Free PDF Editors
Which PDF editors a startup can edit, sign, merge and convert PDFs with for free today, how many files or tasks the free plan allows, where it runs, whether a card is needed and what the first paid plan costs, read from each provider's own page.
Free allowances read on each provider's own pages, all checked on or after . PDF editors change their free plans from time to time: confirm the terms on the provider's page before you rely on it.
PDF editors a startup can use for free today include PDF24 Tools (Free, no artificial limits), PDFgear (Completely free, no sign-up), PDFescape (Always free online editor), PDF24 Creator (Free for private and business use), and Sejda (Forever free, no signup, limited use). Each of the 13 free plans below links to the provider's page that states it, with its main limit, where it runs, whether a card is needed and what the first paid plan costs.
Contracts, invoices and pitch decks all end up as PDFs that need a quick edit, a signature, a merge or a conversion. Online PDF editors do it in the browser, and several are free within daily limits; desktop and open-source editors work offline for free.
The headline rarely tells you how far it goes. Free online plans cap tasks or files a day, limit file size or pages, and keep editing or OCR for paid plans. Each editor below shows what is free, its main limit, where it runs, whether a card is needed and what the first paid plan costs, quoted from the provider's own page with the date we read it.
Which editors we picked and the order they appear in are our editorial choices; the terms are the providers'. Some of these providers pay us a referral commission when someone signs up through our link: those links are labeled, and they play no part in which editors are listed or where.
Online PDF editors with a free plan
Edit, merge and convert PDFs in the browser, free to start.
- 1
PDF24 Tools
Free PDF tools with no daily cap, in the browser
PDF24 says all its tools are free of charge and without any restrictions, with no artificial limits. Its online tools run directly in the web browser, so nothing needs installing.
- Where it runs
- Web browser, no install (source: tools.pdf24.org)
Start free at PDF24Terms read on tools.pdf24.org on PDF24 Tools: the free allowance and how to start - 2
PDFescape
Editing and form filling for small files, free
PDFescape Online is free to use, and its site says it is truly free forever. The free plan caps files at 10 MB, so larger files need the paid Premium plan.
- Where it runs
- Browser (online editor) (source: pdfescape.com)
Start free at PDFescapeTerms read on pdfescape.com on PDFescape: the free allowance and how to start - 3
Sejda
Occasional edits and merges with no signup
Sejda's free plan is forever free, with no signup, but it has page and hourly limits and limited file uploads. The first paid option is a one-time 7-day Week Pass.
- First paid plan
- Week Pass: $5 for 7 days, one time (source: sejda.com)
- 4
Smallpdf
Light conversions and edits, a few files a day
Smallpdf's free account has limited access to the basic features of 21 online tools and processes up to 2 conversions a day. The desktop app and unlimited tools are in the Pro plan.
- Where it runs
- Online; desktop app is Pro (source: smallpdf.com)
- First paid plan
- Pro: $15 a month (source: smallpdf.com)
- 5
iLovePDF
Quick single-file tools, with limited volume
iLovePDF's free plan gives access to essential tools, with limited document processing. Premium adds unlimited processing, digital signatures and an ad-free experience.
- 6
PDF Candy
Most tools with no signup, within hourly limits
PDF Candy's forever free plan gives access to most features without signup, with page and hourly restrictions and limited file size. Paid plans remove the hourly limits.
- First paid plan
- Web Monthly: $6 a month (source: pdfcandy.com)
- 7
Soda PDF Online
A few quick tools a day, free
Soda PDF's quick tools are free within a limit of up to 2 files per day or 3 MB. Editing, OCR, forms and the reader need a paid plan.
- Where it runs
- Soda PDF online (web) (source: sodapdf.com)
Start free at Soda PDFTerms read on sodapdf.com on Soda PDF Online: the free allowance and how to start - 8
Xodo Web
Trying PDF editing, one action at a time
Xodo's Web plan has a free plan of one file download a day, and free usage is limited to 1 action per day. The paid Xodo Web plan is $7.99 a month when billed yearly.
