It can be frustrating when you want to make certain quick changes to your PDF file, but don’t know where to start. Many people assume that, just because PDF files are in “Read-only” mode, they can’t be edited. That’s false. You can now edit your PDF file in minutes using a PDF editor. PDF editors allow you to make changes such as editing text, font size and font color to a PDF file. Whether you’re using a Mac or PC, it’s vital to know which PDF editor suits you. Here are the top 20 PDF editor in 2022 and their features:
10 Best PDF Editor Software in 2022
1. Adobe Acrobat DC
Adobe Acrobat DC is a subscription-based PDF editor software that allows users to view, print, sign and edit PDF files professionally. Another amazing feature of this software is the fact that it can be used on a smartphone or tablet and allows easy sharing of PDF files with others.
Reasons to choose Adobe Acrobat DC:
- Plenty of features
- Professional and responsive interface
- Supports advanced functions such as encryption
- Easily convert PDF files into other formats, e.g., Microsoft Word
2. Nitro PDF Pro
If you’re using Windows OS, then you might want to consider Nitro PDF Pro. Nitro PDF Pro is also a very famous and professional PDF editing software. It’s even used by large Fortune 500 companies such as General Electric and Toyota.
Reasons to choose Nitro PDF Pro:
- Reasonable annual subscription cost.
- Few systems requirements
- User-friendly interface hence easy to use
- Runs well on even slower devices
3. PDFelement
PDFelement is a PDF editing software created by Wondershare. It’s very simple to use, even for beginners. Depending on your budget, you can choose either an annual subscription or one-time pricing.
Reasons to choose Nitro PDF Pro:
- Simple and easy to use user interface
- Easy conversion of other file formats e.g. JPG to PDF
- Allows compression of large PDF files
- Has advanced editing options
4. PDF Agile
PDF Agile is also one of the best PDF editor software that one can use to make changes to a PDF file, especially if you use Windows. It’s very simple to use and allows one to edit and convert PDF files.
Reasons to choose PDF Agile:
- Quick and easy to edit and update PDF files
- Easy conversion of other file formats e.g. JPEG to PDF
- Easy to organize PDF pages
- Has a powerful Optical Character Recognition (OCR) feature
5. Readdle PDF Expert
If you’re a Mac user, then you'd want to try Readdle PDF Expert to customize your PDF files. It’s built specifically for Mac users, and it recently listed as the App of the year in the App store.
Reasons to choose Readdle PDF Expert:
- Enables one to edit PDF files across all Apple devices. Changes are also reflected across all the devices.
- Doesn’t lag or delay when opening large PDF files.
- Allows conversion of PDF files to other formats and vice versa.
- Has text to speech feature for those who'd like the PDF content read to them.
6. FineReader Pro
FineReader Pro is also a famous PDF editor that was developed by ABBYY. It can run on devices using Windows, macOS or Linux.
Reasons to choose FineReader Pro:
- Has Optical Character Recognition (OCR) capabilities.
- Allows conversion of PDF files to other formats and vice versa.
- Enables easy management of documents.
- Has a 30-day free trial.
7. PDFPen
PDFPen is a powerful PDF editor for those using iPhone or iPad. The app allows you to edit a PDF file from your iPhone or iPad.
Reasons to choose PDFPen:
- Allows addition of signatures, texts, and images to a PDF file.
- Has Optical Character Recognition (OCR) capabilities.
- One can store PDF files in the cloud.
- Easy management of PDF files.
8. PDF-XChange Editor
PDF-XChange Editor is a professional PDF editor that’s free for Windows users. It allows one to edit, view, create and digitally sign PDF documents.
Reasons to choose PDF-XChange Editor:
- Simple and fast user interface.
- Free to use
- Has OCR capabilities
- OCR feature supports English, French, Germany and Spanish languages.
9. Skim
Skim is also one of the best PDF editors for Mac users. If you have no money to spend, then you'll love this software since it’s free.
Reasons to choose Skim:
- It’s open source and free.
- Allows editing and viewing of PDF files.
- It has split display capabilities, thus allowing one to view two parts of the same file.
- Has amazing note-taking capabilities.
