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PDFgear alternatives · PDF Editors

Open-source alternatives to PDFgear

PDFgear is not described as open source on its own site. 4 of the 45 other PDF editors in this directory are open source, according to their own sites.

PDFgear is free to use. All of them are free or have a free plan.

4 tools · Listings checked up to Nov 13, 2026 · Where the facts come from

How each one differs from PDFgear

  1. PDFsam

    Split and merge PDFs offline, with paid Visual and Enhanced editions

    • PDFsam starts at $34.90 per user / year (PDFsam Visual); PDFsam Basic is free. PDFgear is free.
    • Only PDFsam lists a Linux app.
    • Only PDFgear lists a web app.
    • Only PDFgear lists iOS and Android apps.
    PDFsam vs PDFgearPDFsam pricing and details

  2. Skim

    Free PDF reader and note-taker for Mac, built for papers

    • Skim is free. PDFgear is free.
    • Only PDFgear lists a web app.
    • Only PDFgear lists Windows, iOS and Android apps.
    • Only PDFgear lists a browser extension.
    Skim vs PDFgearSkim pricing and details

  3. Stirling PDF

    Open-source PDF editor you can run on your own machine or server

    • Stirling PDF starts at $99 per month for 100 users (Team). PDFgear is free.
    • Only Stirling PDF lists a Linux app.
    • Only PDFgear lists iOS and Android apps.
    • Only PDFgear lists a browser extension.
    Stirling PDF vs PDFgearStirling PDF pricing and details

  4. SumatraPDF

    Small, free PDF, eBook and comic reader for Windows

    • SumatraPDF is free. PDFgear is free.
    • Only PDFgear lists macOS, iOS and Android apps.
    • Only PDFgear lists a browser extension.
    • SumatraPDF is open source, according to its own site.
    SumatraPDF vs PDFgearSumatraPDF pricing and details

Common questions

Is there an open-source alternative to PDFgear?

Yes. PDFsam, Skim, Stirling PDF and SumatraPDF are open source, according to their own sites.

Is PDFgear open source?

PDFgear is not described as open source on its own site. The listing was checked on Oct 18, 2026 against the pages it cites.

When was this checked?

Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Oct 18, 2026 to Nov 13, 2026. Vendors change prices and plans without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.

This page is built from the listings. A tool is here because its listing says so, and the order is how close each is to PDFgear: the alternatives its listing names first, then the tools that share the most features with it.