Best Free PDF Editors of 2023

Dawn Allcot
damircudic / iStock.com
damircudic / iStock.com

PDFs, or Portable Document Format files, look the same on any device. They offer consistency and security that Word files, JPGs or Google Docs do not, because they can’t be easily edited or modified. Using a PDF instead of a Word document can prevent accidental changes or deletions.

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PDFs also make it easy to combine words and images without worrying about format changes depending on the device or program being used to view the file. Like a printed sheet of paper, a PDF looks exactly the same no matter how or where you view it.

While PDFs provide greater security than Word documents, Google Docs or spreadsheets, it is possible to edit a PDF. You just need the right software or app.

Best Free PDF Editors of 2023

There are many PDF editors on the market, including the top-rated Adobe Acrobat Standard and Acrobat Pro, which provide capabilities to convert PDFs, edit them, add e-signatures, and protect the PDF from unauthorized alterations.

Acrobat Standard costs $12.99 per month, while Pro costs $19.99 per month, with a seven-day free trial included.

If you don’t need editing capabilities often enough to invest in Acrobat, however, you can find high-quality, free PDF editors, too. GOBankingRates scoured the web, read reviews and test-drove apps to find the best free PDF editors of 2023.

Best for Completely Free Use: PDF24 Creator

PDF24 Creator offers a suite of tools for PC users to download so they can read, save, convert and edit PDFs. Because you download the software, files are not stored on the cloud, adding another level of security.

Manufactured by Geek Software as freeware, it is robust and user-friendly.

Pros

  • Completely free

  • Files are stored locally, not on the cloud

  • Massive capabilities for managing PDFs

Cons

  • Only available for Windows users

Best for Flexibility: Wondershare PDFelement

PDFelement by Wondershare is another completely free PDF editor, and this one is available not just for Windows but also for Mac users. There is also a version for Android and iPhone users, as well as the option to manipulate and store your PDFs in the cloud. All three versions provide capabilities to edit, credit, annotate and sign PDFs, along with other capabilities. You can store PDFs locally or in the cloud.

The desktop and mobile apps allow you to convert PDFs to Office files, such as Word docs, or to images.

Pros

  • Completely free

  • Available for Mac, PC and mobile users

  • Store files locally or in the cloud

  • Advanced capabilities

Cons

  • Cannot create, edit or convert PDFs with the cloud version

Best for Canva Fans: Canva PDF Editor

Canva has emerged as a top graphic design and desktop publishing platform for small business owners, putting design capabilities into the hands of virtually anyone. Nestled within its website’s drop-down menu under “Design spotlight” is an easy-to-use, free online PDF editor that works in much the same way as Canva’s design capabilities.

You can change, move or edit photos, add or correct text, and even add signatures. Canva’s interface allows for easy collaboration between teammates, making it perfect for small businesses, volunteers, independent contractors or anyone who works with a team.

Keep in mind that you may need to purchase Canva Pro if you want to access certain Canva images or capabilities, but the PDF editor works even with the free version.

Pros

  • Easy to use

  • Robust capabilities

  • Completely free PDF editing with no download required

Cons

  • May need Canva Pro to access certain images or design features

Best Freemium App: iLovePDF

ILovePDF is one of the most popular apps to edit PDFs. The free version provides enough capabilities for most users, including the ability to edit PDFs by adding text, images, shapes or annotations. You can convert your PDF to virtually any file format, including Excel, PowerPoint, Word or JPG. You can even add watermarks to your PDF.

The website is easy to use with no download required. You can upgrade to the Premium edition for advanced capabilities, including batch file processing and e-signatures.

Pros

  • No download required

  • Robust capabilities in the free software

Cons

  • $48 per month to gain access to all features

Best for Customer Support: pdfFiller

PdfFiller offers three subscription tiers, each with increasing capabilities and a free 30-day trial. If you are on the fence about investing in a PDF editor, it may be worthwhile to take pdfFiller for a test drive.

The Basic package costs $8 per month and offers customer support within one day. You can convert PDFs to Word files, and edit, fill, draw or annotate on PDFs. The $12/month Plus package allows you to do all that plus create reusable templates. With the Plus package, customer support is guaranteed within 30 minutes. Finally, the Premium version allows for e-signature capabilities and instant customer support through the online chat service.

Pros

  • Fast customer support

  • Used by top tech companies around the world

  • Advanced capabilities

  • Free 30-day trial

Cons

  • Cost is $8-plus per month, depending on the package

Best for Occasional Users: Lumin

Lumin provides advanced capabilities for PDF editing, including the ability to add text boxes, shapes or images, and sign documents. The free version provides capabilities to edit up to three documents. Upgrade to the Starter package for $9 per month to manipulate up to 10 PDFs.

The Pro version, starting at $19 per month, allows you to work on 30 PDFs, and adds text editing capabilities and more. The Business version, for $199 per month, allows you to work on 200 documents per month and work with colleagues in real time. All versions also allow you to sync documents with Google Drive. The Starter, Pro and Business packages provide a seven-day free trial.

Pros

  • Invite unlimited collaborators

  • Annotate three documents per month with free version

  • Seven-day free trial on paid plans

Cons

  • Limit to number of PDFs you can edit

  • Free version offers limited capabilities

FAQ

  • How can I edit a PDF file for free?

    • There are many free apps, downloads or websites that allow you to easily edit PDFs while preserving the formatting. One example is PDFelement by Wondershare, an app that you download to your desktop and is compatible with Windows or Mac. 

  • Is there a site where I can edit PDFs for free?

    • You can edit PDFs and preserve their formatting by editing your files using Canva in the app or in your browser. You can also edit PDFs in Google Docs or Google Slides, but you may run into challenges preserving the formatting.

  • Does Google have a free PDF editor?

    • Google doesn't offer a free PDF editor. But you can edit files in Google Slides or Google Docs. First, upload the file to Google Drive. Then choose to open it with Google Docs or Slides. You can make changes and then save the document as a PDF again. Be aware that you may see some formatting changes. To preserve formatting, it's always best to edit with a PDF editor.

Information is accurate as of Aug. 24, 2023.

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Best Free PDF Editors of 2023

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