Best PDF Editors in 2026
From quick edits to full document management - find your match
By Toolradar Editorial Team · Updated
Adobe Acrobat Pro remains the gold standard for complex PDF work, but it's expensive at $20/month. PDF Expert offers 90% of the features for Mac users at a one-time price. For occasional editing, Smallpdf or PDF24 work great and are free. Most people don't need Acrobat—assess your actual needs first.
PDFs were designed to be uneditable, which is exactly why editing them is such a pain. You get a contract that needs one small change, or a form that requires digital signatures, and suddenly you're searching for PDF tools.
The market ranges from completely free tools that handle basics to enterprise solutions costing thousands. Here's an honest breakdown of what you actually need.
What Makes a Good PDF Editor
A PDF editor lets you modify text, images, and pages in PDF documents. Good ones also handle annotations, form filling, e-signatures, OCR for scanned documents, and format conversion. The best tools make complex editing feel as natural as working in Word.
Why PDF Editing Matters
Business runs on PDFs—contracts, proposals, reports, forms. Being able to quickly edit, sign, and share PDFs saves hours of printing, scanning, and back-and-forth. Good PDF tools also maintain document formatting across devices and operating systems, which is why PDFs became the standard in the first place.
Key Features to Look For
Modify existing text and replace images directly in PDFs
Sign documents electronically and request signatures from others
Fill interactive forms and create fillable PDF forms
Convert scanned documents to searchable, editable text
Merge, split, rotate, and reorder PDF pages
Convert PDFs to/from Word, Excel, PowerPoint, images
Highlight, comment, draw, and add stamps to PDFs
Encrypt PDFs and set permissions for viewing/editing
Permanently remove sensitive information from documents
How to Choose
Evaluation Checklist
Pricing Overview
Form filling, signatures, annotations, basic markup
Regular PDF editing without recurring subscription costs
Daily PDF editing with OCR, redaction, and advanced features
Top Picks
Based on features, user feedback, and value for money.
Professionals who edit PDFs daily and need OCR, redaction, and form creation
Mac users wanting professional editing without subscription fatigue
Occasional users wanting no-install convenience for compression, conversion, and signing
Mistakes to Avoid
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Buying Acrobat Pro when you only need form filling — Adobe Acrobat Pro at $22.99/mo is overkill if you just fill and sign forms. Mac Preview or Adobe Acrobat Reader (free) handles this perfectly
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Using free online tools for sensitive documents — Tools like ILovePDF and Smallpdf upload your files to their servers. For contracts, tax documents, or NDAs, use a desktop app that processes locally
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Not checking tools you already have — Mac Preview handles annotations, signatures, merging, and basic form filling. Microsoft Word opens and edits PDFs. Google Docs can convert PDFs for editing. Check these first
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Paying for OCR when you rarely scan documents — OCR (Optical Character Recognition) is a premium feature. If you scan fewer than 5 documents a month, use a free online OCR service instead of paying $20+/mo
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Choosing subscription over one-time purchase — PDF Expert offers a one-time purchase at $139.99 vs Adobe Acrobat Pro at $22.99/mo ($275.88/yr). If you'll use it for 2+ years, one-time purchase saves hundreds
Expert Tips
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Mac Preview is more powerful than you think — It handles annotations, digital signatures, form filling, page merging, and basic markup. Most Mac users never need to buy a PDF editor
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Adobe Acrobat Reader (free) is enough for most people — Fill forms, add signatures, highlight text, and comment. You only need Pro for text editing, OCR, or creating fillable forms
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For simple text changes, convert to Word first — Open the PDF in Microsoft Word or Google Docs, make your edits, then save back to PDF. The formatting may shift slightly but it's free and works for 90% of cases
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PDF Expert ($139.99 one-time) vs Acrobat Pro ($22.99/mo) — PDF Expert breaks even in 6 months and saves you $136/year after that. It handles 90% of what Acrobat Pro does on Mac
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Use PDF24 (free) on Windows — PDF24 is a completely free desktop app for Windows that handles merging, splitting, compressing, and basic editing. No subscription, no watermarks, no limits
Red Flags to Watch For
- !Online-only tools that upload your documents to unknown servers—never use these for contracts, financial documents, or anything confidential
- !No local processing option—tools that require internet for every operation are unsuitable for sensitive documents
- !Aggressive upselling that locks basic features like saving or printing behind a paywall after editing
- !No undo history or version control—a mistake on an important contract should be easily reversible
The Bottom Line
Mac users: Start with Preview (free), upgrade to PDF Expert ($139.99 one-time) if you need real text editing. Windows users: Use PDF24 (free) for basics, Adobe Acrobat Pro ($22.99/mo) only if you need OCR, redaction, or advanced form creation. Occasional users: Smallpdf (free tier) handles compression, conversion, and simple edits in the browser.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Adobe Acrobat really worth $20/month?
Only if you edit PDFs daily and need advanced features like OCR, redaction, and form creation. Most users are better served by cheaper alternatives or one-time purchase options.
Are free PDF editors safe to use?
Reputable ones like Smallpdf, PDF24, and ILovePDF are safe. Avoid unknown tools, especially for sensitive documents. Desktop apps are generally safer than web-based for confidential files.
Can I edit a PDF without special software?
Yes—Mac Preview handles basic editing, Google Docs can convert and edit PDFs, and Microsoft Word opens PDFs for editing (though formatting may shift). For simple changes, these work fine.
Related Guides
Ready to Choose?
Compare features, read reviews, and find the right tool.