Top 9 PDF Annotators for Windows, Mac and Online

Audrey Goodwin

2022-05-06 15:24:37 • Filed to: Top List of PDF Software • Proven solutions

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With a good PDF annotator, you can add comments, sticky notes, text boxes, highlights, and more to a PDF document. They help you make your presentation interactive. PDF files contain text, but also media files. You can save the annotations in the original file, or you can remove them to restore to the original document. Comments come in handy when you need to review a file and write recommendations for the author to edit. Users do not need specific software to view the marked-up content. Below, we will discuss five options for the best PDF annotator including Wondershare PDFelement - PDF Editor.

Part 1: Top PDF Annotators on Windows

1. PDFelement
2. Nuance Power PDF
3. Adobe Acrobat DC
4. Foxit Phantom PDF
5. Wondershare PDF Reader

1. PDFelement

PDFelement is an Office-inspired program that delivers all the features of the higher-priced Adobe Acrobat. With the familiar Office user interface, the software is easy and simple to use. PDFelement helps you vastly improve the workflow of your company and business.

The best part about PDFelement is that most tasks are one-click away. With a single click, you can convert documents, optimize documents, and add comments to the document. There are more than enough style tools that will cater to your needs.

If you are not willing to pay a fortune for Adobe, or you cannot afford it, PDFelement is a worthy alternative. The customer service of the company does a great job of updating the software regularly. They try to rectify faults customers report.

PDFelement allows you to extract the content directly into CSV format and offers unique edit text options. You can edit the text in line and paragraph mode, depending on what you need. As for annotations, there is a wide range of tools. One of the best parts is you can use comments as defaults, copy and paste comments, and more.

Pros:

• Wide range of features
• Familiar ribbon-style design
• Great and responsive customer service
• Saves you a lot of time

Cons:

• Some users report troubles getting the product registered
• The software can load slowly at times

2. Nuance Power PDF

Nuance Power PDF helps you gain control of PDF workflows by using the software for creating, converting, and editing the document. Faster and affordable, Power PDF is a great alternative to Adobe Acrobat.

You can get the latest incarnation of Power PDF in two versions, Standard and Advanced. The latter gives a full range of enterprise-level functionalities. But even in the Standard version, you get plenty of features.

One of the best features of Power PDF is to directly connect your documents to the Cloud. You can save and access your documents by connecting to Box, Google Drive, Dropbox, and Evernote.

The clean and easy-to-use interface follows the familiar Office layout. The interface is intuitive and customizable. One of the downsides of the software is the lack of online support and mobile version. You can use it only as a desktop application. Another downside is you can only open one PDF at a time.

Pros:

• Connect directly to Box, Drive, and other cloud services
• Optimize documents for mobile display
• Create interactive documents using JavaScript
• Use Dragon Notes to create professional-looking annotations

Cons:

• Limited to only one document at a time
• You cannot combine documents in different formats
• No support for a mobile or online version

3. Adobe Acrobat DC

Adobe is the company that created the PDF file format, and it is still one of the best PDF optimizer. After 20 years, Adobe continues to evolve and develop the PDF. The biggest drawback of Adobe Acrobat DC is the high price. Acrobat is one the pricier end of the spectrum, but it delivers cutting edge technology.

Adobe is the most full-featured PDF software you can find. Any new PDF feature appears first in Adobe, and then in other software products. At times, the wide range of features seems daunting and complex to navigate. Some users say the interface is intuitive and easy-to-use, while others call it complex and overwhelming.

The best feature of Adobe Acrobat is the ability to customize toolbars. You can set them up any way you like. For example, you can hide features you do not need. Another popular feature is the touch-enabled functionality. This allows for easy use on mobile platforms. In terms of converting, Adobe allows you to convert documents to old formats.

Pros:

• Wide range of features
• Customizable toolbar
• You get extremely detailed control over the files

Cons:

• No phone or email support
• Large application can result in performance issues
• Stability problems, the software can crash and freeze
• Too many features, most of which you do not use

4. Foxit Phantom PDF

Foxit PhantomPDF is another multi-feature solution you can use to view, convert, and edit documents. There are many basic and advanced features, including cloud storage integration. Available in three versions, Standard, business, and education.

Some of the unique features include Connect PDF to the cloud for managing and using. You can work with multiple documents, as the software splits them into separate tabs. The interface is Microsoft Office-inspired, but it will take you some time to get used to it.

Another unique feature is the font matching. You can use the same font as the original document in your text. Security features include an electronic signing, flexible redaction tool, and much more.

