PDF editor: Our software recommendations!

In today’s world of multiple devices and platforms, PDFs have become an essential file format. While free PDF readers can handle reviewing and commenting on these files, editing them often requires a premium PDF editor. While Adobe Acrobat has long been the go-to option, it can be expensive for individuals and small businesses. As a result, there are now many alternatives PDF editor software available, we have curated a list of the very best, including the top overall pick to the best budget option for PDF editor.

What is PDF editor software?

PDF Editor Software is a useful software that helps to create, edit, convert and share PDF documents. Unlike editable text files such as Microsoft Word documents, PDFs are images of documents. PDF editors allow users to transform PDFs into editable documents, which makes it easier to create and edit PDFs quickly. PDF editor software is helpful for many professionals, especially those who frequently work with contracts, invoices, online forms, resumes and reports. It can also help users save time by converting paper records into digital ones. Salespeople, realtors, recruiters, and HR employees are among the users who may benefit from PDF editors.

Are PDFs editable?

PDFs have become a widely accepted and versatile file format, capable of being viewed and edited on almost any device or platform, from Windows and Mac operating systems to mobile devices running Android or iOS. Due to their adaptability, PDFs have become popular for business agreements, official forms, resumes, and more, leading both individuals and businesses to seek out the best PDF editing options and functionality available. There are various types of PDF editor software with different features. Some all-in-one solutions allow users to edit text and images, rearrange pages, merge multiple PDF files, split files, protect files with passwords, sign forms electronically, convert files, generate invoices, compress files, and more. Others have limited functionality, such as splitting, emerging or compressing PDFs.

PDF Editing software – Which PDF editor is the best?

1. Adobe Acrobat Pro DC – Best Overall PDF Editor

Adobe Acrobat Pro DC remains the industry’s standard choice for a reason. Its comprehensive blend of creation, editing, reviewing, and security features set the benchmark for all other alternatives options to follow, yet Acrobat continues to excel in every aspect. Its latest interface redesign significantly improves its already robust toolset by eliminating the complex nested menus of the past. Furthermore, its cloud subscription option provides access to its advanced features, making them more accessible to individuals and small businesses. Although several of its features are available in other more affordable PDF editors, Adobe Acrobat remains the gold standard for all other editors to aspire to.

Full features:

1. Edit
a. Edit PDF – Modify texts and images in your PDF
b. Compress PDF – Compress your PDF to make it easier to share
c. Recognize Text – Allow scanned text to be editable through OCR
d. Add Comments – Add notes, highlights and other annotations.
e. Combine Files – Combine multiple files into one PDF
f. Split PDF – Split a PDF into multiple files

2. Create
a. Convert to PDF (Word, PowerPoint & Excel) – Convert almost any file into a PDF
b. JPG & HTML to PDF – Convert web pages, JPG, PNG and other images type to PDF
c. Print to PDF – Convert any file into a PDF through the Print dialog box

3. Export
a. PDF to Word, PowerPoint & Excel – Export almost any file into a pdf
b. PDF to JPG – Export PDFs to JPG, PNG or TIFF files.

4. Sign
a. Request Signatures – Request signatures from others
b. Prepare a form – Convert existing forms and scans into fillable pdf documents
c. Fill & Sign – Fill in and sign forms electronically

5. Organise
a. Delete & Reorder Pages – Eliminate unwanted pages and rearrange the order of pages within your PDF documents
b. Rotate & Crop Pages – Adjust the orientation of pages in your PDF files and crop your pages to your preferences
c. Extract & Insert PDF Pages – Create a new PDF document by selectively extracting pages from the original file & Insert a new PDF onto your original files.

6. Share & Protect
a. Share – Share a file to other users, allowing them to view and comment on it
b. Send for Comments – Collect feedback from numerous people on a single file, in a fast and efficient manner
c. Protect & Unlock PDF – Protect your PDF content from unauthorised copying, editing, or printing and eliminate the password protection from locked PDFs.
d. Compare Files – Compare two PDF files, enabling you to promptly detect and highlight any differences between them

To read more about the differences between Adobe Acrobat Pro and Standard, click here.

2. Nitro PDF Pro

Nitro PDF PRo is a premium PDF editor that can give Adobe Acrobat a run for its money. It is filled with an extensive range of features that are sure to impress power users, including content editing tools, review and markup features, form fill and signing support, and advanced security options like password protection, data redaction, and permissions. The software can handle over 300 file formats, and adding hyperlink, images, and files to a PDF is an easy task for Nitro. Although the software is priced higher than many other PDF editors, its extensive feature set justifies the cost. If you’re looking to replace Adobe Acrobat, Nitro PDF Pro is one of the best options available.

