2022-09-06 10:19:44 • Filed to: Top List of PDF Software • Proven solutions
In the course of trying to manage, view, and edit PDF documents, you may have used a free PDF editor in the past, either online or offline. But have you ever asked yourself the question: "What is the best PDF editor for free?" If you're not a heavy PDF user, you probably won't require a proper PDF editing tool. Nevertheless, we recommend that you find some free PDF editor software online and offline to help get you through the chores of editing documents, filling out forms, applying electronic signatures, and so on. And that's what this article is all about.
If you are in a hurry, just download Wondershare PDFelement - PDF Editor, an easy-to-use PDF editor that allows you to edit text, images, link, watermark, comments and more in PDF files. It can also convert, sign, arrange PDF pages, and do any other editings as you like.
As the world becomes more digitally transformed, it's inevitable that you will come across PDF documents in the course of a normal day - invoices, contracts, eBooks, bank statements, credit card statements, tax forms, insurance forms… these are just some of the examples of the widespread use of PDF. Here are several use cases where you’re not a regular PDF user but still need a robust and free PDF tool to deal with the task at hand:
For the above common PDF usage scenarios, it will be easily realized by using a PDF editor, such as Wondershare PDFelement - PDF Editor, an all-in-one PDF Solution, making you can edit pdf files with ease. For example, it helps you add, and delete texts, images, watermarks, background, forms, and so on. It's compatible with Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android systems, and you can try it for free. Also, if you want to use an online PDF editor, here are some options for you below. You can choose the right PDF editor based on your need.
PDFelement is an outstanding PDF editor for Windows that tops the list. It is a worthy alternative to Adobe Acrobat, which has been widely regarded as the industry standard when it comes to PDF editing. The good thing is that this wonderful PDF editor has a free trial that comes with basic PDF editing solutions. Meanwhile, the paid version offers good value for the cost, as it is affordable when compared to other PDF editors.
It boasts of a lot of incredible features which include annotating, editing, and converting PDFs to other formats, adding signatures, and filling PDF forms. In fact, this best Windows PDF editor gives you a complete solution to edit PDF files like never before. For example, it can help you edit pdf text, add, remove, extract images from PDF, edit and remove watermarks, background, and so on. More importantly, it allows you to enjoy a large cloud storage space (up to 100GB) from Wondershare Document Cloud. Download this simple PDF editor now.
Free version: The free version of PDFelement can edit, annotate, convert, combine and split PDFs. It can combine and convert up to 3 files for free.
Pros
Cons
Upgrade from the free version:
System Support
How to Edit PDF with PDFelement
Download PDFelement on your device and click Edit to open a PDF file that needs to be edited.
Edit text: PDFelement will automatically detect all the editable elements in the file. Navigate to the text that you need to edit and change the existing text. Or click Add Text to add new text.
Edit image: Right-click an image in PDF, you can then have the options to delete, rotate, resize, or replace the image. You can also add a new image.
Edit link, watermark, header&footer: You can also add clickable hyperlinks in PDF, watermark confidential files, add page numbers, and more.
There is no doubt that the Adobe Acrobat PDF editor sets the pace for PDF editing and is widely regarded as the best PDF editing tool for Windows 10; however, it is considered to be overpriced. It is important to note that PDF editing is not just for large businesses but also for individuals and small businesses, and therefore the price is critical. But Adobe is still a great PDF editor with top-class features that helps users convert, edit, and annotate, among other functions.
Free Version: Adobe provides a 7-day free trial of a fully functional version of Acrobat Pro DC. You can edit, convert, annotate PDF for free in 7 days.
Upgrade from free version: It costs $179.88 for one year or $14.99 per month for the subscription.
System Support: This PDF editor can be compatible with all Windows systems.
This is another PDF text editor capable of editing your PDF files in Windows systems. Apart from the editing feature, Phantom PDF can also perform other functions, including merging and splitting PDFs, annotating and sharing PDF files, creating PDF forms, and converting PDFs to other file formats. What's more, you can also add encryption to PDFs, redact PDFs, and sign PDFs.
Free version: Foxit PDF Editor provides you free trial for 14 days. You'll have access to the full functionality of the PDF editor during the 14-day trial.
Upgrade from free version: It comes in three versions: standard, business, and education. The standard version is $159 in a one-time payment.
System Support: It supports all Windows systems as well.
This PDF reader and writer may not be as well-known as software, but it still made it on our list of the best free PDF editor tools for windows. It is also a word processor, which means that you can edit files easily as you would with a word document. AbleWord supports reformating images, adding or editing headers and footers, and tables, among other useful functions. It also includes spell check and other functions.