- Main limit
- 1 action a day (source: xodo.com)
- Where it runs
- Browser and mobile (source: xodo.com)
- First paid plan
- Xodo Web: $7.99/month, billed yearly (source: xodo.com)
- 9
Adobe Acrobat online tools
Trying Adobe's PDF tools without installing anything
Adobe offers 25+ PDF and e-signing tools for free online. Without signing in, most tools allow one free job and one download of the result.
- Where it runs
- Any browser (source: helpx.adobe.com)
- First paid plan
- Acrobat Pro: US$19.99 a month (source: adobe.com)
Start free at AdobeTerms read on adobe.com on Adobe Acrobat online tools: the free allowance and how to start
Free desktop and open-source PDF editors
Install a PDF editor on your computer or self-host one, free.
- 1
PDFgear
A free desktop PDF editor with no signup
PDFgear says it can read, edit, convert, merge and sign PDFs for completely free and without signing up. Its site says some advanced options may have a fee later.
- Where it runs
- PC, Mac, iPhone and iPad (source: pdfgear.com)
- 2
PDF24 Creator
Offline PDF work on a Windows PC, free for businesses
PDF24 Creator is free of charge for private and commercial use, and it works offline so files stay on the PC. It can only be installed on Windows.
- Main limit
- Windows only (source: tools.pdf24.org)
- Where it runs
- Windows, works offline (source: tools.pdf24.org)
Start free at PDF24Terms read on tools.pdf24.org on PDF24 Creator: the free allowance and how to start - 3
Stirling-PDF
Private, self-hosted PDF editing for individuals
Stirling PDF's Free plan is the open-source PDF editor for individuals and includes 1,000 monthly credits for PDF work. It runs on the web, on the desktop or self-hosted.
- Where it runs
- Web, desktop, self-hosted (source: stirlingpdf.com)
Start free at Stirling PDFTerms read on stirlingpdf.com on Stirling-PDF: the free allowance and how to start - 4
PDFsam Basic
Merging, splitting and reordering pages, not text edits
PDFsam Basic is free and open source with no sign-up, and it works entirely on your computer with no file size limit. It handles split, merge, extract, rotate and mix, not text editing.
- Where it runs
- Windows, macOS, Linux (source: pdfsam.org)
Also useful for team productivity
Referral links, picked for fit and ordered by fit (70%) and what a signup earns us (30%), at no cost to you. They never change this page's ranking.
Compare the top options
How this comparison is built
The list covers PDF editors and PDF tools a founder can use for free today without applying to a program. The order and the "best for" notes are our editorial reading of each tool's terms. Every term comes from the tool's own pricing or help page on the date shown, never from a third-party list; follow each link for the full conditions. A cap on files or tasks a day, a watermark, file size limits, editing or OCR kept for paid plans can matter more than the headline, so the comparison quotes them wherever the provider states them. Some of these tools pay StartupPerks a referral commission, and their links are labeled as referral links; that decides neither whether nor where a tool appears, and no tool pays for a placement on this page.
Read the full methodologyCommon questions
What is the best free PDF editor?
It depends on how often you edit. By the terms each provider states, PDF24 Tools is free with no artificial limits in the browser, PDFgear is completely free on PC, Mac, iPhone and iPad, PDFescape is always free online up to 10 MB, and Sejda is free with page and hourly limits.
Is Smallpdf free?
Smallpdf's free plan includes basic features of 21 tools, with 2 conversions a day; its Pro plan is $15 a month.
Is Adobe Acrobat free online?
Adobe's Acrobat online tools offer 25+ PDF and e-signing tools in any browser, with one free job on most tools without signing in; Acrobat Pro is US$19.99 a month.
Is there a free open-source PDF editor?
Yes. PDFsam Basic is free and open source for splitting, merging and rotating PDFs on Windows, macOS and Linux, and Stirling-PDF is an open-source PDF editor you can self-host.
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