Full Features:

1. Create PDFs & Combine Files
a. Generate PDFs from a wide range of the file formats, including documents, images, and more.
b. Drag and drop to quickly create and merge PDFs
c. Edit and rearrange pages within a PDF with ease
d. Seamlessly integrate with popular cloud storage solutions including, Office 365, SharePoint 365, OneDrive for Business, Dropbox & Google Drive

2. Convert Files to & from PDF
a. Convert Word, PowerPoint, and Excel files into PDFs that can be edited
b. Convert PDFs into editable Word, PowerPoint and Excel files
c. Convert scanned documents into searchable PDFs that can be edited
d. Turn web pages to interactive PDFs with embedded links
e. Extract text and images from PDF files
f. Convert PDFs to image formats such as JPEG, TIFF or PNG

3. Edit PDF files
a. Add, modify, and adjust text and images within your PDFs
b. Customize fonts, layouts, and pages to meet your needs
c. Optimize, compress and restore your PDF files to their optimal condition
d. Visually rotate images and pages to enhance the readability of your documents
e. Add bookmarks, links, headers, numberings, and watermarks to your PDFs
f. Utilize OCR (Optical Character Recognition) technology to create searchable and editable PDFs from scanned documents
g. Copy and paste content between different applications with ease
h. Smart Alignment Tool to ensure accurate and consistent alignment of text and images
i. Automatic detection and correction of scanned images for accurate representation

4. Apply & Request electronic signatures
a. Request e-signature that are secure and legally binding
b. Utilize lightweight e-signature workflows that prioritise speed and ease of use
c. Apply your own e-signature to documents
d. Digitally sign and ratify documents for added security
e. Track and confirm e-signature in real-time with notifications and analytics
f. Optimize signing for smartphones and tablets with easy mobile signing
g. Utilize e-signature templates for frequently used forms to streamline the process
h. Add documents and templates that your entire team can access with ease

5. Keep PDFs Secure
a. Secure your PDFs with password and permission restrictions to control access
b. Permanently remove sensitive information from PDFs with the redaction feature
c. Create Protected PDF files that limit copying and editing
d. Utilize Microsoft Rights Management Services (RMS) 2.0 for enhanced PDf security

6. Review, Mark Up & Annotate PDFs
a. Add emphasis to text with highlighting, strikethroughs, and underlines using annotation tools
b. Use a variety of annotation tools such ash sticky notes, text boxes, call-outs, pencil, and shapes to create annotations
c. Attach entire files as annotations to provide additional context
d. Efficiently sort, manage, filter and summarise comments
e. Check for spelling errors
f. Compare PDF Files side by side to identify differences
g. Align shapes with Smart Guidelines to ensure proper content arrangement
h. Advanced search functionality enables precise and contextual results

7. User-Friendly Interface

8. Easy IT Development & Management

3. SwiftDoo PDF – Best Budget Option

SwiftDoo may not have the same brand recognition of its competitors, but it’s a powerful PDF editor that can hold its own in a crowded market. SwiftDoo offers essential tools for managing PDF files without any unnecessary or confusing features, allowing users to jump right into the editing process with just what they need. While SwiftDoo’s features are standard among PDF editors, its affordable price is what sets it apart as a great value for those who regularly edit PDFs. SwiftDoo also provides a generous trial period for users to test the software before committing to a purchase.

1. Edit PDF as easily as Word
a. Effortlessly edit PDF text – Modify text attributes such as font size, style, and color with ease.
b. Crop & Select PDF pages – By setting a custom margin or dragging a bounding box handle, you can crop PDF page effortlessly
c. Insert Images and Links to PDFs – Link actions that allow you to link to a new page in the same document, an external website, or a specified file. You can insert images into PDF and modify their transparency.

2. Compress PDF
a. PDF Compression – Compressing PDFs, make them smaller, which then bring two benefits; faster transfer speeds and storage efficiency, allowing you to store more files.
b. Retain Data Integrity and Reduce File Size – Identifies and eliminates statistical redundancy to reduce overall file size. It targets only redundant data, ensuring that no information is lost during compression.

3. Convert PDF
a. Convert PDFs into editable MS Office Documents – Convert PDF files into Word, Excel, Powerpoint documents and vice versa with just a few clicks
b. Export PDFs to image file formats – Quickly export PDF files to JPG, PNG, BMP, and TIF file formats. It can also convert PDF to CAD and vice versa.
c. Perform batch conversion tasks – Add multiple files at the same time and perform batch conversion tasks for efficiency and time savings.

