10 Best Free PDF Editor for Windows (Online & Desktop)

PDF is an open-standard document format that has been around for over 25 years. It provides a convenient way to create and share documents with others regardless of their device; be it a desktop or a smartphone. Oftentimes, there’s a need for editing, creating, and managing these PDF files, which is when you would need a free PDF editor Windows. There are many PDF editors for Windows that can be used for this purpose; some of them are online-based while others are desktop- or mobile-based. But, the problem is that there are so many choices that it can be hard to find the one that's right for you.

Best 5 Free PDF Editor Windows: Online

1. HiPDF

HiPDF is a popular online PDF editor software for Windows that offers a slew of features like text formatting, image insertion, shapes drawing, comments addition, and more. It is most commonly used for creating and annotating a PDF file with ease thanks to its many versatile features. And finally, the editor also lets you share the PDF document across different platforms. It’s also great for converting Word to PDF, Excel to PDF, and even Image to PDF, which takes just a couple of steps.

If you are looking to have just a few PDF documents edited now and then, then the free PDF editor Windows version of the HiPDF is a perfectly fine online PDF editing tool for you. However, if you are someone who requires a large (unlimited) number of edits on a daily basis then you have the option of choosing one of their affordable subscription choices.

2. Smallpdf

One other very common online free PDF editor for Windows is the Smallpdf. It has a simple, easy-to-use interface that lets you create, edit and share PDF documents online. However, the website layout may not be professional enough to some users’ liking, but it's functional and effective, serving the purpose.

On that note, Smallpdf can be your go-to tool for handling simple PDF management requirements, such as size compression, page deletion, and file conversions. It’s also ideal for creating custom invoices and adding headers or footers, watermarks, page numbers, etc. It detects the correct file format no matter how it’s uploaded and effectively converts it to the file format of your requirement without any compromise to the content’s quality.

It is also easy to use; Smallpdf being an online tool, you do not have to download any PDF editor software for Windows. Just log in to the website, and get started with your PDF work.

3. PDF2Go

PDF2Go is a web-based editor that can be accessed from any device with a browser, meaning you can use it on your desktop, laptop, tablet, or smartphone. You can also access it from the mobile app or by logging in via your Google account.

PDF2Go lets you edit and annotate PDF files online. You can make annotations such as highlighting text, drawing shapes, adding freehand drawings, and typing text directly onto the document. But, there isn’t an option for adding e-sign or watermarking the document. Finally, you can also save it to the cloud storage service of your choice.

You can create new PDF files by uploading documents in various formats such as Word documents (.docx), or Excel spreadsheets (.xlsx). As it supports batch processing of documents, you can have a hands-off experience when having to convert or compress multiple PDF files at a go. However, while using the free PDF editor Windows version, you are confronted with a ton of ads, which is a trade-off that you should be willing to overlook.

4. PDFescape

PDFescape is an online PDF editor Windows version that lets you edit PDFs, merge multiple PDF files, extract pages from them and convert them to other formats including JPG and PNG. And you can access most of its features for free. Being one of the best free PDF editor for Windows, this online editor covers reading, editing, creation, form filling, and annotation, but is limited by the no. of pages (100 pages) or the size (10MB) of the file that you can work with. Also, you cannot edit any existing text within the PDF document.

Its interface is simple yet well organized with a drag-and-drop system that makes all the processes from creating a new PDF to editing, saving, and sharing it extremely simple.

If you are looking for a user-friendly, browser-run PDF editor that you can use with ease, or simply want to view a PDF document without having to install any PDF editor software for Windows, then PDFescape can be a great choice for you.

5. iLovePDF

iLovePDF is another popular PDF Editor for Windows that lets you create a new document from scratch, add pages, insert text, images, edit fonts and colors of text, sign, and share your PDFs. You can also use it to convert your existing Office documents to PDF files.

Among other processes in its centralized platform, iLovePDF enables team members to create document groups. These can be then customized with specific watermarks, logos, and signatures. The members within the group can individually organize, optimize, and edit the PDF files. A must-have feature for businesses with different groups handling a project.

