2c-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/pdfFiller-main.jpg?quality=50&strip=all" loading="lazy" sizes="2848"/> Execs

Intuitive web-based interface

Strong safety choices

Plenty of business-ready capabilities Cons

Enterprise options gained’t be wanted by some customers

Requires annual dedication to get finest worth

Worth When Reviewed: Fundamental: $8 per thirty days; Plus: $12 per thirty days; Premium: $15 per thirty days. These costs require an annual dedication. Costs begin at $20 a month with no dedication.

Finest Costs At present:

pdfFiller month-to-month (on annual contract)

$8

pdfFiller is a browser-based PDF editor that enables you do to simply about every little thing PDF-related—modifying, securing, sharing, creating, and storing PDF recordsdata—all from its intuitive and easy net interface. Its design is much like a desktop app, with the toolbar throughout the highest, and doc thumbnails alongside the aspect, so it’s very straightforward to pick out the web page you need to work on and carry out the specified operate, be it including, deleting, or copying/pasting textual content; altering font fashion, measurement, and coloration; and so forth. A typical set of markup instruments can be obtainable. It has a surprisingly deep set of options for each private and enterprise use. For example the Premium plan gives a formidable authorized doc library, in addition to SignNow assist.

Whereas extremely versatile, not all of pdfFiller’s superior options will go well with everybody. Thankfully, there are three subscription tiers, which provides customers a strategy to meet their modifying wants with out paying further for pointless options: Fundamental for $8/mo; Plus for $12/mo; Premium for $15/mo with an annual dedication. Month-to-month choices are additionally obtainable, however at a better value, in fact.

Learn our full pdfFiller evaluation

Different PDF editor critiques

Swifdoo PDF for Home windows: This full-featured, low-priced Acrobat various ought to serve most customers nicely, with most every little thing you’d want for modifying PDFs.

MobiPDF: Price range patrons will discover lots to love about PDF Further. It gives good basic-to-intermediate PDF performance that can please each informal {and professional} customers, for a fraction of the price of pinnacle program Adobe Acrobat Professional.

PDF24 Creator: This can be a succesful free editor that is useful for informal use, however if you happen to want a program for extra common modifying duties, PDF24 Creator has annoyances that can hinder its helpfulness.

PDF-XChange Editor: One other full-featured PDF editor that can fulfill most modifying wants for an inexpensive worth. It additionally gives a decent free model, if you happen to can settle for its watermarks.

Kofax Energy PDF 5: This can be a shut various to Adobe Acrobat Professional with important and superior modifying instruments and many assist assets, making it appropriate for outdated fingers and people new to PDF modifying.

A phrase about on-line PDF editors

Why spend a piece of change on a desktop editor when free on-line PDF editors abound? The straightforward reply is since you get what you pay for. Usually, free on-line editors will allow you to add textual content and feedback, merge and break up paperwork, and convert recordsdata to and from PDF. With uncommon exception, nevertheless, they gained’t allow you to edit present textual content and lots of have file-size and page-volume restrictions. And loads of them will watermark your edited doc. For these causes, net PDF editors are finest reserved for easy, quick modifying jobs. Name in these huge canine for something extra demanding.

What to search for in a PDF editor

PDF editors are available in quite a lot of flavors, providing various function units—from fundamental performance to power-user instruments. It’s essential to know what options finest match your workflow earlier than you decide to a PDF editor.

Create, convert, and export PDFs

Probably the most elementary operate of a PDF editor is to make PDFs, both from scratch, scanned arduous copies, or by changing digital paperwork. An excellent PDF editor ought to have the ability to remodel quite a lot of file sorts—from Microsoft Workplace codecs to pictures to HTML—and achieve this seamlessly, preserving the unique formatting. It must also embrace OCR know-how to make the PDF textual content searchable and editable. Likewise, a great PDF editor should have the ability to export PDFs into different editable codecs resembling Microsoft Phrase and PowerPoint, HTML, or plain textual content, sustaining the unique recordsdata hyperlinks, pictures, and different parts.

Content material modifying

One other little bit of magic that PDF editors unlock is the flexibility to change textual content; insert, resize, and transfer pictures; and reorganize pages within the PDF. An excellent one will carry out these duties as simply as in a textual content doc or slide deck, permitting in-line modifying, dragging-and dropping graphics, and including or eradicating hyperlinks.