10. LibreOffice
LibreOffice is a free PDF editing software that supports Linux, Mac and Windows users.
Reasons to choose LibreOffice:
- It is open source and free.
- Allows viewing and editing of PDF texts and images.
- Allows conversion and export of PDF file to other formats and vice versa.
- Supports digital signature and watermarks.
Top 5 online PDF Editor
1. PDF Candy
PDF Candy is one of the best free online PDF editors. It has unique OCR capabilities that lack in other free PDF editors.
Reasons to choose PDF Candy:
- Its OCR feature allows one to extract text from a PDF file, then create a Word document for further editing.
- Supports conversion and creation of PDF files.
- Has amazing PDF-layout tools.
- Allows one to protect PDF files with passcodes and supports watermarks.
2. iLovePDF
iLovePDF is another free, amazing online PDF editor that has all the tools needed to edit PDFs in one place.
Reasons to choose I love PDF:
- Supports easy arrangement of PDF pages in the right order.
- Support splitting of PDF pages and compression of PDF files.
- Supports conversion of PDF files to other formats and vice versa.
- Supports watermarks and enables one to unlock PDF files with security passwords.
3. Sejda PDF
Sejda PDF is an easy-to-use PDF editor that allows one to edit their PDF files in the browser. It's available in both free and paid versions.
Reasons to choose Sejda PDF:
- Has an online and desktop version.
- Supports splitting and extraction of pages.
- User-friendly interface.
- Supports editing of text images and shapes within the PDF document.
- Supports compression of files.
4. SmallPDF
SmallPDF is an easy-to-use online PDF editor that even has a Chrome extension. It allows processing of numerous file types, and it's used by over 20 million users each month.
Reasons to choose SmallPDF:
- Supports conversion of PDF files to other formats and vice versa.
- Supports compression of PDF files.
- Supports splitting, merging and extraction of PDF files.
- Supports digital signature.
5. PDF24 Creator
PDF24 is an online PDF editor that has been around since 2006. The project belongs to Geek Software. Despite its old age, it’s also very effective in editing PDF files.
Reasons to choose PDF24 Creator:
- Free to use.
- Fast and has a simple user interface.
- Can easily run on old systems.
- Has OCR capabilities.
- Supports merging, compression, and conversion of PDF files.
5 Best Open-Source PDF Editors
1. Inkscape
Inkscape is an open source and free vector graphics software that can also edit PDF files.
Reasons to choose Inkscape:
- Allows conversion of PDF files to other formats.
- Has page merging capabilities.
- Free to use and open source.
- Supports viewing and editing of PDF texts and images.
2. PDFSam Basic
PDFSam Basic is an open-source PDF editor that’s good at merging and splitting PDF.
Reasons to choose PDFSam Basic:
- Supports Mac, Windows, and Linux.
- Has a simple and user-friendly interface.
- Supports merging, splitting and extraction of PDF pages.
- Free to use.
3. PDFescape
PDFescape is an open source and online PDF editor. It’s free to use for documents that have 100 pages or less. It allows one to add sticky notes and draw on a PDF document.
Reasons to choose PDF escape:
- Work on your files online.
- Has plenty of tools.
- Doesn’t require user account.
- Has a desktop version
4. PDF Architect
PDF Architect is an open-source PDF editors that support conversion of over 300 file formats. It’s available for only Windows users.
Reasons to choose PDF Architect:
- Free to use.
- Has OCR capabilities.
- Supports digital signatures.
- Supports merging of PDF files.
- Advanced editing features.
5. Apache OpenOffice Draw
Apache OpenOffice Draw is an open source and free PDF editor that's good at editing photocopied PDF files. Its interface is quite complex but what makes it stand out is its inbuilt OCR which recognizes content in a photocopied document.
Reasons to choose Apache OpenOffice Draw:
- Has OCR capabilities.
- Supports conversion of multiple file types.
- One can add comments and annotate a document.
- Supports splitting and merging of PDF pages.
Conclusion
There are so many PDF editors in the market today. Choosing which PDF editor to work with for your projects can at times be overwhelming. But knowing the features of the above top 20 PDF editors can greatly help you better decide. Which PDF editor would you like to use for your next project?