4. Merge PDF
a. Quickly merge multiple PDF documents – Merge multiple PDF files into a single document. With just a few clicks, users can effortlessly combine selected pages from each PDF file into one seamless document
b. Split PDF pages – Split large PDF files into smaller, more manageable files. Users can easily specify which pages are extracted into a new PDF document, giving them complete control over the output.

5. Electronic Signature
a. From Image – Upload an image file of your signature
b. From typing – Enter your name in the designated area
c. From handwriting – Use your mouse to draw your signature within the provided box

6. Password Protect & Guard PDF Files
a. Protect your PDF – Dual password protection ensures secured PDF documents. A user password is necessary to access secured files, while a permission password restricts specific actions like printing, editing, and annotating. This ensures that your files remain secure from unauthorised access.

PDF Editor without subscription

Free PDF editors are unlikely to include all of the functionality found in paid versions. However, most free editors will allow you to make modest changes to PDF files, such as adding and altering text, images, and shapes, drawing freehand, and taking notes. You can also use subscription free editors to make new PDFs and convert existing PDFs to other file formats.
One of the best free choices is PDF24 Creator. It includes many essential features like PDF merger, PDF compression, and PDF conversion to various formats. You can even optimise a PDF for the web or add OCR to it to convert scanned images to text. This editor can be used unlimitedly but only available for Windows.

Which PDF Editor is best for Mac?

For Apple devices either the PDF Expert or the Apple Preview PDF editor are the most recommended software. PDF Expert is an excellent editor that integrates well with the Apple ecosystem, making it a great choice for Mac, iPad, and iPhone users. It provides an easy-to-use interface and a variety of editing features, including page management, transforming scanned files into editable documents, and conversion to different file formats. The pricing plan is also significantly less expensive than the majority of the other brands’ products, making this an excellent pick for Apple owners.

On the other hand, the Apple Preview PDF editor is an already built-in tool on macOS systems. Meaning that Mac users don’t need to look outside of macOS for PDF editing tools, as Apple Preview already includes a large variety of PDF markup tools. It can handle most of your private and professional PDF editing needs, including encryption, password security, and file permission controls. Apple Preview’s PDF features and capabilities are outstanding, and it should be sufficient for the majority of typical editing chores.

Online PDF editors

Nowadays, there are numerous PDF editors that are available online. These editors are free to use to a certain extent. Usually, free versions require registration, have usage limits or include watermark on your edited documents. However, there are some decent editors available online such as PDF Candy or Sejda. PDF Candy is great if you want a free online PDF editor and a means to edit PDF files in your browser. It is clean, easy to navigate, and it’s packed with features. Including 47 distinct tools for editing, changing, converting PDF files, and many more. Nevertheless, the free version has a one-task-per-hour limit. Sejda is another PDF editor program available online. It has a wide range of tools including editing, form creation, converting, and security features. The free version is limited for documents up to 200 pages, size of 50 Mb, and 3 tasks per hour.

Which PDF Editors for signatures?

Often, a PDF editor is only needed to sign a document. This was previously a premium function available only on subscription based desktop editors, but more free PDF editors now allow users to create and add electronic signatures to documents. The editors referred in this blog post are all recommended for this cause, since the signature tool is included.

Edit PDF with Android

More and more people are using mobile smartphones to share and edit documents. Before, only computer users could create and modify PDF files. Yet, the possibility of creating and editing PDF files on an Android phone or tablet has increased. Being able to edit PDF documents on your Android device is foremost useful and convenient. If you wish to manage your PDF files on an Android phone or tablet, the best PDF editing app may be required.

Adobe Acrobat Reader is a reliable PDF editor app for Android that should not be overlooked. It is one of the best and most trustworthy PDF editing apps available for download. The app enables you to immediately edit text and graphics for PDF, fill out forms, and sign them. Other than these functions, you can easily view, print, read, and annotate PDF documents. Aside from that, the app allows you to securely save and manage files via cloud platforms including OneDrive, Dropbox, and Google Drive.

Another reliable app available for Android devices is SmallPDF. It is a comprehensive all-in-one Android program for reading and editing PDF and other office files. This tool allows you to edit PDF files, compress PDF files, convert PDF to Word, convert PPT to PDF, convert Word to PDF, convert JPG to PDF, convert Excel to PDF, rotate a PDF, remove pages from PDF files, merge PDF files, and make a scanned PDF.