Xodo PDF Studio vs PDFill PDF Editor (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, PDFill PDF Editor grades higher than Xodo PDF Studio: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Xodo PDF Studio grades higher on features, ease of use and platforms. PDFill PDF Editor grades higher on value for money and the free plan.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Xodo PDF Studio
Offline PDF editor for Windows, Mac and Linux, formerly Qoppa
PDFill PDF Editor
Windows PDF editor with a free basic version and low-cost licenses
Which one is for you
Pick Xodo PDF Studio if
- Fits if you want an offline editor on Linux as well as Windows and Mac
- Works for people who need batch actions and document comparison
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you pay monthly, at $19.99 against $9.99 billed yearly
- Tight if you want a free option, because the demo watermarks saved files
- Watch out: the trial needs a credit card
- Skip it if you want a browser or phone version, as Xodo Web is a separate product
- Watch out: Qoppa's older pages still show an old sale banner and a coupon placeholder
Pick PDFill PDF Editor if
- Fits if you want to fill and mark up PDFs on Windows for nothing
- Works for people who prefer paying once
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use a Mac, Linux or Android
- Watch out: the free edition shows an advertisement link
- Tight if you need to edit original text, redact or scan, which are paid-edition features
- Watch out: the download page lists version 15.0 updated in March 2021, and it needs Ghostscript
- Watch out: evaluation copies of the paid editions watermark edited PDFs
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAXodo PDF StudioFair | 2.4GPAPDFill PDF EditorFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$9.99 a month billed yearly sits between the $6.67 middle and the $10.83 dearer quarter; the monthly plan is $19.99 and the perpetual license is $240. | A$19.99 one-time with free lifetime upgrades is under a year of the $7.99 middle subscription for PDF editors. |
| Free plan and trial | DThe free trial needs a credit card, and the downloadable demo adds watermarks. | BFree Basic fills forms, types text and marks up with no watermark, though it shows an advertisement link. |
| Features | BContent editing, OCR, redaction, batch actions, conversion and comparison. The listing shows no gap in the core work. | COriginal-content editing, redaction and OCR are paid-only, and the page shows a 2021 update date, so the listing shows gaps. |
| Ease of use | BNo rating on record; a program you install and use, with nothing to set up. | CNo store rating on record. It needs Ghostscript installed, which is extra setup. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWindows, Mac and Linux, which are computers only. No browser or phone edition in this plan. | DWindows only; the vendor says it does not support Mac, Linux or Android. |
| Best for | an offline PDF editor on Windows, Mac and Linux | cheap one-time Windows PDF markup |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Xodo PDF Studio and PDFill PDF Editor. How we grade
Where they differ
- Xodo PDF Studio also covers workflow automation.
- PDFill PDF Editor also covers forms.
At a glance
| Xodo PDF Studio | PDFill PDF Editor | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $9.99 per month, billed annually ($19.99 billed monthly) | $19.99 one-time, with free lifetime upgrades |
| Free plan | None | Free Basic version: fill forms, type text and add markup, with no watermark; it shows an advertisement link. |
| Free trial | Free trial with full features; a credit card is required. The downloadable demo adds watermarks. | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Apryse Software Inc. | PlotSoft L.L.C. |
| Price read from | xodo.com | pdfill.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Xodo PDF Studio
- There is no free version; the downloadable demo puts watermarks on saved documents.
- The free trial needs a credit card.
- Desktop only: there is no browser or mobile edition inside this plan, and Xodo Web is a separate product.
- Qoppa's own pages now point to Xodo, and its older sale banner and coupon placeholder still show.
PDFill PDF Editor
- Windows only; the vendor says it does not support Mac, Linux or Android.
- The free evaluation copies of Professional and Enterprise watermark the edited PDFs.
- The download page lists version 15.0 Build 3 updated in March 2021, and it needs Ghostscript.
- Original-content editing, redaction and OCR are listed only on the paid-edition comparison, not the free Basic edition.
Key features
Xodo PDF Studio
- Content editing
- Edit text and images inside a PDF, add watermarks, headers and footers, and design interactive forms.
- OCR and scanning
- Scan to PDF and turn scanned pages and images into searchable text with built-in OCR.
- Security and redaction
- Password-protect files, sign them digitally, redact content and sanitize hidden data.
- Batch and Action Wizard
- Process many PDFs at once and automate repeated tasks with the Action Wizard.
- Conversion and comparison
- Convert to and from Microsoft Office files and HTML, and compare two PDFs with an overlay.
- Standards support
- Supports PDF 2.0 and the PDF/A, PDF/X and PDF/UA standards, with print and prepress tools.
PDFill PDF Editor
- Fill and type on forms
- Fills interactive forms with spell check and an autofill list, and types formatted text, checks or images onto any page.
- Form maker
- Creates fillable text, check box, radio, combo, list and button fields with keystroke, format, validate and calculate actions.
- Editing of original content
- Paid editions list deleting or replacing original text, images, form fields and comments, and redacting content; see the comparison page.
- Page and document tools
- Inserts, extracts and replaces pages, adds bookmarks, headers, watermarks, Bates numbers, signatures, and runs OCR.
- Markup and ink
- Markup tools cover stamps, text boxes, highlights and shapes; a pen-input ink annotator is listed for the paid editions.
- Free PDF writer and tools
- The package includes a virtual printer that creates PDFs or images from printable programs, plus merge, split, encrypt and watermark tools.
Plans
Xodo PDF Studio
Yearly subscription$9.99
per month, billed annually ($119.88 a year)
60+ professional tools on desktop, usable offline on Windows, macOS and Linux.
Monthly subscription$19.99
per month, billed monthly
The same desktop editor with no yearly commitment.
Perpetual license$240
one-time purchase per user
Pay once and keep the editor; the pricing page offers 1, 2 or 3 year support periods.
PDFill PDF Editor
Free Basic$0
Form filling, typewriter text, form maker and markup tools; an advertisement link is shown.
Professional$19.99
one-time per user, with free lifetime upgrade
Removes the advertisement link and unlocks the paid features; the comparison page marks which tools need Enterprise.
Enterprise$39.99
one-time per user, with free lifetime upgrade
Adds 170 Office shapes, custom shapes and fill mode; the comparison page lists the editing, redaction and scanner tools.
Ways to pay less
Xodo PDF Studio
- Annual discount
Save $120 a year with yearly billing
Xodo's PDF Studio page lists $9.99 a month on the yearly plan against $19.99 monthly, a saving of $120 a year.
- Other savings
Volume discounts for teams
Xodo says volume discounts are available for teams and enterprises, and offers custom quotes.
PDFill PDF Editor
- Other savings
Multi-license discount
The order page gives extra free licenses on bulk purchases, such as 8 licenses at $19.99 each with 2 more free.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Xodo PDF Studio or PDFill PDF Editor?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Xodo PDF Studio starts at $9.99 per month, billed annually ($19.99 billed monthly), and PDFill PDF Editor starts at $19.99 one-time, with free lifetime upgrades.
Which has a free plan, Xodo PDF Studio or PDFill PDF Editor?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only PDFill PDF Editor has a free plan. Xodo PDF Studio does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do Xodo PDF Studio and PDFill PDF Editor run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Xodo PDF Studio lists macOS and Linux apps. Both list a Windows app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.