PDFs are highly convenient documents that help you store crucial data and share it easily with your business colleagues, supervisors, and team members. They also don’t take up too much space, so you don’t have to worry about purging files from your hard disk or internal storage.
Gone are the days when you needed to be physically present to fill out a form. With the current technological advancements, you can perform this process online from the comfort of your couch or over lunch at a restaurant. This article will explain the steps you need to follow to fill PDF forms online and offline using various tools.
In this article
Part 1. Top 5 PDF Form Fillers Online
There are so many online PDF form-filling tools that you might wonder which platform suits your needs. We are here to make your work easier by breaking down the top five PDF form fillers online so you can decide which will work best for you to fill out PDF online.
In this section of the article, we will look at the G2 ratings on each editing tool, find out what the editor has to say about it, discuss the pros and cons and discover the pricing plans.
1.HiPDF Online PDF Form Filler
HiPDF is an excellent form-filling PDF editor. Let’s see what everyone who has used this platform has to say about it and whether it is worth a trial.
Ratings from G2 |
5.0 |
| Editor’s verdict | An all-inclusive online PDF solution. |
| Pricing plan | Since HiPDF hasn’t provided pricing information, it would be best to reach out to their sales team or service providers. |
| Pros |
Converts documents to PDFs quickly and effectively Ensures your documents are safe. Top-tier PDF formats There is a free version Doesn’t have too many ads that can disrupt your workflow |
| Cons | Sometimes it is slow |
Stick around to learn how to fill PDF form online with HiPDF.
Step 1 Go to the HiPDF homepage and upload the form you want to fill out. Alternatively, you can drop the files in the required area.
Step 2 Select "Add Text" to fill in all the required fields.
Step 3 Click on the blue "Save" icon to download your edited form.
2. Try PDFFiller To Fill PDF Form Online
The second editing tool on our list is PDFFiller, an online PDF editing platform. The table below has summarized everything you need to know about PDFFiller.
Ratings from G2 |
4.6 |
| Editor’s verdict | A comprehensive, feature-rich platform that can transform your static PDF into an interactive experience. |
| Pricing plan | Basic package - $8, Premium package - $15, Airslate Business cloud package - $50, Basic For Enterprise package - $96 per user per year, Premium for Enterprise- $180 per user per year |
| Pros |
User-friendly Quality support Reasonable price Continual improvements on the software |
| Cons |
Inability to erase fields on the forms The program doesn’t integrate with Smartsheets No automatic downloads |
Below is a step-by-step guide on how to use PDFFiller to fill PDFs online.
Step 1 Launch the online platform and click on "Add New" to upload the form you want to fill out. Alternatively, you can drag and drop the file onto the indicated region.
Step 2 Double-click on the document to access the editor.
Step 3 Use the features in the "Editor" tab to add signatures, texts, dates, shapes, or images.
Step 4 Click "Done" to save your online PDF form after you are happy with the outcome.
3.XODO Online PDF Form Filler
The next platform we will discuss is XODO online PDF form filler, yet another online tool you could use to fill pdf online. Let’s see what people have to say about this tool.
Ratings from G2 |
4.3 |
| Editor’s verdict | XODO provides a better view of PDFs. |
| Pricing plan | You would have to reach out to their service providers to obtain pricing information. |
| Pros |
User-friendly It comes with a stylus for annotation Fast word search Visually appealing color modes Ability to track how many pages you have scanned |
| Cons |
OCR readers could be improved on. The assumption is that the PDF page is an image; therefore, it doesn’t edit the original text. The free version is not feature-rich. |
Let’s see this detailed guide on how to use XODO to fill out a PDF form online.
Step 1 Launch the platform and click Select "File" to upload the PDF you want to fill.
Step 2 Use the tools to fill in the required fields in your PDF.
Step 3 Click on "Apply Changes" to save your file and download it.
4. Fill PDF Forms Online With DocFly
We couldn’t forget to mention DocFly, one of the best online PDF editing tools for all your form-filling needs. Take a look at the table below to learn more about this online platform.
Ratings from G2 |
4.2 |
| Editor’s verdict | An all-in-one solution for all your PDF editing needs. |
| Pricing plan | Monthly package - $12.99 | Bi-annual package - $7.99 | Annual package - $4.99 |
| Pros |
An effective and efficient tool You can run this software on any device It has an excellent template feature |
| Cons |
It is not feature-rich. Large files are difficult to edit. The software is expensive. |
Stay tuned to learn how to fill out an online PDF form with DocFly.
