Top 10 Best Free PDF Editor: Unleash Your Creativity!
18 February 2024 Senior Product Manager
Summary
Discover the top 10 free PDF editing software for Windows and Mac. Learn about their features, pros, and cons to enhance your PDF editing experience.
In 1991, Adobe developed and launched the PDF file format, which is designed to support cross-platform use and transmission. PDF can contain text, images, embedded fonts, hyperlinks, videos, interactive buttons and forms, etc., and its integration and security are relatively high. The layout of the PDF file is the same as the original document, retaining the original format, color, font and image of the file, which is convenient for proofreading before printing, and also solves the problems of incompatibility of various software and font replacement. At the same time, PDF documents are not easy to be changed or modified, and compared with other document formats, it can better protect the security of file data.
How to view PDF files
Because PDF is a standard format, many applications can open PDF files, such as web browsers, Adobe Acrobat Reader, third-party applications, and even word processing applications.
1. The easiest way to view PDF: use a web browser.
Whether it is Windows or Mac operating system, you can directly open PDF files on any browser. If you do not have a PDF reader installed on your computer, the browser will be the default program to open the PDF, and you can open it by double-clicking the file. Of course, you can also right-click the PDF file and choose your favorite browser from the “Open with” to open it.
2. Better function support: Acrobat Reader.
Acrobat Reader is the official software for reading PDF files and is available as a free download. The software provides features for viewing, printing and annotating PDF files. Acrobat Reader is available for Windows, macOS, iOS and Android operating systems.
In addition, if you want to edit PDF files, you can only use professional PDF editing software. The most famous PDF editing software is Acrobat DC, but its price is relatively expensive, and it is not suitable for people with low budget. So, here are ten open-source, free PDF editing software.
The following will also introduce you an easy-to-use PDF editing software——Renee PDF Aide . This software is the best alternative to Adobe Acrobat DC, which can edit, encrypt, decrypt and convert PDF files. The software has a simple interface and rich functions, and supports conversion of multiple file formats. You can add multiple PDF files with one click, and this software supports batch conversion and editing of multiple PDF files. Its conversion rate is up to 80 pages/minute, which can quickly increase your productivity.
Renee PDF Aide - Powerful PDF Editing Tool
Easy to use Friendly to computer beginners
Multifunctional Encrypt/decrypt/split/merge/add watermark
Safe Protect PDF with AES256 algorithms
Quick Edit/convert dozens of PDF files in batch
Compatible Convert PDF to Excel/PowerPoint/Text, etc.
Easy Use with simple steps
Functional Encrypt/decrypt/split/merge/watermark
Safe Protect PDF with AES256 algorithms
Renee PDF Aide - Powerful PDF Editing Tool
Easy to use Friendly to computer beginners
Multifunctional Encrypt/decrypt/split/merge/add watermark
Safe Protect PDF with AES256 algorithms
Quick Edit/convert dozens of PDF files in batch
Compatible Convert PDF to Excel/PowerPoint/Text, etc.
Easy Use with simple steps
Functional Encrypt/decrypt/split/merge/watermark
Safe Protect PDF with AES256 algorithms
Functional Overview:
- PDF file conversion, you can convert it to Word, Excel , PowerPoint, EPUB , Text, HTML, Image and other formats, and supports batch conversion.
- Various PDF editing functions, such as splitting, merging, rotating, adding watermark, etc.
- Provide image scanning special technology OCR, which can convert PDF scans and pictures into editable text format.
- Repair damaged or unopenable PDF files.
- It can optimize the PDF compression of large files and shorten the time to open PDF files.
- Encryption/decryption functions. Increase the security of PDFs by password protecting them, or crack password-protected PDF files.
- Support converting pictures to PDF (support BMP/PNG/JPG/GIF/TIFF).
advantage:
- Try it for free.
- PDF editing features are diverse.
- Can encrypt/decrypt PDF files.
- It has OCR technology to recognize content in scanned PDFs and pictures.
- Its simple design provides a user-friendly interface for both beginners and professionals.
- Simple operation and easy to use.
shortcoming:
- Mac OS is not supported.
