The Soda PDF Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Soda PDF 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.
Soda PDF
The Insider’s Guide
Windows PDF editor with an online version, sold by subscription
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among PDF editors, read from Soda PDF’s own pages.
Made by Avanquest Software · 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 Soda PDF’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Soda PDF’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
2.6
GPA, above 6 of the 15 other PDF editors we grade
Soda PDF is a PDF editor from Avanquest with a Windows desktop app for offline work and Soda PDF Online in the browser, which is how it is used on Mac, Linux and phones. It edits, converts, compresses and secures PDFs, runs OCR, builds forms, sends documents for e-signature and has AI tools for summaries, translation and chat. It is sold only by subscription, with no perpetual license.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Soda PDF, taken from its own pages and our grades.
It edits, OCRs, builds forms and sends documents to sign, and the Business plan installs neatly across an office.
- 1
Best for rolling out a PDF editor across Windows PCs
Soda PDF is a Windows desktop app with an online version for Mac, Linux and phones.
- 2
There is a free plan
Online quick tools are free up to 2 files a day or 3MB a file; editing, OCR, forms, AI and translation can be tried but not saved or downloaded.
- 3
It runs on 2 platforms
Windows and Web.
- 4
Edit and convert
Edit text and pages, insert and extract pages, and export PDFs to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, text, HTML, PDF/A or images.
- 5
OCR
Recognizes text in scans and images so it can be searched, and edited on the Business plan.
- 6
Forms and e-signatures
Build forms with formatted fields and combo boxes, fill and sign them, and send and track signature requests.
- 7
A 2.6 GPA, above 6 of 15
That is against the other PDF editors we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
The plain part of Soda PDF you could make: forms. What surrounds it you could not. The 4 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
Soda PDF at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, Windows
- Made by
- Avanquest Software
- Category
- PDF Editors
- Our grade
- 2.6 GPA, good
The report card
Best for rolling out a PDF editor across Windows PCs
Soda PDF is a Windows desktop app with an online version for Mac, Linux and phones. It edits, OCRs, builds forms and sends documents to sign, and the Business plan installs neatly across an office. But prices only appear at checkout, and the marketing pages show changing promotions, so it's hard to know what you'll pay.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | No confirmed price: Soda's prices only show at checkout, and its marketing pages show changing promotions, such as $49.95 for Pro against $110. With nothing confirmed it's a C, and there's no perpetual license to spread out. |
| Free plan and trial | C | The online quick tools are free for 2 files a day or 3MB a file. Editing, OCR, forms and AI can be tried but not saved or downloaded, so you can't really finish anything for free. |
| Features | B | Edits text and pages, converts to Office and PDF/A, OCRs, builds forms, sends for e-signature, batch-processes and translates. It covers the whole job. The AI chat is capped by plan, at 10 questions on Standard. |
| Ease of use | B | No store rating on record. It's an editor you install, or open in a browser, with nothing to set up first. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Windows and the web, with Dropbox, Google Drive, SharePoint and Evernote. Mac, Linux and phones get the browser version only. |
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 Soda PDF is for
- Great if IT needs to deploy a PDF editor across a Windows office
- Good for teams of 3 to 19 who want 10% off each license
- Handy when you only need a quick free conversion now and then
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want to know the price before checkout
- Not for you if you'd rather pay once, as it's subscription only
- Too light for Mac users who want a desktop app, as it's Windows only
Good to know
Good for
- Windows offices that deploy a PDF editor across many PCs
- Teams of 3 to 19 that want a per-license discount
- People who need a quick free conversion now and then
Worth knowing
- Prices appear only at checkout, which could not be read; marketing pages show changing promotional prices, such as $49.95 for Pro against $110.
- The desktop app is for Windows only; Mac, Linux and phone users work in the browser.
- Soda PDF is sold only by subscription; there is no perpetual license.
- AI chat is capped by plan, at 10 questions on Standard, 50 on Pro and 200 on Business.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Soda PDF's current pricing could not be confirmed from its own site.
With nothing confirmed it's a C, and there's no perpetual license to spread out.
We could not confirm Soda PDF’s current prices from its own site, so this guide lists no plans. sodapdf.com has them.
Ways to pay less
Other savings
10% off per license for teams
Soda PDF Team, for 3 to 19 licenses, has the same features as Pro with a 10% discount on each license.
Stated on sodapdf.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
2
Places it runs: Web and Windows
Windows PDF editor with an online version, sold by subscription. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, forms, pDF editing.
Edits text and pages, converts to Office and PDF/A, OCRs, builds forms, sends for e-signature, batch-processes and translates.
