PDF Annotator vs PDF-XChange Editor (2026): which should you pick?

Pick PDF Annotator if

• Fits if you mark up and sign PDFs by pen on Windows
• Works for people who measure on plans in PDFs

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you use a Mac or phone, as it is Windows only
• Not for you if you need to edit existing text, which the pages read do not list
• Watch out: the license covers version 10, and a later major version needs an upgrade or Upgrade Assurance at $39.94
• Watch out: prices exclude VAT and volume pricing needs a quote

Pick PDF-XChange Editor if

• Fits if you are on Windows and want a one-time purchase
• Works for people who can live with the free edition for markup

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you use a Mac, Linux or a phone, as it is Windows only
• Tight if you need forms or compare, because those need Editor Plus at $79
• Watch out: licensed features add watermarks in the free version
• Watch out: updates cover 1 year, then renewals cost about 25% of the license price a year
• Not for you if you want a refund, as none is given once license keys are released

PDF Annotator

• It runs on Windows only; there is no Mac, mobile or browser version.
• The license covers version 10; a later major version needs an upgrade purchase or Upgrade Assurance.
• Prices exclude VAT, and volume pricing needs a quote for purchase orders.
• It is built for marking up and organizing pages, and the pages read do not list editing of existing text.

PDF-XChange Editor

• It runs on Windows 10 and later only; there is no Mac, Linux or browser edition.
• The vendor gives no refunds after license keys are released, so test the free version first.
• Maintenance (updates) covers 1 year; renewals within 30 days of expiry cost about 25% of the license price per year.
• Form creation, document compare and the enhanced OCR need Editor Plus, not the standard license.

PDF Annotator

Pen, text and highlighter

Write by hand or type comments directly on a PDF, and mark passages with a text marker.

Shapes, stamps and images

Arrows, lines, rectangles and circles, more than 330 predefined stamps, date and signature stamps, and inserted images.

Measuring tools

Dimension distances and areas and measure angles on PDF plans or technical drawings.

Formula editor

Creates and edits scientific formulas, with LaTeX support.

Create and combine PDFs

A virtual PDF printer creates PDFs from other applications, and pages can be inserted, merged and reordered.

Full-screen presentation

Presents PDFs full screen, with annotation tools available while presenting.

PDF-XChange Editor

Editing and markup

Edit text and images and annotate PDFs, with over 400 features in all, 145 of them licensed.

OCR

Built-in OCR makes scanned documents searchable; Editor Plus uses a more accurate engine.

Forms (Plus)

Editor Plus creates and edits fillable forms and can turn non-interactive PDFs into forms with Identify Forms.

Compare documents (Plus)

Editor Plus compares two documents and summarizes insertions, deletions, replacements and style changes.

AI Assistant

Analyzes and answers questions about PDFs using OpenAI, Anthropic or Google models; it needs your own API key.

Signing tools

The FreeSign tool adds signatures and initials, and Plus can add placeholders where signers should sign.

PDF Annotator

• License$79.95

  one-time per user, for 1 to 4 users

  Perpetual license for version 10 with free updates within that version; volume prices fall to $23.95 per user at 1,000 or more.

• Upgrade Assurance$39.94

  for 2 years per user, one-time

  Optional add-on covering 2 years of all updates, including major ones, and priority support tickets.

PDF-XChange Editor

• Free$0

  Free for private and commercial use; features marked as licensed add watermarks to saved output.

• Editor, single user$62

  one-time purchase per user

  Perpetual license with 1 year of maintenance; 2 or 3 years can be added at purchase.

• Editor Plus, single user$79

  one-time purchase per user

  Adds a more accurate OCR engine, form creation, document compare, Identify Forms and dynamic stamps.

• Editor, 3 user pack$168

  one-time purchase for 3 users

  Perpetual licenses for 3 users; larger packs run up to 1000 users and site licenses.

PDF Annotator

• Education

  Student and faculty licenses

  The shop page has separate Student Licenses and Faculty Licenses tabs; prices are shown there.

PDF-XChange Editor

• Education

  Charity and academic offers

  PDF-XChange lists a page of registered charity and academic offers; the free version may also be used in academic settings.

• Other savings

  Cheaper extended maintenance at purchase

  Adding 2 or 3 years of maintenance when buying costs less than renewing later; the pricing page shows examples.