- The text content of the PDF cannot be edited directly.
Hot Topic - ADsRenee PDF Aide - Powerful PDF Editing Tool
Easy to use Friendly to computer beginners
Multifunctional Encrypt/decrypt/split/merge/add watermark
Safe Protect PDF with AES256 algorithms
Quick Edit/convert dozens of PDF files in batch
Compatible Convert PDF to Excel/PowerPoint/Text, etc.
Easy Use with simple steps
Functional Encrypt/decrypt/split/merge/watermark
Safe Protect PDF with AES256 algorithms
Free TrialFree TrialNow 800 people have obtained the free version! PDF-XChange editor is a free PDF editing software, through which you can easily edit, modify, add or delete text, and even move, resize or delete pictures. Plus, you can extract or delete individual pages from PDF files. In addition to the PDF editing function, the PDF-XChange editor can also be used to convert PDF file formats, such as Word, PowerPoint and TXT formats. While converting files, you can also use the OCR feature to make image/scanned text into a searchable and editable format.
Functional Overview:
- Edit existing PDF content, including highlighting, removing marks, underlining and inserting text, etc.
- File conversion, including OCR recognition function.
- Create, print and email documents.
- Safe encryption PDF function.
- Add comments to the document.
advantage:
- An intuitive interface makes it easy to use.
- Files open quickly.
- OCR recognition function, supports direct import of scanned PDF documents.
- Digital signatures are allowed.
shortcoming:
- If you use advanced tools, a watermark will be added to the document.
- Only Windows systems are supported.
- Upgrades are available for purchase.
Able Word is a powerful word processor that can read and write most popular document formats including PDF. With AbleWord, you can edit PDFs as easily as Word documents. AbleWord also has more powerful editing tools, such as spell checking tools, inserting custom tables, image formatting or print preview functions, etc.
Functional Overview:
- PDF file conversion, you can save the file as doc, docx, txt, rtf, html or pdf format.
- Word processing features such as text search and replace, character indentation, bullets, paragraph alignment, inserting tables.
advantage:
- Easy to use and free.
- It also supports some editing features like Microsoft Word.
- Simple download and install.
- Built-in spell checker.
shortcoming:
- Editing features are limited.
- Only Windows system is supported.
Inkscape is an open source and free vector graphics software that is versatile and flexible and includes PDF editing capabilities. When you need to edit or delete text or pictures in PDF, you can also consider using Inkscape software.
Functional Overview:
- Vector graphics editing.
- PDF picture edit or delete function.
- Text editing tool.
advantage:
- Simple and easy to use.
- PDF images and graphics can be edited.
- Images can be inserted and deleted in PDF.
shortcoming:
- PDF forms cannot be edited or shapes added.
- Since it's not a professional PDF editor, it offers limited functionality.
- Cannot create new PDF files.
IceCream PDF Split & Merge It is a simple PDF editing software, mainly used for splitting and merging PDF documents. The software is very easy to operate and supports more than 50 languages.
Functional Overview:
- PDF splitting.
- PDF merge.
- Encrypt PDF files.
advantage:
- Simple and easy to use.
- It can split or merge PDF files in batches, and the conversion speed is fast.
shortcoming:
- It is not possible to edit the text or image content of the PDF document.
- Only limited editing capabilities are provided.
The Preview app is built into all versions of the macOS operating system, and it’s not only capable of working with PDF files, it also offers a host of other image editing features. Currently, Mac Preview can support browsing and editing of major file formats such as TIFF, PNG, JPEG, GIF, BMP, and PDF. The Markup Tools in Preview include text selection, drawing tools, text tools, signatures, and tools for adding comments. When all you need is simple PDF editing, try the Preview app first.
Functional Overview:
- add notes.
- Merge, rotate PDF files and add, delete or move PDF pages.
- Encrypt PDF files.
- Complete and sign the PDF form.
- Image format conversion.
advantage:
- Mac computer built-in application, no installation required.
- Contains image editing tools.
- Digital signatures can be quickly identified.
shortcoming:
- Only available for Mac computers.
- There is no OCR text recognition function.
