The PDF-XChange Editor Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about PDF-XChange 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.
PDF-XChange Editor
The Insider’s Guide
Windows PDF editor with a free edition and perpetual licenses
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among PDF editors, read from PDF-XChange Editor’s own pages.
Made by PDF-XChange Co Ltd · checked Nov 12, 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 PDF-XChange Editor’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on PDF-XChange Editor’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 12, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.6
GPA, above 11 of the 28 other PDF editors we grade
PDF-XChange Editor, from PDF-XChange Co Ltd, is a Windows PDF editor with more than 400 features. A free version leaves about 70% of features unrestricted. Licensed features, such as OCR, form creation and document comparison, add watermarks to output until you buy a perpetual license for Editor or Editor Plus.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about PDF-XChange Editor, taken from its own pages and our grades.
No rating on record; a program you install and use, with nothing to set up.
- 1
Best for a Windows PDF editor with a free edition
PDF-XChange Editor is a Windows PDF editor with a free edition and a $62 one-time license.
- 2
What it costs
Paid plans start at $62 per user, one-time purchase.
- 3
There is a free plan
Free version with about 70% of features unrestricted; licensed features add watermarks to output.
- 4
It runs on Windows
Windows.
- 5
Editing and markup
Edit text and images and annotate PDFs, with over 400 features in all, 145 of them licensed.
- 6
OCR
Built-in OCR makes scanned documents searchable; Editor Plus uses a more accurate engine.
- 7
Forms (Plus)
Editor Plus creates and edits fillable forms and can turn non-interactive PDFs into forms with Identify Forms.
- 8
A 2.6 GPA, above 11 of 28
That is against the other PDF editors we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
Nothing PDF-XChange Editor does is plain enough to make in a weekend. The 4 things listed below take a company.
PDF-XChange Editor at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $62 per user, one-time purchase
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Windows
- Made by
- PDF-XChange Co Ltd
- Category
- PDF Editors
- Our grade
- 2.6 GPA, good
The report card
Best for a Windows PDF editor with a free edition
PDF-XChange Editor is a Windows PDF editor with a free edition and a $62 one-time license. It runs on Windows only, and form creation, compare and the better OCR need the $79 Editor Plus.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | $62 one-time is under a year ($80) of the category's middle subscription, with one year of updates included. |
| Free plan and trial | B | The free version leaves about 70% of features unrestricted; licensed features add a watermark to output. |
| Features | C | Editing, markup, OCR, signing tools and an AI assistant. Form creation, compare and the enhanced OCR need Editor Plus. |
| Ease of use | B | No rating on record; a program you install and use, with nothing to set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | D | Windows 10 and later only: no Mac, Linux, browser or phone version. |
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 PDF-XChange Editor is for
- Fits if you are on Windows and want a one-time purchase
- Works for people who can live with the free edition for markup
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- Windows users who want to pay once rather than subscribe
- People whose needs are covered by the free edition's unrestricted features
- Teams buying packs of 3 to 1000 licenses
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$62 one-time
To start. There is a free plan too
PDF-XChange Editor has a free plan. Paid plans start at $62 per user, one-time purchase.
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.
The free plan
Free version with about 70% of features unrestricted; licensed features add watermarks to output.
Read from pdf-xchange.com on Nov 12, 2026.
Ways to pay less
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.
Stated on pdf-xchange.comOther 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.
Stated on pdf-xchange.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Windows
Windows PDF editor with a free edition and perpetual licenses. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: works offline, one-time purchase, AI features, pDF editing.
Editing, markup, OCR, signing tools and an AI assistant.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Windows
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
PDF-XChange Editor is made by PDF-XChange Co Ltd.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
11/28
Other PDF editors it is graded above
PDF-XChange Editor's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 11 of the 28 other PDF editors we grade, and level with 6.
It stands best on value for money (A, above 21 of 28) and worst on platforms and integrations (D, above 0).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 29 PDF editors we grade, cut by the letter each got. PDF-XChange Editor’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 21 of 28
- BFree plan and trialAbove 23 of 28
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 28
- BEase of useAbove 5 of 28
- DPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 28
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
Nothing PDF-XChange Editor does is plain enough to make in a weekend. The 4 things listed below take a company.
It costs $62, paid once.
What you could not
- Editing the text inside a PDF without breaking its layout.
- A real app for Windows. Something home-made would be a web page.
