Open Source Pdf Editors

Use these totally free PDF editors and online tools to make modifications to your PDF files

It’s difficult to find a truly complimentary PDF editor that lets you not only edit and add text however likewise alter images, add your own graphics, sign your name, complete forms, etc. Listed below, nevertheless, is a list of precisely what you’re trying to find.

A few of these are online PDF editors that work right in your web internet browser, so all you need to do is upload your PDF file to the site, make the changes you want, and then save it back to your computer. That’s the quick method– but do remember that, usually, an online editor isn’t as fully included as its desktop equivalent, plus the file is exposed to the internet (which may be of concern if it includes sensitive material).

Due to the fact that not all of these complimentary PDF editors support the very same functions, and some are limited in what you can do, keep in mind that you can process the very same PDF in more than one tool. For example, use one to edit the PDF text (if that’s supported), and after that put the exact same PDF through a various editor to do something supported because program (for instance, to edit a kind, upgrade an image, or eliminate a page).

Changing Formats

If you don’t need to change the contents of the PDF but rather simply require to alter it to another file format (such as. docx for Word or.epub for an e-book, etc.), see our list of free file converters for help. On the other hand, if you have a file you created yourself that you wish to save as a PDF file, see our How to Print to PDF tutorial.

Microsoft Word: A Top Choice

If you already own Microsoft Word 2016 or 2013, then skip all the recommended programs listed below: You have a terrific PDF editor at your disposal today. Just open the PDF as you would any Word document, provide the program a couple of minutes to convert the PDF, and after that modify away.

Sejda PDF Editor

Sejda PDF Editor

What We Like

  • Lets you load PDFs from other sites
  • Supports adding links
  • Consists of a signature tool
  • Lets you insert blank pages into the PDF
  • Can remove pages from the PDF
  • Supports whiting out parts of the page
  • Can place images and shapes into the PDF
  • Works on Windows, macOS, and Linux

What We Don’t Like

  • Can be used on only three PDFs every hour
  • Minimal to PDFs with fewer than 200 pages
  • Does not edit PDFs larger than 50 MB

Sejda PDF Editor is among the very couple of PDF editors that in fact lets you edit pre-existing text in the PDF without adding a watermark. A lot of editors only let you modify the text you include yourself, or they support text modifying but then toss watermarks all over the place.

Plus, this tool can run totally in your web browser, so it’s easy to start without needing to download any programs. You can get the desktop version if you ‘d rather.

There are some distinctions in between the online and desktop versions that you need to know about. For instance, the desktop edition supports more font types and does not let you include PDFs by URL or from online storage services as the online editor does (which supports Dropbox and Google Drive).

Another neat feature is the web combination tool that lets PDF publishers provide a link for their users that they can simply click to instantly open the file in this online PDF editor.

All uploaded files are instantly erased from Sejda after 5 hours.

Inkscape

Inkscape

What We Like

  • Can modify PDF text
  • Supports controling graphics
  • Consists of lots of image-editing tools
  • Works with Windows, macOS, and Linux

What We Don’t Like

  • The variety of graphics-editing tools can be frustrating

Inkscape is an extremely popular free image audience and editor, but it also consists of PDF modifying functions that many devoted PDF editors support just in their paid editions.

Inkscape is a very capable image modifying program. If you’re not already familiar with programs like GIMP, Adobe Photoshop, and other image editors, however, it’s most likely a bit advanced for you.

In the context of PDF editing, however, you ought to consider Inkscape just if you wish to delete or edit the images or text in the PDF. We recommend you use a various tool in this list to modify PDF forms or include shapes and after that plug that PDF into Inkscape if you need to really edit the pre-existing text.

PDFescape Online PDF Editor

PDFescape Online PDF Editor

What We Like

  • Works online through your web browser
  • Consists of great deals of tools
  • Lets you add your own text and images
  • Can delete and add PDF pages
  • Works on any OS

What We Don’t Like

  • Can’t modify existing text
  • Doesn’t modify big PDFs

PDFescape has rather a lot of functions. It’s entirely free so long as the PDF does not exceed 100 pages or 10 MB.

You can’t truly alter text or edit images using this editor, but you can include your own text, images, links, form fields, and so on. The text tool is really customizable so that you can select your own size, font style type, color, positioning, and apply impacts such as bolding, underlining, and italics.

You also can draw on the PDF, include sticky notes, strikethrough text, put white area over anything you wish to disappear, and insert lines, checkmarks, arrows, ovals, circles, rectangles, and comments.

PDFescape lets you delete individual pages from the PDF, turn pages, crop out parts of a page, rearrange the order of the pages, and add more pages from other PDFs.

You can publish your own PDF file, paste the URL to an online PDF, and make your own PDF from scratch.

When ended up editing, you can download the PDF to your computer system without ever needing to make a user account. You require one just if you want to conserve your development online without downloading the PDF.

PDFescape has an offline PDF editor, too, called PDFescape Editor, however it isn’t free.