- There are no advanced features, and PDF editing is limited.
Skim It is a free and open source PDF reader. Of course, you can also use it to edit PDF files. Its function is similar to “Preview”. The software provides markup tools to highlight important PDF content, and you can also add and edit annotations, crop PDF files, and more.
Functional Overview:
- View the PDF file.
- Add and edit notes.
- Highlight text.
advantage:
- Simple and easy to use.
- Contains a variety of commonly used PDF editing functions.
shortcoming:The functions on the operation interface are not intuitive enough.
PDF Nomad It is a multifunctional PDF editing software that supports editing images and text in PDF. It also supports you to rearrange, merge or split PDF pages, etc. In addition, the software provides OCR text recognition function, and even files can be directly transferred from the scanner to the software for recognition and conversion.
Functional Overview:
- OCR recognition function.
- Create and fill out PDF forms.
- Add annotations, watermarks.
- Various PDF editing functions, such as merging, splitting, rotating, etc.
advantage:
- PDF editing functions are relatively complete.
- It features OCR text recognition to make editing scanned PDFs simple.
- Comments can be quickly added or edited.
- Files open very fast, even large files.
shortcoming:There are fewer features in the free version of the software, while the professional version costs $75, which is slightly more expensive than other software.
PDFpenPro As a multifunctional PDF editing software, you can add signatures, text and pictures to PDF documents. The software also supports converting PDF format, which can convert files to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint formats. PDFpenPro has an advanced function of OCR text recognition to recognize scanned PDF documents. Plus, you can save the PDF to iCloud or Dropbox so you can access the document anytime.
Functional Overview:
- PDF format conversion function, can be converted into Word, Excel or PowerPoint.
- A variety of PDF editing tools, such as text modification, picture deletion, adding annotations, page management, etc.
- Make interactive PDF forms for Mac and Windows.
- PDF files can be saved in iCloud or Dropbox.
advantage:
- Provides various editing and marking functions.
- OCR text recognition function.
- It can meet the basic needs of PDF editing and is easy to operate.
shortcoming:
- Compared with professional PDF editing software, its editing function is relatively weak
- There is a higher fee to upgrade to a premium version.
- Despite constant rollout of fix updates, PDFpen still crashes occasionally.
Adobe Acrobat Reader The software is a PDF reader for Windows and Mac that provides the ability to view, annotate and sign PDFs. This software can only provide simple PDF editing functions, and you need to upgrade to Adobe Acrobat DC for more editing functions.
Functional Overview:
- PDF reader.
- Simple PDF editing functions such as adding notes, highlighting text, adding text annotations and strikethrough.
advantage:
- Safe and free.
- The editing interface is simple.
shortcoming:
- The editing function is simple and few, and there is no advanced editing function.
- Advanced functions need to be upgraded and purchased, and the cost is high.
When dealing with multiple PDF files, in order to improve work efficiency, you need to learn how to use PDF editing software for quick editing. The following will take Renee PDF Aide as an example to describe the most commonly used PDF editing operations.
Renee PDF Aide - Powerful PDF Editing Tool
Easy to use Friendly to computer beginners
Multifunctional Encrypt/decrypt/split/merge/add watermark
Safe Protect PDF with AES256 algorithms
Quick Edit/convert dozens of PDF files in batch
Compatible Convert PDF to Excel/PowerPoint/Text, etc.
Easy Use with simple steps
Functional Encrypt/decrypt/split/merge/watermark
Safe Protect PDF with AES256 algorithms
1. Split PDF files
Splitting a PDF file is to split a multi-page PDF into multiple small PDF files according to requirements; or to remove redundant pages and only split out specified pages.
The specific operation steps are as follows:
① After opening the software, click “PDF Toolset”.
② Click “Split” > “Add File” to import the PDF file.
③ Then, select one of the split modes. There are two split modes: split into multiple smaller files, retain specified pages (remove unnecessary).
④ Finally, click “Convert” to export the file.
2. Merge PDF files
Merge PDF files, as the name suggests, is to merge multiple PDF files into one PDF. Before merging, you can choose to specify pages to be merged or to merge all pages directly.
