The Foxit PDF Editor Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Foxit PDF Editor in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Foxit PDF Editor
The Insider’s Guide
PDF editor for Windows, Mac and web, yearly or as a one-time license
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among PDF editors, read from Foxit PDF Editor’s own pages.
Made by Foxit Software Incorporated · checked Oct 18, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Foxit PDF Editor’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Foxit PDF Editor’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 18, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.8
GPA, above 9 of the 15 other PDF editors we grade
Foxit PDF Editor is a desktop and web PDF editor for editing text and pages, converting to and from Office formats, running OCR on scans, building forms and redacting. Subscriptions run on Windows, macOS and the web, with the iOS and Android apps on PDF Editor+, and Foxit also sells a one-time perpetual license. Foxit eSign, the company's e-signature service, is a separate product listed on its own.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Foxit PDF Editor, taken from its own pages and our grades.
On a computer it's an editor you install and start using, with nothing to set up first.
- 1
Best for an Acrobat-style editor you can still buy outright
Just know the phone apps only come with PDF Editor+.
- 2
Paid plans start at $10.83 a month when paid by the year for each person
As its pricing page puts it: $129.99 per user / year.
- 3
You can try it first
14-day free trial of PDF Editor+, no credit card required
- 4
It runs on 5 platforms
Windows, macOS, Web, iOS and Android.
- 5
Editing and page tools
Edit text and images, add, delete and reorder pages, merge and split files, compare two versions, add Bates numbering and reduce file size.
- 6
Conversion and OCR
Converts PDFs to and from Word, Excel and PowerPoint, exports images, turns scans into searchable text and checks PDF/A and accessibility.
- 7
Forms and signing
Create fillable forms with JavaScript, fill and sign, and add certificate signatures; PDF Editor+ can also send for e-signature through Foxit eSign.
- 8
A 2.8 GPA, above 9 of 15
That is against the other PDF editors we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
The plain part of Foxit PDF Editor you could make: forms and documents. What surrounds it you could not. The 6 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
Foxit PDF Editor at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $129.99 per user / year
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- 14-day free trial of PDF Editor+, no credit card required
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android
- Made by
- Foxit Software Incorporated, since 2001
- Category
- PDF Editors
- Our grade
- 2.8 GPA, good
- Store rating
- 4.5 on the App Store, 4,763 ratings
The report card
Best for an Acrobat-style editor you can still buy outright
Foxit PDF Editor is a desktop app for Windows and Mac with a web version, and it does nearly everything Acrobat does: edit text, OCR, forms, redaction, compare. It's $129.99 a year, or $209.99 once if you hate subscriptions. Just know the phone apps only come with PDF Editor+.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | $129.99 a year for PDF Editor, the plan that edits text on Windows, Mac and web. That's the dear end of normal for PDF editors, not a bargain. Spread over three years, the $209.99 perpetual license works out cheaper, but still middling. |
| Free plan and trial | C | No free plan. There's a 14-day trial of PDF Editor+ with no card needed, which is plenty of time to see if it suits you. After that you pay or stop. |
| Features | B | Edits text and images, converts to and from Office, OCRs scans, builds forms with JavaScript, redacts, compares versions and adds Bates numbers. It covers the whole job. Smart Redact and the phone apps wait for PDF Editor+, and heavy AI use costs extra. |
| Ease of use | B | 4.5 from 4,763 App Store ratings for the Foxit PDF Editor app. On a computer it's an editor you install and start using, with nothing to set up first. |
| Platforms and integrations | A | Windows, Mac, web, iPhone and Android, with Microsoft 365, SharePoint, Google Drive, Dropbox, Box and Salesforce. Just note the phone apps come with PDF Editor+, not the base plan. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Foxit PDF Editor is for
- Great if you're leaving Acrobat and want the same jobs done for less a year
- Handy when you'd rather pay once, since a perpetual license is still sold
- Good for offices on Windows and Mac that keep files in SharePoint or Box
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want to edit on your phone on the base plan, as mobile needs PDF Editor+
- Pricey if you only fix a typo now and then, since free editors here do that
- Tight if you lean on the AI, as 300 credits a month is it before a paid add-on
Good to know
Good for
- Offices replacing Adobe Acrobat on Windows and Mac machines
- Buyers who prefer to pay once: a perpetual license is still sold
- Teams that also send documents for signature through Foxit eSign
Worth knowing
- The iOS and Android apps, AI Smart Redact and the 150 eSign envelopes a year come only with PDF Editor+; PDF Editor covers Windows, macOS and web.