- Edit and convert
- Edit text and pages, insert and extract pages, and export PDFs to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, text, HTML, PDF/A or images.
- OCR
- Recognizes text in scans and images so it can be searched, and edited on the Business plan.
- Forms and e-signatures
- Build forms with formatted fields and combo boxes, fill and sign them, and send and track signature requests.
- AI tools and translation
- Online chat with a PDF and an AI summarizer, plus translation of up to 1,200 pages a year on Pro and 1,800 on Business.
- Batch processing
- Create, convert, crop, watermark, add headers and footers and apply passwords to many documents at once.
- Business deployment
- The Business plan installs through MSI, Group Policy, SCCM, Terminal Server or Citrix, with self-serve license management and phone support.
Where it runs
- Web
- Windows
What it works with
- Dropbox
- Google Drive
- SharePoint
- Evernote
Soda PDF is made by Avanquest Software.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
6/15
Other PDF editors it is graded above
Soda PDF's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 6 of the 15 other PDF editors we grade, and level with 2.
It stands best on features (B, above 10 of 15) and worst on free plan and trial (C, above 0).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 16 PDF editors we grade, cut by the letter each got. Soda PDF’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
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 4 of 15
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 Soda PDF you could make: forms. What surrounds it you could not. The 4 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
What you could make
- Forms: an app builder makes this well.
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.
- 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. Soda PDF’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
Nitro PDF Pro, Foxit PDF Editor, Adobe Acrobat, PDFelement and Smallpdf
The 5 tools Soda PDF is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.2GPA
Nitro PDF Pro
Free trial · from $15/mo
Desktop PDF editor for Windows and Mac with AI tools, billed yearly.
- Soda PDF has a free plan. Nitro PDF Pro does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Nitro PDF Pro lists macOS and iOS apps.
- Soda PDF also covers forms.
- 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.
- Soda PDF has a free plan. Foxit PDF Editor does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Foxit PDF Editor lists macOS, iOS and Android apps.
- Foxit PDF Editor can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- 2.6GPA
Adobe Acrobat
Free plan · from $14.99/mo
Adobe's PDF editor for desktop, web and mobile, with an AI tier.
- Only Adobe Acrobat lists macOS, iOS and Android apps.
- Only Adobe Acrobat lists a browser extension.
- Adobe Acrobat also covers documents.
- 2.8GPA
PDFelement
Free trial · from $11.99
Wondershare's PDF editor, by subscription or a one-time license.
- Soda PDF has a free plan. PDFelement does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only PDFelement lists macOS, iOS and Android apps.
- PDFelement can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- 2.6GPA
Smallpdf
Free plan
30-plus PDF tools in the browser, with Windows and mobile apps.
- Only Smallpdf lists iOS and Android apps.
- Only Smallpdf lists a browser extension.
- Soda PDF also covers forms.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
11
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 Soda PDF free?
Soda PDF has a free plan. Online quick tools are free up to 2 files a day or 3MB a file; editing, OCR, forms, AI and translation can be tried but not saved or downloaded.
What platforms does Soda PDF work on?
Soda PDF is available on Windows and Web.
Does Soda PDF offer any discounts?
Soda PDF publicly lists the following: 10% off per license for teams.
Does Soda PDF have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Soda PDF is listed for Windows and Web.
Does Soda PDF have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Soda PDF is listed for Windows and Web.
Is Soda PDF open source?
Soda PDF is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 18, 2026.
What does Soda PDF integrate with?
Soda PDF's listing names Dropbox, Google Drive, SharePoint and Evernote.
Who makes Soda PDF?
Soda PDF is made by Avanquest Software.
What are the alternatives to Soda PDF?
The closest alternatives to Soda PDF in our directory are Nitro PDF Pro, Foxit PDF Editor, Adobe Acrobat, PDFelement and Smallpdf.
How does Soda PDF compare with other PDF editors?
Soda PDF's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 6 of the 15 other PDF editors we grade, and level with 2.
Could I make my own version of Soda PDF?
The plain part of Soda PDF you could make: forms. What surrounds it you could not.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Soda PDF’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 Soda PDF's own pages on 18 October 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 Avanquest Software. Prices change, so check sodapdf.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
- Soda PDF, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/soda-pdf
- 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, "Soda PDF: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 18, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/soda-pdf
Know someone choosing between PDF editors?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/soda-pdf/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded PDF editors after Soda PDF, 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 Soda PDF’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. Soda PDF is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Avanquest Software. Prices and plans change: check sodapdf.com before you buy.