PDF-XChange Editor

PDF-XChange Editor

What We Like

  • Uses OCR (optical character acknowledgment) to determine the text in the PDF
  • Can import a range of shapes and images
  • Supports including QR codes to the PDF
  • Offers a portable variation

What We Don’t Like

  • Many functions need a license
  • Works with Windows only

PDF-XChange Editor provides some fantastic tools, however not all of them are totally free to use. If you use a non-free feature, the PDF will conserve with a watermark on every page.

If you stay with just the complimentary features, however, you can still do some editing to the file and wait back to your computer system.

You can fill PDFs from your computer system, a URL, SharePoint, Google Drive, and Dropbox. You can save the modified PDF back to your computer system or any of those file storage services.

The PDF-XChange Editor program has great deals of functions, so it may seem overwhelming initially. All of the choices and tools are easy to comprehend, however, and they’re categorized into their own areas for simpler management.

One good function is the ability to highlight all the form fields so that you can easily spot where you need to fill in. This is really practical if you’re editing a PDF with lots of types, such as an application.

Although the free version puts watermarks on your modified documents, this program does let you modify existing text, include your own text to the PDF, and add or erase pages from the document.

You can download this program in portable mode to use on a flash drive or as a routine installer.

Much of the functions are totally free, but some are not. If you use a feature that’s not covered by the totally free variation (you’re told which features are not free when you use them), the conserved PDF file will have a watermark attached to the corner of every page.

Smallpdf Online PDF Editor

Smallpdf Online PDF Editor

What We Like

  • Is totally free
  • Lets you include more text to the PDF
  • Can put white area over areas you want to remove
  • Supports importing shapes
  • Can fill and conserve PDFs from numerous sources
  • Works with any OS

What We Don’t Like

  • Doesn’t let you edit existing text
  • Just two PDFs can be modified every hour

One of the quickest ways to add images, text, shapes, or your signature to a PDF is with Smallpdf.

This site allows you to publish a PDF, make modifications to it, and after that save it back to your computer system all without needing to make a user account or spend for any anti-watermarking functions.

You can open and/or conserve your PDF to your Dropbox or Google Drive account, too, in addition to your computer system.

You can import 3 shapes into a PDF with Smallpdf: a square, circle, or arrow. You can alter the object’s main color and line color, along with the density of its edge.

Text size can be tiny, small, normal, large, or huge, but only three font types are offered. You can alter the color of any text you add.

When ended up modifying the PDF, simply struck the APPLY button and after that decide where you desire it saved. You can also run the modified PDF through Smallpdf’s PDF splitter tool if you wish to extract the pages from the file.

If you modify two PDFs within an hour, you need to upgrade to Smallpdf Pro if you wish to keep using the website. Or, you can wait an hour to edit another.

FormSwift’s Free PDF Editor

FormSwift's Free PDF Editor

What We Like

  • Everything is free and a user account isn’t needed
  • Doesn’t leave a watermark
  • Can erase or edit existing text and images with white or black area
  • Lets you insert your own images
  • Can add your own customized text to the PDF
  • Circles, checkmarks, and “x” icons can be put over any text
  • Supports highlighting anything on the page
  • Easy typing, drawing, and finalizing
  • Works on any OS

What We Don’t Like

  • Can not modify existing text
  • No easy-to-access undo button (however you can delete what you’ve done).
  • Can publish PDFs just from your computer (not from other places such as Google Drive or Dropbox).

FormSwift’s Free PDF Editor is an extremely simple online PDF editor that you can use without even making a user account.

It’s as simple as uploading your PDF file to the site and using the menus at the top of the page to quickly carry out some fundamental PDF editing functions prior to downloading it back to your computer system.

When you’re done modifying the PDF, you can download the file as a PDF file, print it directly to your printer, or save the PDF as a Microsoft Word.docx file.

Another feature used by FormSwift at formswift.com/snap lets you quickly edit or sign PDFs from your phone by taking a photo of a file. You can then share or download the PDF when you’re done. It’s not perfect: Most things done through a web app are spotty. It does work, nevertheless, with a little patience.

You can publish Word documents and images to FormSwift, too, if you require to modify those rather of a PDF.

PDFelement Pro

PDFelement Pro

What We Like.

  • Lets you modify the PDF’s text directly.
  • Supports including images, links, and custom-made watermarks.
  • The background of the PDF pages can be edited.
  • Headers and footers can be consisted of in the PDF.
  • Supports combining a number of PDFs into one.
  • PDF pages can be cropped.
  • Supports OCR.
  • Can insert, extract, erase, and rotate PDF pages.
  • Editing embedded kinds is simple.
  • Can password-protect the PDF.
  • Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS.

What We Don’t Like.

  • Free version puts a watermark on the PDF.

PDFelement Pro, simply as the name sounds, is free however with a major constraint: It positions a watermark on every page of the PDF. That being said, the watermark does not cover much of the page, and it’s crucial to realize that it supports some truly terrific PDF modifying functions.

This program would be a really free PDF editor if it weren’t for the reality that the totally free edition will not save without first putting a watermark on every page of the PDF.

Depending on what you’ll use the PDF for, nevertheless, the features it supports might be enough for you to think about dealing with the watermarks.