Free version: This is a completely free PDF editor. Just install and use it.
System Support: It can be used to edit PDFs on Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, and Windows XP.
The Nuance Power PDF editor for Windows can convert, annotate, edit and add encryption to your PDF documents. As another best PDF editor software, this PDF editor also boasts unique features such as voice note recognition technology. This makes it possible to add notes to your PDF files by simply speaking them instead of typing them out.
Free version: Provide 15-day free trial, which give you full access to the PDF editing features of Nuance Power PDF.
Upgrade from free version: The price for Nuance Editor is a bit on the high side, likely due to the voice note recognition technology. The cost starts at $149.
System Support: It is compatible with all Windows platforms.
Many PDF editors offer both Windows and Mac versions, such as Wondershare PDFelement - PDF Editor. You can find that PDFelement for Mac has very similar features as its Windows version and allows you to edit PDF text, images, link, and more on Mac.
You can also find some free PDF editors dedicated to Mac. The built-in tool Preview allows you to annotate and convert PDFs for free, however, you can't edit text with it. Learn more free PDF editors for Mac
There are a ton of options out there when it comes to using a PDF file editor free of charge, but many free versions come with watermarks or require you to register yourself as a user before you can enjoy the full functionality of the platform. Such applications, whether online or installable, can hardly be counted among the best free PDF editors. So, which are the true best PDF editors for free? Let’s have a look.
Developed by Wondershare Technology as a free online PDF editor, HiPDF gives you all the tools you need to stay on top of any PDF workflow. For editing PDF files, it allows you to add texts, images, and shapes. Moreover, it includes a massive collection of PDF utilities for file conversions, encryption, PDF compression, file and page management, OCR, API, and much more. It’s a one-stop online shop for all things PDF. Each function has a dedicated web page where you can upload your PDFs and other documents, process the task, and then download the file with no watermarks or other restrictions.
Upgrade from free version: $6 per month.
Smallpdf is another well-known online PDF solutions platform. It offers an array of PDF tools such as a free PDF editor, file compression, file conversion, etc. but the free version has a lot of important features locked behind the paywall. It's a great service to use when you're in an unfamiliar location and you need to access a PDF tool on a computer different from your own.
Upgrade from free version: $12 per month.
This online PDF service comprises a collection of useful tools for editing, conversion, compression, file and page management, and even PDF repair. While not as popular as SmallPDF or HiPDF, ILovePDF offers a matching array of capabilities to help users handle relatively light document workflows.
Upgrade from free version: $4 per month.
The tools in pdfFiller are laid out very differently from most other online PDF editors, and the focus is clearly on providing the right tools to the right type of user. As such, the company has various custom solutions for industries across healthcare, finance, legal, and so on. The online platform offers several important PDF tools required by business users from these and other industries.
Sejda is a free PDF editor on our list, and this is due to its impressive features. It allows you to edit your PDF files easily. Apart from editing PDFs, it can also add signatures on PDF files, add comments and links on PDFs, create fillable PDF forms, and edit the content in PDF documents.
Upgrade from free version: $7.5 per month.
This is another one of the best free PDF editors in 2021. You do not need to download and install it on your PC to edit PDFs for free. It is a free PDF editor for Windows that allows you to edit PDFs files online easily. There's no need to download a PDF editor, as everything is done online.
Upgrade from free version:$7.99 per month.
The differences between the online PDF editor and the ones that you install on your PC are vast. Since desktop applications can use your local resources in a more efficient way, they're able to perform complex tasks such as OCR or handling large PDF files. Here’s a quick look at the main differences:
There are several reasons why desktop editors are better than online PDF platforms, some of which have been outlined below:
Disadvantages of Online PDF Editors:
Advantages of Editors for Desktops:
Choosing a PDF editor is definitely not a job for the faint-hearted, and it's because there are so many online and offline tools available for PDFs that it's impossible to try them all. In general, HiPDF is one of the top recommendations for a free PDF editor online, but its sister product from Wondershare is an equally powerful contender in the desktop PDF editor category. If you want to narrow it down for a more robust user experience, then a free PDF editor for desktops is the category you want to pursue, and Wondershare PDFelement Pro is exactly what you're looking for.
As one of the top-rated PDF applications available today for Mac and Windows, PDFelement is an award-winning product from one of the most prolific software development companies in the realm of productivity and creativity tools. The current version of PDFelement Pro is the result of several years of experience with earlier iterations and continual development through research, customer feedback, and other important channels. Here are some of the things that set it apart from the crowd of PDF editors on the market today.
When you're on the go, HiPDF can help you no matter which computer you're using, and for your home and office computers, PDFelement Pro comes highly recommended by users and professional reviewers alike.
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