If you’re looking for free PDF editors that you can rely on for daily office use, then you are reading the right article. PDF editors are a dime in a dozen these days, and with the overwhelming choices, it can be a daunting task to sift through them to find the best one. Many sites give the ability to edit PDFs with comments online for free. Below we’ve rounded up the top-performing ones for your convenience:
PDFBear
Many haven’t heard one of PDFBear’s features before which is the PDF Split, but this web-based application is one of the niftiest tools any corporate employee should know. What it does is split PDF documents into separate portions. This is very effective in changing and distributing the right parts of the documents to the right people.
You can just upload a document on the application’s interface, decide on the parts you want to separate, let the site do its magic, and have a PDF split in your hands in seconds. The app is online, so you can split documents anywhere on mobile and desktop.
Smallpdf
One of the major setbacks that most users experience with full-on PDF editor software is it can be complicated to operate. Most PDF editing only ever involves e-signing, signature placements, commenting, and annotating. This is where Smallpdf shines through. Its simple interface is focused on the core tasks needed to be done on a pdf document.
Smallpdf also has a great set of modification tools for basic PDF editing. The editor function is top-notch and easy to use. It’s also a web-based application, so you can access it anywhere. One of the better tools to come out of Smallpdf is that it can revert PDF files into more editable versions like a Word file for easier fundamental edits.
PDFescape
PDFescape is one of the few PDF editors with both an online and a standalone application. Suffice it to say that getting the desktop software is the better option, but when you want to keep precious storage on your laptop accessible for more important documents, we say stick to the online version. It has the basic tools of its desktop counterpart and is more convenient when you’re out of the office.
The online version is also free to use, with a secure uploading engine that ensures uploaded files are kept private. The in-browser version is powerful enough to draw, comment on, and annotate. It even has a real-time view of rotating pages how you want them to look. The only caveat? You can’t upload and edit PDF files with a size of more than 10MB.
Sejda
Sejda is unlike any PDF editor because it performs basic edits like commenting, annotating, and adding a signature. It’s one of the few online web-based applications that delete uploaded files after uploading. It doesn’t store any uploaded documents for sale at a later time. This means that you won’t have to worry about a contract or a confidential file, for that matter, leaking out.
Interface-wise, Sejda also takes the top honors. Unlike many PDF editors, Sejda only has a single menu bar to which you can access all of its features. It’s not the best platform for when you’re editing or annotating heavily, but for serious touch-ups on the go, it’s perfect.
PDF-XChange Editor
A free PDF software exclusively made for the Windows platform, PDF-Xchange Editor has probably the most features among the ones listed here. It has lots of tools for editing, but it is also easy to navigate for beginners. The editing suite features an array of tools – pen, text, text boxes, paint, etc. If you’re looking for a more powerful PDF editor, PDF-Xchange should be the right fit.
Takeaway
Download or go to the editor’s web-based application above and see which is the best fit. Always remember that the best PDF editor largely depends on your specific needs. So trial and error should be key. When you find the right one for you, don’t hesitate to share your discovery with friends.