Alternatives · PDF Editors
PDFgear alternatives
PDFgear compared with 6 alternatives: PDF24 Tools, UPDF, PDFelement, Smallpdf, PDF Expert and 1 more.
PDFgear is free to use. 4 of the 6 alternatives are free or have a free plan. 2 more offer a free trial.
6 tools · Listings checked up to Oct 18, 2026 · Where the facts come from
At a glance
| Tool | Price | Free plan | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|
| PDFgearThis tool | Free | Free | Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Browser extension |
| PDF24 Tools | Free | Free | Web, Windows |
| UPDF | Free trial · from $49.99/yr | Trial only | macOS, Windows, iOS, Android |
| PDFelement | Free trial · from $11.99 | Trial only | Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android |
| Smallpdf | Free plan | Yes | Web, Windows, iOS, Android, Browser extension |
| PDF Expert | Free plan · from $79.99/yr | Yes | macOS, iOS |
| Sejda | Free plan · from $5 one-time | Yes | Web, macOS, Windows, Linux |
Price against what you get
PDFgear has no paid plan and scores 3.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. None of the 4 alternatives on this chart both scores higher and starts lower.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
How each one differs from PDFgear
- Free
PDF24 Tools
Free online PDF tools paid for by ads, plus an offline Windows app
- PDF24 Tools is free. PDFgear is free.
- Only PDFgear lists macOS, iOS and Android apps.
- Only PDFgear lists a browser extension.
- PDFgear also covers forms.
Suits: Anyone who needs common PDF jobs done for free with no account
- Free trial · from $49.99/yr
UPDF
PDF editor with AI chat, one license across desktop and mobile
- UPDF starts at $49.99 per year (US App Store). PDFgear is free.
- PDFgear has a free plan. UPDF does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only PDFgear lists a web app.
- Only PDFgear lists a browser extension.
- UPDF can be bought with a one-time purchase.
Suits: People who work on PDFs across a computer, a phone and a tablet
- Free trial · from $11.99
PDFelement
Wondershare's PDF editor, by subscription or a one-time license
- PDFelement starts at $11.99 per quarter for one platform. PDFgear is free.
- PDFgear has a free plan. PDFelement does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only PDFgear lists a browser extension.
- PDFelement can be bought with a one-time purchase.
Suits: Windows or Mac users who want to pay once for a PDF editor
- Free plan
Smallpdf
30-plus PDF tools in the browser, with Windows and mobile apps
- Only PDFgear lists a macOS app.
- PDFgear also covers forms.
Suits: People who convert or shrink a PDF now and then in the browser
- Free plan · from $79.99/yr
PDF Expert
PDF reader and editor for Mac, iPhone and iPad from Readdle
- PDF Expert starts at $79.99 per year. PDFgear is free.
- Only PDFgear lists a web app.
- Only PDFgear lists Windows and Android apps.
- Only PDFgear lists a browser extension.
Suits: Mac, iPad and iPhone users who want one subscription across all three
- Free plan · from $5 one-time
Sejda
Web and desktop PDF tools, free within daily limits or by the week
- Sejda starts at $5 per user for 7 days, paid once, with no renewal. PDFgear is free.
- Only Sejda lists a Linux app.
- Only PDFgear lists iOS and Android apps.
- Only PDFgear lists a browser extension.
Suits: One-off jobs: a week pass covers a short burst of PDF work
Limits worth knowing in PDFgear
- PDFgear says most features will stay free but some advanced options, such as cloud AI tools and special conversions, may become paid.
- Some advanced conversions upload files to its Amazon cloud servers; the maker says they are deleted straight after processing.
- There is no Linux version; the apps cover Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad and Android.
- It is a young product: the first version came out in 2022.
Common questions
What are the alternatives to PDFgear?
The alternatives to PDFgear in this directory are PDF24 Tools, UPDF, PDFelement, Smallpdf, PDF Expert and Sejda. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with PDFgear.
Is there a free alternative to PDFgear?
Yes. PDF24 Tools is free to use. Smallpdf, PDF Expert and Sejda have a free plan alongside paid ones.
Which PDFgear alternatives work on Linux?
The PDFgear listing does not include a Linux app. Sejda lists one.
When were these prices checked?
Every listing on this page was checked on Oct 18, 2026, against the pages it cites. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.