The specific operation steps are as follows:
① After opening the software, click “PDF Toolset” > “Merge” > “Add File” to import the PDF file.
② In the drop-down box on the right of “Pages to Merge”, select “All” or “Use Generator”. After clicking “Use Generator”, you can manually select the pages to merge, or use the various automatic merge options provided by the software.
③ Finally, click “Convert” to export the file.
3. Rotate PDF files
If you find that the angle is incorrect after opening the PDF file, you can also adjust it through this software. Adjust the display angle of the PDF file, the angle options are 90, 180, 270.
The specific operation steps are as follows:
① After opening the software, click “PDF Toolset” > “Rotate” > “Add File” to import the PDF file.
② Select the angle to be rotated in “Angle of Rotation (Clockwise)” or “Quick Select Angle”.
③ Finally, click “Convert” to export the file.
4. Add watermark to PDF
In order to protect the PDF file from being stolen and used by others, and to protect the ownership of the file, you can add a personal watermark to the PDF. In Renee PDF Aide, you can add foreground or background watermarks to PDF files, and you can choose images or PDF files for watermarks.
The specific operation steps are as follows:
① After opening the software, click “PDF Toolset” > “Watermark” to import the PDF file.
② You can choose “Add watermark (cover surface)” and “Add background”.
③ Finally, click “Convert”.
5. Repair abnormal PDF files
Improper handling can most likely lead to various issues with PDF files such as failing to open or being corrupted. The “Repair” function of Renee PDF Aide is mainly aimed at the above two problems, helping you to fix them quickly.
The specific operation steps are as follows:
① After opening the software, click “PDF Toolset” > “Repair” > “Add File” to import the PDF file.
② Select the recovery mode, “Mode 1″ or “Mode 2″.
● Mode 1: Provide high-efficiency damage repair, suitable for customers who require fast repair.
● Mode 2: Repair files more accurately and deeply, and the repair time will be longer.
③ Click “Convert” to export the repaired file.
6. Optimize PDF files
Sometimes when you encounter a large PDF file, it will take a relatively long time to open the file. To save time, you can use the “Optimize” function to compress large PDF files so that they can be opened quickly.
The specific operation steps are as follows:
① After opening the software, click “PDF Toolset” > “Optimize” > “Add File” to import the PDF file.
② Select optimization options:
● Online page loading speed (linearize): This optimization option is suitable for webpage PDFs, and the loading will be smoother after optimization.
● Compress images: Compress images in PDF files.
● Compress data stream: compress pdf file data stream. (PDF file capacity becomes smaller)
③ Finally, click “Convert”.
7. Encrypt/decrypt PDF files
In the encrypted PDF file option, you can add password protection to the file to ensure that it will not be directly opened and modified by a third party. In Renee PDF Aide, you can set the relevant editing and printing permissions of the encrypted PDF file, such as whether to allow printing, modification, text and image extraction, annotation, form filling and signature. If you forget the password of the PDF file, you can quickly decrypt it by clicking the “Decrypt PDF” option.
Steps to encrypt PDF:
① After opening the software, click “PDF Toolset” > “Encryption & Decryption” > “Add File” to import the PDF file.
② Select “Encrypt PDF File”. Then please enter the encryption password and set the editing and printing permissions of the file.
③ Finally click “Convert” to export PDF.
Steps to decrypt PDF:
① Select “Decrypt PDF File”.
② Enter a possible password.
③ Finally, click “Convert” to export the PDF.
Download Renee PDF Aide for free and try to convert and edit PDF files!
Hot Topic - ADsRenee PDF Aide - Powerful PDF Editing Tool
Easy to use Friendly to computer beginners
Multifunctional Encrypt/decrypt/split/merge/add watermark
Safe Protect PDF with AES256 algorithms
Quick Edit/convert dozens of PDF files in batch
Compatible Convert PDF to Excel/PowerPoint/Text, etc.
Easy Use with simple steps
Functional Encrypt/decrypt/split/merge/watermark
Safe Protect PDF with AES256 algorithms
Free TrialFree TrialNow 800 people have obtained the free version!Relate Links :
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