The Prime 6 Finest PDF Editors

Need to bounce straight to the reply? The most effective PDF editor for most individuals is Adobe Acrobat Professional DC.
While you run a enterprise, you want a dependable PDF editor to make modifications to vital paperwork. Whether or not you’re signing, making notes, or collaborating with others, the best PDF modifying software program ought to allow you to do all of it.
Getting the best PDF editor makes your paperwork processes extra environment friendly in order that your enterprise runs easily.
The Prime 6 Finest PDF Editors

Adobe Acrobat Professional DC is essentially the most complete PDF editor you may get. It has glorious onboarding instruments that information you thru the software program’s options and present you methods to get essentially the most out of it. The onboarding course of helps you make modifying simpler and quicker even earlier than you begin utilizing Adobe by yourself.

It’s no shock that the corporate that created the PDF ranks on the high of the software program for modifying them. Adobe Acrobat Professional DC makes use of three elements to provide the most well-rounded expertise with PDF modifying, sharing, and collaboration:
- Acrobat DC
- Adobe Doc Cloud
- Acrobat Reader DC
With these elements, you possibly can edit, create, export, ship, signal and get signatures, learn, and print PDFS. It enables you to shortly entry your information by the ‘Dwelling’ tab, the place you possibly can see beneficial instruments for the actions you’ll want to full.
The environment friendly modifying course of prompts you thru the completion of your process. Plus, with so many modifying choices, you possibly can add feedback, compress, mix and break up PDFs, and acknowledge scanned textual content with optical character recognition (OCR). It additionally has options exterior of PDF modifying, so you possibly can create accessible paperwork, apply customized actions, and adjust to official laws, together with ISO.
Because the business commonplace, you’ll have all the pieces you’ll want to edit PDFs wherever with Adobe. It even provides you choices for the way you need to ship your paperwork to others, whether or not by a hyperlink or attachment.
You may get Adobe Acrobat Professional DC for 19.99 monthly when billed yearly. That comes out to $239.88 every year. The worth will increase to $29.99 monthly for those who select month-to-month billing.
If you wish to attempt the software program first, Adobe gives a 14-day free trial that can assist you determine if it’s best for you.
PDF Sweet—Finest Free PDF Editor with OCR for Scanned Paperwork

PDF Sweet made it onto our listing as a result of it has options that different free PDF editors don’t. For instance, you’re unlikely to search out one other with OCR, scanning, and a big selection of file conversion choices.
PDF Sweet has 47 instruments you should utilize to edit your PDFs with actions together with:
- Picture extraction
- Markup
- Watermarking
- Splitting, rearranging, and including pages
- Crop and resize
- e-signature
- File conversion

The software program is about up just like a cellphone app. You’ll be able to simply add information with its drag-and-drop system or use the everyday browse function. For a free PDF editor, it’s quick and features nicely.
The one downside with the free model is that it limits you to at least one process per hour. Consequently, finishing your work can take some time when you have a number of issues to do in a single doc.
In case you want extra functionality in a shorter time, go for PDF Sweet’s inexpensive paid plan. It solely prices $6 monthly, which involves $72 per 12 months. You too can purchase the desktop and internet editor for a one-time $99 fee.
To get began utilizing PDF Sweet, merely select the device you need to use, add your PDF, full your process, and obtain the PDF once more. It retains your doc’s formatting, so that you don’t should do further work like with many different free editors.
The software program’s OCR makes it stand out by recognizing textual content in scans, which you virtually all the time have to pay for with different options. In case you edit a variety of scanned paperwork, this device can prevent some huge cash with PDF Sweet.
PDF Skilled—Finest for Modifying Brief Paperwork Utilizing Clear Instruments

PDF Skilled gives a clear platform with instruments that solely present up if you want them. While you don’t, you possibly can conceal them and focus totally on the duty at hand.
While you open the software program, select both Annotate or Edit. Then, you possibly can edit textual content and pictures with only one click on. PDF Skilled even has Day, Sepia, and Night time themes so you possibly can edit your PDFs and go simple in your eyes.