- Both subscriptions are annual; the $10.99 and $13.99 monthly figures are an annual plan billed monthly, not a monthly plan.
- More AI use costs extra: the AI Assistant add-on is $49.99 a year for 2,000 credits a month and access to Foxit Workspace.
- Unlimited e-signature sending needs Foxit eSign, a separate product sold per user by the year.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$10.83
A month to start, paid by the year, for each person
Foxit PDF Editor is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $129.99 per user / year.
That's the dear end of normal for PDF editors, not a bargain.
PDF Editor
$129.99
per user / year ($10.99 a month on an annual plan billed monthly)
Windows, macOS and web apps: editing, conversion, OCR, forms, compare and security, with Foxit DMS and 300 AI credits a month.
PDF Editor+
$159.99
per user / year ($13.99 a month on an annual plan billed monthly)
Everything in PDF Editor plus the iOS and Android apps, AI Smart Redact and Foxit eSign Essentials with 150 envelopes a year.
Foxit PDF Editor 14 (Perpetual)
$209.99
one-time purchase per user
A perpetual license for version 14 of the editor, paid once instead of a subscription.
Volume Licensing
Custom
Quoted for 30 or more licenses, subscription or perpetual, with discounts of up to 30% and one renewal date.
Trying it first
14-day free trial of PDF Editor+, no credit card required
Read from foxit.com on Oct 18, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Other savings
Volume discounts from 30 licenses
Foxit's pricing page gives discounts of up to 30% on orders of 30 or more licenses, for subscriptions or perpetual licenses, quoted by its sales team.
Stated on foxit.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
5
Places it runs: Web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android
PDF editor for Windows, Mac and web, yearly or as a one-time license. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: one-time purchase, AI features, documents, forms, pDF editing.
Smart Redact and the phone apps wait for PDF Editor+, and heavy AI use costs extra.
- Editing and page tools
- Edit text and images, add, delete and reorder pages, merge and split files, compare two versions, add Bates numbering and reduce file size.
- Conversion and OCR
- Converts PDFs to and from Word, Excel and PowerPoint, exports images, turns scans into searchable text and checks PDF/A and accessibility.
- Forms and signing
- Create fillable forms with JavaScript, fill and sign, and add certificate signatures; PDF Editor+ can also send for e-signature through Foxit eSign.
- Redaction and protection
- Password protection, copy and edit restrictions and manual redaction on both plans, with AI Smart Redact to find personal data on PDF Editor+.
- AI Assistant
- Summarizes, translates, rewrites and answers questions about documents, with 300 credits a month included in every subscription.
- Foxit DMS
- Every subscription includes Foxit's document management system with unlimited cloud storage, shared workspaces, check-in and check-out and version history.
Where it runs
- Web
- macOS
- Windows
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- Microsoft 365
- SharePoint
- Google Drive
- Dropbox
- Box
- OneDrive
- Salesforce
- Foxit eSign
Foxit PDF Editor is made by Foxit Software Incorporated, and has been around since 2001.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
9/15
Other PDF editors it is graded above
Foxit PDF Editor's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 9 of the 15 other PDF editors we grade, and level with 3.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (A, above 13 of 15) and worst on free plan and trial (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $10.83 a month when paid by the year for each person, against a middle price of $6.67 for the category: 8 of the 10 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.3 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 16 PDF editors we grade, cut by the letter each got. Foxit PDF Editor’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 2 of 15
- CFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 15
- BFeaturesAbove 10 of 15
- BEase of useAbove 2 of 15
- APlatforms and integrationsAbove 13 of 15
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 13 PDF editors. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Foxit PDF Editor is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
The plain part of Foxit PDF Editor you could make: forms and documents. What surrounds it you could not. The 6 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
It costs $129.99 a year.
What you could make
- Forms and documents: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Editing the text inside a PDF without breaking its layout.
- Apps for macOS, Windows, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
- It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.