Step 1 Navigate to the homepage and upload the document you want to fill in. You can also drag and drop the file.
Step 2 Click on "Editor" and wait for a drop-down menu with numerous icons to appear. Use the "Text" feature to fill in the required fields.
Step 3 Select the green "Save" icon to download your edited document.
5. PDFescape – A Great Tool To Fill Out PDF Forms Online
The last PDF form filler online tool on our list is PDFescape, an easy and lightweight solution to help you fill forms quickly. Below is a table that summarizes crucial information about PDFescape.
Ratings from G2 |
4.1 |
| Editor’s verdict | A free and open-source online PDF reader, editor, and form-filler. |
| Pricing plan | To obtain the pricing plan, please get in touch with PDFescape’s service providers. |
| Pros |
No need to download the app The base version is both feature-rich and free It is easy to download a task once you edit it It doesn’t need too much RAM to function. |
| Cons |
Occurrence of harsh lines when you use the drawing feature. Adding a text chain is complex. |
Here is a detailed guide on how to use PDFescape to fill out PDF forms.
Step 1 Go to the homepage and select "Upload PDF to PDFescape." Please note that the document must be less than 100 pages and 10 MB.
Step 2 Click on the first icon on the left to reveal a drop-down menu. Select "Text" to fill in the required fields in the form.
Step 3 Click on the blue save icon to download your filled-out form.
Part 2. Fill PDF Forms Online vs. Offline
Filing forms online is definitely the cheaper option. All you need is an Internet connection, and you are good to go!
The average amount you can expect to pay for an online tool is around $20 per month, which is quite a steal! Even after spending between $500 and $1500 for an offline desktop tool, there isn’t much guarantee that it will be any good.
Online tools are also much faster than offline tools. Software for desktop version takes much longer to install, wasting precious time you would have used to fill several forms.
Another perk of using online tools is that you can access your files via any gadget, such as a laptop or a tablet. Provided the device has access to the Internet, you don’t have to worry about not getting your work done on time. However, there are limitations to using online tools to fill out a PDF form online.
Online tools won’t allow you to edit your text directly. Offline tools also tend to be more feature-rich, granting you access to rich media.
In addition, if you are a large corporation, you wouldn’t want your sensitive data floating around in a public online tool when you could get an offline tool.
Part 3. Fill PDF Forms Offline With PDFelement
After ample research, you might discover that an offline tool will better cater to your needs than an online tool. One of the best offline editing tools to help you fill PDF forms with ease is Wondershare PDFelement. You can use this platform to create a fillable form or upload your own document to fill and download later.
Essential features we guarantee you will enjoy include recognizable forms, the addition of fillable fields, and filling forms.Wondershare PDFelement - PDF Editor also has a PDF form template feature that allows you to browse various designs till you find one that tickles your fancy.
To add the cherry onto the proverbial cake, Wondershare PDFelement has an easy share feature that allows you to send the filled PDF form to your contacts or email list.
Please note that there are two types of forms you can fill out. The first type is an interactive form, which allows you to click on the fields directly and fill them in without using additional features. On the other hand, non-interactive forms contain simple lines and text that don’t allow you to fill them directly.
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to use Wondershare PDFelement to fill in interactive PDF forms.
Step 1 Launch the platform and upload the PDF you want to fill.
Step 2 The platform will indicate that the document contains a fillable field. Click on the fillable fields and type the desired text.
Step 3 Select "File," then "Save" to save the form after you have filled all the fields.
Here is a guide on how to fill out non-interactive forms.
Step 1 After you upload the document you want to fill, click on the "Form" tab.
Step 2 Click "Recognize Form" to recognize the blanks and tables automatically and turn the fields into fillable.
Step 3 You can also create interactive form fields manually. Use the icons in the tab to either insert text, create a date field, add a signature, create a list box field or create a text box field.
Step 4 Save your work by clicking on "File," then "Save."
Apart from the PDF form features, PDFelement has other powerful features to simplify your PDF tasks. Watch the video to learn more.
Conclusion
Filling forms with PDF editing tools has never been easier than it is now. As you have seen, many tools are at your disposal, meaning you are spoilt for choice. We hope this article has provided valuable insights to help you choose the best PDF-filling tool to meet your needs.