You’ll be able to spotlight and add stamps, together with customized ones to your paperwork, in addition to redact confidential data by blocking or erasing it. PDF Skilled comes with OCR and goes a step additional with the choice to reinforce your scans for higher readability.
The draw back is that the software program is Mac solely and it’s not pretty much as good with giant information (we’re speaking tons of of pages).
You may get a free obtain with restricted options or select from two packages:
- Yearly: $6.67/mo billed yearly
- Lifetime: $139.99 one-time fee
Yearly provides you employ throughout iPhone, iPad, and Mac, which the Lifetime package deal doesn’t. Lifetime additionally limits future updates, whereas the Yearly plan provides you all of them. In any other case, the 2 packages have the identical basic options with annotation, modifying, changing, OCR, signing, and precedence help.
PDFelement Professional—Finest for Modifying Massive Paperwork

PDFelement Professional enables you to create and edit PDFs, in addition to convert them to different codecs. It additionally retains your pictures the identical high quality as if you edited them.
You’ll be able to create varieties, reorder and set up pages, annotate, signal, and even save signatures for if you want them once more. The software program has OCR obtainable, and you may defend your confidential data utilizing password encryption, permissions, and redaction.

PDFelement is nice for modifying giant information with a variety of pictures, textual content, and pages. It’s simple to edit your paperwork with easy however efficient instruments. Plus, OCR helps with information extraction, so you possibly can extract solely what you want.
The software program’s Batch function makes extraction and different actions extra environment friendly, particularly when transferring data to Excel. You too can extract pictures, create excerpts, and construct a portfolio with this function.
This software program has two variations—PDFelement and PDFelement Professional. You should use it with each Home windows and Mac, however just a few options are solely obtainable with Home windows, like information extraction.
The common PDFelement model prices $79 per 12 months and lets you view, create, and edit PDFs. You too can fill out varieties, signal, convert and export, and defend your paperwork with passwords and permissions.
PDFelement Professional provides OCR, Batches, redacting, and information extraction for Home windows. It lets you create fillable varieties, save digital signatures, and redact delicate data. General, for those who regularly edit PDFs, the Professional model will serve you higher.

Foxit Phantom PDF makes it simple to edit your PDFs irrespective of the place you go. It really works for Home windows and Mac, in addition to iOS and Android with its cellular app.
Foxit is essentially the most adaptable PDF editor on our listing. It has many of the similar features whether or not you apply it to desktop or the app. Its complete modifying instruments are available in all variations.

The answer enables you to do all of the fundamentals with textual content modifying, however you additionally get extra superior modifying options with some packages. It makes use of spell test, and you may edit advanced layouts, hyperlinks, and textual content blocks.
With overview, handle, share, and password safety, you possibly can ensure that solely licensed customers can entry your paperwork. You’ll be able to collaborate, annotate, merge, convert, and create varieties with this one platform.
Some packages allow you to combine along with your CMS, SharePoint, and cloud storage. With the cloud editor, all the pieces is straightforward to entry and retailer, so everybody can discover it after they want it.
For people Foxit Phantom PDF has three packages:
- PDF Editor: $109.99 per 12 months
- PDF Editor Professional: $139.99 per 12 months
- PDF Editor Cloud: $59 per 12 months
The PDF Editor package deal comes with a 14-day free trial and all the essential modifying and PDF creation options you’d count on. You’ll be able to share and defend your paperwork, too.
The Professional package deal upgrades you to superior modifying, collaboration, and safety features. With Professional, you possibly can e-sign paperwork, which suggests for those who want this function, you’ll pay much more than you would possibly with cheaper plans from different options.
Professional additionally provides you a PDF editor for cloud and cellular. Sadly, you do want the costliest package deal to get a cellular PDF editor, however its cellular performance makes it value it.
Nitro PDF Professional—Finest for Collaborating on PDFs

Nitro PDF Professional works nicely for customers already accustomed to Microsoft merchandise. It has the same setup, and it integrates with the Nitro Productiveness Suite to make collaboration even simpler.
You don’t have to work with the desktop model when you possibly can edit on-line, embody all related folks, and cut back the work it takes to share and edit. The platform is just like Adobe Acrobat Professional DC by way of capabilities and interface.

It helps greater than 300 file codecs you should utilize to transform. It additionally makes use of cloud signing, which accelerates the method of signing and getting signatures. Now, you don’t have to ship attachments—you possibly can simply add them to the cloud the place licensed customers can entry them. Utilizing the cloud, you are able to do all the pieces you’ll within the desktop app.
Nitro works constantly to enhance PDF modifying and workflow. Some actions, like signatures, require just one or two clicks with designated buttons. It doesn’t require others to make an account earlier than they signal, and you may drag and drop a saved signature into the suitable fields.
Nitro PDF Professional solely is available in one package deal for a $143.99 one-time fee per consumer for as much as 20 licenses. Because it payments by the consumer, this makes it dearer than another PDF editors.
Nitro works for each Home windows and Mac, and it has onboarding movies and neighborhood boards that can assist you be taught the platform. After that, you possibly can create, edit, convert, share, and defend your PDFs. Its Batch OCR and modifying with OCR assist with extra complete scan modifying, too.
For the reason that platform helps so many information, you possibly can convert them to all the pieces from Excel to PowerPoint to PDF/A. It additionally provides you entry to permissions and the power to create portfolios.
Learn how to Discover the Finest PDF Editor for You
Formatting and Compatibility