- It plugs into other products, Microsoft 365, SharePoint and Google Drive among them.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Foxit PDF Editor’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Adobe Acrobat, Nitro PDF Pro, PDFelement, UPDF and Foxit eSign
The 5 tools Foxit PDF Editor is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.6GPA
Adobe Acrobat
Free plan · from $14.99/mo
Adobe's PDF editor for desktop, web and mobile, with an AI tier.
- Adobe Acrobat has a free plan. Foxit PDF Editor does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Adobe Acrobat lists a browser extension.
- Foxit PDF Editor can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- 2.2GPA
Nitro PDF Pro
Free trial · from $15/mo
Desktop PDF editor for Windows and Mac with AI tools, billed yearly.
- Only Foxit PDF Editor lists an Android app.
- Foxit PDF Editor can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Foxit PDF Editor also covers forms.
- 2.8GPA
PDFelement
Free trial · from $11.99
Wondershare's PDF editor, by subscription or a one-time license.
- Foxit PDF Editor also covers documents.
- 3.0GPA
UPDF
Free trial · from $49.99/yr
PDF editor with AI chat, one license across desktop and mobile.
- Only Foxit PDF Editor lists a web app.
- Foxit PDF Editor also covers documents.
- 2.4GPA
Foxit eSign
Free trial · from $120/yr
E-signatures with payments, notary and storage, priced per user a year.
- Only Foxit PDF Editor lists Windows and macOS apps.
- Foxit PDF Editor can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Foxit PDF Editor also covers pDF editing.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Foxit PDF Editor free?
No, Foxit PDF Editor is a paid product, but you can try it first. 14-day free trial of PDF Editor+, no credit card required.
How much does Foxit PDF Editor cost?
Foxit PDF Editor lists 4 plans. PDF Editor: $129.99 per user / year ($10.99 a month on an annual plan billed monthly).
What platforms does Foxit PDF Editor work on?
Foxit PDF Editor is available on Windows, macOS, Web, iOS and Android.
Does Foxit PDF Editor offer any discounts?
Foxit PDF Editor publicly lists the following: Volume discounts from 30 licenses.
How is Foxit PDF Editor rated?
Foxit PDF Editor's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.5 out of 5 from 4,763 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 18, 2026.
Does Foxit PDF Editor have a Linux app?
No Linux app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Foxit PDF Editor is listed for Windows, macOS, Web, iOS and Android.
Is Foxit PDF Editor open source?
Foxit PDF Editor is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 18, 2026.
What does Foxit PDF Editor integrate with?
Foxit PDF Editor's listing names Microsoft 365, SharePoint, Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, OneDrive, Salesforce and Foxit eSign.
Who makes Foxit PDF Editor?
Foxit PDF Editor is made by Foxit Software Incorporated. It dates from 2001.
What are the alternatives to Foxit PDF Editor?
The closest alternatives to Foxit PDF Editor in our directory are Adobe Acrobat, Nitro PDF Pro, PDFelement, UPDF and Foxit eSign.
How does Foxit PDF Editor compare with other PDF editors?
Foxit PDF Editor's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 9 of the 15 other PDF editors we grade, and level with 3.
Is Foxit PDF Editor good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Foxit PDF Editor C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $10.83 a month when paid by the year for each person, against a middle price of $6.67 for the category: 8 of the 10 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Foxit PDF Editor?
The plain part of Foxit PDF Editor you could make: forms and documents.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Foxit PDF Editor’s own pages on Oct 18, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 18, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Foxit's own pages on 18 October 2026, and its App Store rating. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Foxit Software Incorporated. Prices change, so check foxit.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
2,281
Tools graded, in 73 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
2,281
tools graded
73
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Foxit PDF Editor, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/foxit
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Foxit PDF Editor: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 18, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/foxit
Know someone choosing between PDF editors?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/foxit/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded PDF editors after Foxit PDF Editor, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- PDF Editors Insider's GuideEvery one of the 16 PDF editors we grade, compared
- PDFgear Insider's GuideFree PDF editor for desktop, mobile and web with an AI copilot3.4 GPA
- PDF24 Tools Insider's GuideFree online PDF tools paid for by ads, plus an offline Windows app3.0 GPA
- UPDF Insider's GuidePDF editor with AI chat, one license across desktop and mobile3.0 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Foxit PDF Editor’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. Foxit PDF Editor is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Foxit Software Incorporated. Prices and plans change: check foxit.com before you buy.