All of these features are packed within an online environment where you do not have to download and install any PDF editor software for Windows. Most of its features are available for free for anyone to use. Its simple user interface is designed for an easy 'drag & drop' functionality that is one of the quickest for all your downloading or uploading actions.

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5 Best PDF Editor for Windows: Desktop

6. PDFelement

PDFelement is an all-in-one PDF solution that’s viewed as a leading alternative to Adobe Acrobat. If you are looking for an enterprise-grade PDF editor Windows version with functionalities and features equivalent to the premium version of Acrobat but at a fraction of its cost, this is just the right pick for you.

While the free PDF editor Windows version comes packed with all the necessary features expected of a modern PDF editor for editing, creating, and converting PDF files, the application’s advanced offerings intrigue even the most professional users. From being able to trace editing history, to being able to organize your PDF workflow, PDFelement can function as a one-stop solution for most of your PDF-related challenges.

Its various features are designed specifically for your editing convenience, and you can practically customize every aspect of the PDF document. Despite including this multitude of functionalities the user interface is easy to navigate and extremely comprehensive.

7. Adobe Acrobat

Adobe Acrobat Pro DC is a desktop PDF editor Windows version that has been designed with the professional user in mind. It requires no introduction if you have worked with PDFs before. And, it is just that, an excellent tool for anyone who needs to create, edit, and sign PDF documents.

The interface is made to be easily navigable and sports a tabbed layout to help keep the workspace clean and accessible to all. Despite this, new users have a pretty daunting experience with it.

Whatever the case, the rich features of Acrobat Pro DC make it a proficient tool for everything from editing scanned paper documents, to converting between various formats and merging files.

The DC in the Acrobat Pro stands for Document Cloud, meaning users can now upload all their documents to an online and secure cloud platform that enhances file storage and security. Also, this enables access to any essential document across computers, browsers, and even mobile devices.

8. Foxit PDF Editor Pro

Foxit PDF Editor Pro is yet another great tool if you are looking for a professional-grade PDF editor Windows version. It’s known for the many advanced editing functionalities and features, which enable a quick and easy PDF setup. Also, its top-of-the-line security offering is perfect for businesses that consider data-protecting as one of their highest priorities.

And, when it comes to the application layout, it has a clean user interface cleverly designed to be similar to that of Microsoft Office’s, making it a very familiar environment to navigate even for a novice. It even offers a plethora of video tutorials to help you get through the hurdles that one may experience while making use of this tool.

Foxit PDF editor is one of the easiest to get into if you are just starting with editing PDFs. But, that doesn’t mean it’s any inferior to the top players; on the contrary, you can stick with it for your end-to-end customization needs.

It supports all the major operating systems and is available in multiple languages.

9. PDF Complete

PDF Complete Office Edition is one of the best free PDF editor Windows versions that’s also available for Mac. It is a powerful all-in-one suite that enables you to edit, convert, create, and manage PDF files. You can create PDFs from formats such as DOCX, XLSX, PPTX, ODT, etc. And, convert PDFs into multiple formats including Microsoft Office formats, Open Office formats, and even eBook formats such as EPUB, ALTO, FBW, etc.

The interface of PDF Complete is pretty straightforward and designed to the likeness of Adobe Acrobat. So, people migrating from it will feel right at home with PDF Complete. A great choice if you are looking for an alternative that doesn’t stray too far from what you are already familiar with.

And, a neat little feature is, each PDF opens in its own tab, allowing you to easily navigate between them without having to shuffle through multiple windows.

10. Nitro PDF Pro

Nitro PDF Pro is a powerful tool and is considered by many to be the best free PDF editor for Windows. It has all the features that you need to create, edit, and convert PDF documents.

You can use it to change fonts, add images, or even fill in forms. Nitro Pro will also automatically save your work and allow you to resume editing wherever you left off, even if your computer unexpectedly shuts down. Also, it is integrated with Microsoft 365, Box, Google Drive, OneDrive for Business, and Dropbox for convenient cloud storage functionality.

The tool sports the ribbon-style UI to provide you easy access to all the important features within just a couple of clicks. This includes every important feature from editing and converting to signing and combining of different files.

Also, being a lightweight PDF editor software for Windows, you can run it even on older, slower devices and still experience everything it has to offer.