Pros:

• Ability to use many PDF files at once
• Robust security features
• Supports up to 41 languages
• Integrate multimedia files

Cons:

• Limited trial in terms of functionality
• OCR requires a separate download
• Does not convert to ePub format

5. Wondershare PDF Reader

Many offline tools that are available across the Internet come for a certain price. Wondershare PDF Reader is the first offline tool that provides a great load of tools to the users for free. With no price tags on it, users can annotate their documents freely. From basic annotation tools to making shapes across the documents, Wondershare PDF Reader provides quite much to its users.

Pros:

• The tool provides exceptional PDF management tools for free.
• Users can add their signatures for free across the PDF documents.

Cons:

• This tool does not offer a variety of editing tools equivalent to other offline PDF editors and annotators.

Part 2: Free PDF Annotators on Mac

Mac users are in a similar and desperate need of editing their PDF documents with the appropriate tool. For this, the availability of a free PDF annotator Mac is quite important. This part provides users with the best options that are available in the online market.

1. Wondershare PDFelement
2. Preview

1. Wondershare PDFelement

Wondershare PDFelement for Mac realizes the need for versatility across the system. The tool supports a wide range of devices, which includes Mac. The Mac version of Wondershare PDFelement comes with a simple interface and a wide range of features. While providing users with all accessible editing tools, the user can also look out to PDFelement for Mac as a PDF annotator.

The tool ensures a comprehensive experience of annotation tools that helps Mac users mark all important parts of the document with comments, shapes, stamps, and signatures.

Pros:

• It covers an explicit set of annotating and other PDF management tools as compared to any other platform.
• The cost of the platform is quite reasonable as compared to other tools.

Cons

• The tool does not have a smooth learning curve for beginners.

2. Preview

The built-in PDF editor for Mac is the other optimal option that can be realized among the best options available in the market. Preview features some of the simplest options of annotating documents with ease. Being a tool accessible to all Mac users, this tool ensures that it provides all annotation options under the reach of users.

Users can look into the basic comments for annotating documents. Along with that, they can get hold of different shapes across the tool with ease. Preview allows its users to add signatures across the PDFs if required.

Pros:

• There are no hidden charges across this PDF annotator and editor.
• Users can make significant changes across their documents without the need for any prior knowledge of the tool.

Cons

• The tools available across Preview are quite limited.

Part 3: PDF Annotators Free Online

Along with Windows and Mac solutions, there are users who prefer working on online tools for making quick changes across their PDF without going into the hassle of offline PDF annotator. This part introduces users to the optimal online options in PDF annotation.

1. Wondershare Document Cloud
2. LightPDF

1. Wondershare Document Cloud

Wondershare, as stated before, understands the versatility of its user base. While providing different device solutions, it has also featured Wondershare Document Cloud as its online solution. The tool provides quick annotation tools to work with. While allowing simple highlights across existing text, the user is also able to add shapes and lines across the PDF. For annotating text, it can be underlined or strikethrough easily.

Pros:

• Unlike other PDF editors, Document Cloud provides a wide variety of features across its online platform for free.
• The tool allows users to add different annotations while ensuring the quality of the document after annotating.

Cons:

• The user is not provided with the option of diversity in the selection of tools across Document Cloud.

2. LightPDF

Users always prefer using online tools which are easy and user-friendly. LightPDF is among such options that can provide explicit PDF annotation features under a simple and effective environment. Users can edit and annotate PDFs for free, which includes highlighting and marking text across the files. Along with that, LightPDF also allows users to comment across the document so that it can be sent to the respective department or individual, with proper analysis of the document.

Pros:

• There are no viruses or advertisements present across the online PDF annotator.
• Users can easily save and share the document across different platforms, as desired.

Cons:

• The tool does not come with a wide section of annotation tools, which restricts the workability of the users.

Part 4: Limitations of Online PDF Annotators

Online PDF annotators are quite common among users; however, these platforms are associated with their problems. Although an online platform sounds good to the user, these tools are generally limited in features as compared to their offline counterparts. Along with that, where people are free from downloading software across their devices, the use of PDF annotator online free is restricted from a good internet connection.

The use of online annotators for professional purposes does not sound good. The features offered across such tools are restricted with quality editing, which results in rough edits throughout the document. This surely cannot be sent across any professional platform.

Free Download or Buy PDFelement right now!

Free Download or Buy PDFelement right now!

Buy PDFelement right now!

Buy PDFelement right now!

Audrey Goodwin

chief Editor