- It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
What this rests on. PDF-XChange 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
Foxit PDF Editor, Master PDF Editor, Tungsten Power PDF, PDFelement and Nitro PDF Pro
The 5 tools PDF-XChange Editor is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.8GPA
Foxit PDF Editor
Free trial · from $129.99/yr
PDF editor for Windows, Mac and web, yearly or as a one-time license.
- PDF-XChange Editor has a free plan. Foxit PDF Editor does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Foxit PDF Editor lists a web app.
- Only Foxit PDF Editor lists macOS, iOS and Android apps.
- 2.6GPA
Master PDF Editor
Free trial · from $79.95 one-time
Desktop PDF editor sold as a perpetual license.
- PDF-XChange Editor has a free plan. Master PDF Editor does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Master PDF Editor lists macOS and Linux apps.
- 2.6GPA
Tungsten Power PDF
Free trial
PDF editor with an Office-style ribbon, formerly Kofax Power PDF.
- PDF-XChange Editor has a free plan. Tungsten Power PDF does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Tungsten Power PDF lists a web app.
- Only Tungsten Power PDF lists macOS, iOS and Android apps.
- 2.8GPA
PDFelement
Free trial · from $11.99
Wondershare's PDF editor, by subscription or a one-time license.
- PDF-XChange Editor has a free plan. PDFelement does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only PDFelement lists a web app.
- Only PDFelement lists macOS, iOS and Android apps.
- 2.2GPA
Nitro PDF Pro
Free trial · from $15/mo
Desktop PDF editor for Windows and Mac with AI tools, billed yearly.
- PDF-XChange Editor has a free plan. Nitro PDF Pro does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Nitro PDF Pro lists a web app.
- Only Nitro PDF Pro lists macOS and iOS apps.
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 PDF-XChange Editor free?
PDF-XChange Editor has a free plan. Free version with about 70% of features unrestricted; licensed features add watermarks to output.
How much does PDF-XChange Editor cost?
PDF-XChange Editor lists 4 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does PDF-XChange Editor work on?
PDF-XChange Editor is available on Windows.
Does PDF-XChange Editor offer any discounts?
PDF-XChange Editor publicly lists the following: Charity and academic offers; Cheaper extended maintenance at purchase.
Does PDF-XChange Editor have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. PDF-XChange Editor is listed for Windows.
Does PDF-XChange Editor have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. PDF-XChange Editor is listed for Windows.
Is PDF-XChange Editor open source?
PDF-XChange Editor is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
Does PDF-XChange Editor work offline?
Yes, according to its own site. What works without a connection differs by plan and platform, so check the vendor's page for the detail.
Does PDF-XChange Editor have a student discount?
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.
Who makes PDF-XChange Editor?
PDF-XChange Editor is made by PDF-XChange Co Ltd.
What are the alternatives to PDF-XChange Editor?
The closest alternatives to PDF-XChange Editor in our directory are Foxit PDF Editor, Master PDF Editor, Tungsten Power PDF, PDFelement and Nitro PDF Pro.
How does PDF-XChange Editor compare with other PDF editors?
PDF-XChange Editor's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 11 of the 28 other PDF editors we grade, and level with 6.
Could I make my own version of PDF-XChange Editor?
Nothing PDF-XChange Editor does is plain enough to make in a weekend. The 4 things listed below take a company.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from PDF-XChange Editor’s own pages on Nov 12, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 12, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from PDF-XChange Co Ltd's own pages on 12 November 2026. 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 PDF-XChange Co Ltd. Prices change, so check pdf-xchange.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
5,038
Tools graded, in 95 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.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
5,038
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- PDF-XChange Editor, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/pdf-xchange-editor
- 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, "PDF-XChange Editor: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/pdf-xchange-editor
Know someone choosing between PDF editors?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/pdf-xchange-editor/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded PDF editors after PDF-XChange Editor, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- PDF Editors Insider's GuideEvery one of the 29 PDF editors we grade, compared
- PDFgear Insider's GuideFree PDF editor for desktop, mobile and web with an AI copilot3.4 GPA
- Stirling PDF Insider's GuideOpen-source PDF editor you can run on your own machine or server3.2 GPA
- PDF Reader Pro Insider's GuidePDF viewer and editor for Mac, Windows, mobile and web3.0 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 PDF-XChange 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. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. PDF-XChange Editor is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by PDF-XChange Co Ltd. Prices and plans change: check pdf-xchange.com before you buy.