Evaluate and annotate

An excellent PDF editor must also allow you to or anybody else utilizing it add feedback and different annotations to PDF recordsdata throughout evaluation. It ought to have instruments to mark up each textual content paperwork and graphic-heavy recordsdata like webpages. Widespread choices embrace sticky notes, callout packing containers, highlighting, freehand drawing instruments, and stamps with messages like “accredited,” “revised,” and “confidential.”

Safety

All companies take care of paperwork containing delicate knowledge. Search for a PDF editor that features safety features that permit entry for approved eyes solely. Good choices will normally provide a number of ranges of safety, together with password safety, permissions setting, and content material redaction, which “blacks out” chosen textual content and pictures. Most PDF editors may even provide a number of methods to electronically signal paperwork.

Cellular assist

Whereas deep PDF modifying is finest achieved on a desktop, it’s good to have the ability to evaluation and annotate recordsdata whenever you’re out and about. Whereas PDFs can usually be reviewed in any PDF reader or editor, no matter which one they have been created in, take into account on the lookout for an editor that has a devoted cell app, is optimized for cell gadgets, or permits cloud entry to options by a cell browser.

One of many nice issues a couple of PDF is that it may be learn and edited in any PDF program no matter which one it was created in. So past the options outlined right here, let your private preferences information you in making your determination.

FAQ 1. What's the distinction between a PDF doc and a PDF kind?

Whereas there are a variety of various kinds of PDF file codecs, all of them fall underneath the umbrella time period of PDF paperwork. A PDF kind is a kind of PDF doc that has editable kind fields a consumer can fill out. Sometimes, components of the doc are static and may’t be modified in a PDF kind, resembling questions in a survey or directions about filling out the shape. In a PDF kind, the content material fields a consumer fills out are open to modifying and may provide a listing of potential reply choices or may be written in freely.

2. Are PDF paperwork and Phrase recordsdata totally different?

Sure. They're two fully totally different doc codecs. When you can export from one file format to a different, they don't seem to be the identical. Phrase file codecs are normally used for phrase processing, modifying, and making adjustments to textual content. PDF paperwork alternatively, are most frequently utilized for viewing, sharing, and printing. Moreover, Phrase recordsdata are learn and write and comprise some model of the “.doc” file format. Whereas PDF recordsdata are usually read-only and comprise the “.pdf” file format.

3. Are you able to shield PDF paperwork from being edited by different individuals?

Sure. When you've got a PDF doc that you simply don’t need anybody else to edit, you'll be able to shield the file. You are able to do this by opening the file in Acrobat, for example, and clicking Instruments > Shield. Then you might have just a few choices as as to if you need to merely prohibit modifying with a password, or if you wish to encrypt the file for additional security. When you select the way you need to shield the PDF doc, you'll be able to set a password and save.

4. Are you able to merge PDFs with a free PDF editor?

As a matter of reality, many free PDF editors assist you to merge two or extra PDFs into one doc. Such is the case with our prime free decide PDF Sweet. Open up the PDF editor software or web site in your browser and seek for the Merge choice. It would then ask you so as to add the recordsdata of all PDFs you want to merge. As soon as the recordsdata have been added, prepare the web page order and alignment earlier than continuing with the merge. Afterwards, all your beforehand PDF recordsdata will likely be merged into one new PDF doc.

5. Does Google have a free PDF editor?

Sure and no. Google doesn’t present a delegated free PDF editor itself, however there are third-party Chrome extensions that you need to use to assist get the job achieved. Alternatively, you may make use of Google Drive to edit a PDF doc. Merely add the doc onto your Google Drive after which choose the file and right-click and choose Open with > Google Docs. The file will likely be opened as an editable Google Docs textual content doc. Then simply make your edits and whenever you’re completed click on File > Obtain >PDF Doc to revert it again to a PDF file.

This methodology is a fast and straightforward strategy to edit a easy PDF doc, however watch out as Google Docs can run into formatting points in case your unique doc has advanced visible formatting resembling tables and graphs. On this case, it's best to make use of a delegated free or premium PDF editor.