PDF Editors

Our top three PDF editors

PDFgear comes first: it edits existing text, converts, runs OCR and signs on Windows, Mac, phones and the web for nothing, with no account. UPDF is second for people who want a paid editor on computer and phone that also redacts and compares, at $49.99 a year or $79.99 once on the US App Store. Foxit PDF Editor is third for offices, at $129.99 per user a year. PDF24 matches UPDF's grade and is free for business use, but cannot change existing text. Adobe Acrobat requests e-signatures on every paid plan, but OCR and redaction need Pro at $19.99 a month on an annual plan.

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   First: PDFgear

   Free

   For: Most people who edit, sign and convert PDFs

   PDFgear edits existing text, images and form fields, converts to and from Word, Excel and PowerPoint in batches, runs OCR in more than 30 languages, signs, and answers questions about a file with an AI copilot. Every feature is free on Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android and the web, with no account, and the maker says it shows no ads and covers its costs with investment. Know the limits: it says some advanced options may become paid, some conversions upload files to its cloud servers, sending for e-signature is on eSignGear, a separate site, and there is no Linux version or redaction tool in its listing.

   PDFgear pricing and details
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   Second: UPDF

   Free trial · from $49.99/yr

   For: People who want a paid editor on computer and phone

   UPDF edits text and images, converts to Office and PDF/A, runs OCR in 38 languages, builds forms, redacts, compares two PDFs and adds Bates numbers in batches, and one license covers Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android, synced through UPDF Cloud. On the US App Store it is $49.99 a year or $79.99 once; updf.com's prices could not be read and may differ. It is second because PDFgear does the everyday jobs for nothing: UPDF's free version allows 2 conversions a day and watermarks saved changes, the AI assistant is a separate subscription, there is no browser version, and the Mac App Store edition leaves out OCR.

   UPDF pricing and details
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   Third: Foxit PDF Editor

   Free trial · from $129.99/yr

   For: Offices that want a full desktop editor

   Foxit PDF Editor edits text and pages, converts to and from Office, runs OCR, builds forms, redacts and compares versions on Windows, Mac and the web, and works with Microsoft 365, SharePoint, Google Drive, Box and Salesforce. PDF Editor is $129.99 per user a year, PDF Editor+, at $159.99, adds the iPhone and Android apps and 150 e-signature envelopes a year, and a perpetual license is $209.99 once. It is third because it costs more than UPDF and has no free plan, only a 14-day trial with no card; both subscriptions are annual, and the phone apps need PDF Editor+. Its iPhone and iPad app averages 4.5 from about 4,800 ratings.

   iPhone and iPad app: 4.5 out of 5 on the App Store

   Foxit PDF Editor pricing and details

Ranked on Oct 18, 2026 from what each listing shows and what people say about the tool, not from our own testing. How we rank