File format compatibility is among the first hurdles to clear on the subject of utilizing PDF modifying software program. In case your software program solely helps just a few of the most well-liked file sorts when you will have a number of extra you’ll want to convert, you received’t be capable to make full use of your answer.
We checked out what file sorts our chosen PDF editors supported earlier than including them to our listing. At minimal, an answer ought to help:
- .doc
- .docx
- .txt
- .jpeg
- .jpg
- .png
- .xls
- .xlsx
- .ppt
Many PDF editors go far past these, like Adobe’s, so that you’ve full functionality for changing your information. Do not forget that for those who plan to scan information or edit scanned paperwork, this turns into much more vital.
You additionally need to ensure that your editor retains your doc’s authentic formatting. Amongst our listing, PDFelement Professional typically has points with this, however in any other case works nicely.
Modifying Choices

You don’t need a cluttered platform, however you do need to have all of the modifying instruments you’ll want to do the job. This appears totally different for everybody, so whereas some customers desire an easier interface, like PDF Skilled or PDF Sweet, others will want the extra well-rounded instruments that include Adobe, Nitro, and even Foxit.
We selected a mixture of extra superior software program with a steeper studying curve and fewer advanced interfaces to swimsuit companies of many differing kinds. You might have considered trying the extra instruments for your enterprise, however there’s no general proper or incorrect on the subject of your chosen modifying choices.
Price

Price all the time impacts selections on the subject of selecting enterprise software program. Many individuals need to use free options, if attainable, however many obligatory options include paid plans.
We chosen a number of choices, together with high-quality, pricier choices and essentially the most complete free PDF modifying software program we might discover. In case you don’t edit many PDFs and solely often signal paperwork, a free answer like PDF Sweet could be just right for you.
If you’ll want greater than what any free program has to supply, a subscription or lifetime license will give you extra instruments and larger capabilities. You too can attempt many paid options before you purchase them.
Price varies extensively between PDF editors, however you usually received’t pay greater than $250 per 12 months, even for one of the best software program, like Adobe and Nitro. Some cheaper choices include related instruments, so you possibly can nonetheless get glorious PDF modifying options for much less.
Collaborative Options

Typically, with PDF modifying, you want collaborative options like annotation, reviewing, and signing. The most effective PDF editors have a number of collaboration instruments, from commenting on paperwork to highlighting, and even drawing and stamping.
We selected PDF editors that make it as simple as attainable so that you can collaborate with others. Nitro, particularly, makes options like these obtainable by its cloud. On-line PDF modifying provides you a brand new method to get work accomplished.
Having collaborative options improves communication and helps get work accomplished on time. For this listing, we prioritized platforms that help these wants.
Safety

When you will have confidential paperwork, you want a PDF editor that protects your data. We checked out options that got here with instruments for redacting data, password safety, permissions, and encryption in order that solely licensed folks can see your paperwork.
Many PDF editors have a number of methods to safe your PDFs. Some supply extra with pricier plans, however each on our listing has at the very least two methods to guard your work.
In some unspecified time in the future, each enterprise proprietor or supervisor will deal with a confidential PDF, so we contemplate this function one of the vital. Even for those who don’t normally work with delicate data, it’s a good suggestion to have this safety.
Cellular App

Not all companies want a cellular app with their PDF modifying software program, nevertheless it helps for those who’re usually away from the workplace or have to make just a few fast modifications. With a cellular app, you are able to do that conveniently wherever you’re.
A lot of the platforms we selected have a cellular app, however one of the best by far is Foxit. Nonetheless, remember the fact that even well-known, high-quality options don’t all the time have cellular optimization. Nitro doesn’t work on cellular in any respect, so though it’s an important program, it will not be for you for those who want a transportable program.
The Prime PDF Editors in Abstract
The fitting PDF editor for you’ll depend upon the options you want. Adobe comes out on high as one of the best PDF editor, adopted carefully by Nitro.
In case you’re in search of a free program, PDF Sweet has many options you received’t discover in different free PDF editors. Customers who prioritize cellular modifying will need to try Foxit with its full mobile-optimized PDF modifying.