10 Best PDF Editors for Windows [Free & Paid] (original) (raw)
Last Updated : 9 Mar, 2026
PDF files are great for sharing, but editing them can feel restrictive, text can’t be changed, images won’t resize, and simple tasks like signing become a hassle. That’s where PDF editors come in. A PDF editor lets you modify, organize, secure, and manage PDF documents without converting them to other formats. Whether you're a student, professional, or casual user, the right PDF editor can simplify your workflow instantly.
**What a PDF Editor Lets You Do:
- Edit text, images, and pages directly within the PDF
- Add annotations, highlights, comments, and signatures
- Merge, split, and rearrange pages effortlessly
- Create and fill forms, add fields, and apply security
- Export or convert PDFs to Word, Excel, or other formats
List of Best PDF Editors for Windows
Let's take a look at some of the best PDF editors for Windows out there:
Adobe Acrobat Pro
Adobe Acrobat Pro remains the gold standard for PDF editing, leveraging advanced AI for document insights and seamless cross-platform support. It's ideal for professionals needing robust tools for creation, editing, conversion, review, and signing. With mobile, desktop, and web access, it's perfect for on-the-go edits.
Adobe Acrobat offers cross-platform support. Be it a smartphone, laptop, desktop, or web, with Adobe Acrobat possibilities are limitless. This enables users to edit on the go.
**Features:
- Organize and sort PDF pages effortlessly
- Fill and e-sign forms securely
- High-speed exports to various formats
- Advanced security with encryption and redaction
**Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Extensive tools for complex workflows | Subscription model can be pricey for casual users |
| AI assistant for summaries and translations | Steep learning curve for beginners |
**Pricing:
- Acrobat Pro - $19.99/month
- Acrobat Standard - $12.99/month
Foxit
Foxit PDF Editor is a lightweight powerhouse with AI-driven automation, multi-device support, and strong collaboration tools. It's a top Adobe alternative for businesses prioritizing speed and security.
**Features:
- AI-driven features save users time in manual tasks.
- Collaborate and provide document feedback with a variety of annotation tools
- Touchscreen support and freedom to customize the toolbar.
**Pros and Cons
| **Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Supports multiple platforms | Pricing can be high depending on the product license |
| AI integration assists with document editing | Interface customization limited in base plan |
**Pricing:
- Individuals: Starts at 10.99/month(billedannually)or10.99/month (billed annually) or 10.99/month(billedannually)or129.99/year
- Teams: 13.99/month/user(Editor+)or13.99/month/user (Editor+) or 13.99/month/user(Editor+)or159.99/year
- 14-day free trial
Nitro Pro
Nitro PDF Pro is one of the most future-proof and **best PDF editors for Windows available. With Nitro Pro, one can easily flip, rotate, extract, and replace elements in a PDF. Nitro is a worldwide leader in secured, identity verification, compliance, and flexible e-signature workflows.
**Features:
- Reliable tracking of your Signed documents
- Custom branding adds a seal of trust to user documents
- Ensures a safe, secure, and intuitive digital experience
**Pros and Cons
| **Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| User-friendly and easy to understand | May not provide sufficient value for casual users |
| Smart integration of various conversion tools |
**Pricing:
- Annual: $179.99/user (includes editing and 100 e-signs)
- One-time perpetual: ~$250 (limited updates)
- 14-day free trial
EaseUS PDF Editor
EaseUS PDF Editor offers a clean, affordable solution for everyday editing, with strong OCR and multilingual support. It's Windows-optimized for quick tasks.
**Features:
- Clean interface for a better user experience
- Accurately converts and detects content in **29 different languages.
- Doesn't affect the **original fonts, **pictures, and layout of the document.
**Pros and Cons
| **Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Annotation options for easy collaboration | Available only for Windows |
| Complete set of editing tools | Fewer enterprise features |
**Pricing:
- Monthly: $19.95
- Annual: $49.95
- Lifetime: $79.95 (one PC)
- 30-day free trial
DocHub
DocHub is one of the few tools that offer you a free trial with support for e-signatures. It speeds up and simplifies the document workflow. It can connect to popular web applications to edit, and sign, and allows you to share documents using your favourite apps. It complies with industry standards, regulations, and certifications to ensure effective and secured workflow.
**Features:
- It offers free access to premium tools without any time limits or hidden costs
- Integration with the Google ecosystem, making it super easy to edit, sign, and, manage documents
- Secure system with 256-bit SSL encryption, OAuth 2.0 authentication, and encrypted storage.
**Pros and Cons
| **Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Intuitive interface for easy navigation | Limited free plan with restricted features |
| Affordable pricing | Web-focused, provides basic features in app |
**Pricing:
- Free: Limited features
- Pro: 10/month(billedannually)or10/month (billed annually) or 10/month(billedannually)or14/month
- 14-day free trial
pdfFiller
pdfFiller is not just the best PDF editor; pdfFiller excels as a versatile cloud-based editor, going beyond PDFs to handle forms, signatures, and conversions. Its mobile app ensures accessibility, making it great for collaborative teams.
**Features:
- Edit text and images directly in your PDFs, making changes as smooth as typing in a Word doc.
- Ditch the printer and scanner, add your own signature or collect e-signatures from others in just a few clicks.
- Fill out forms and questionnaires electronically, saving you time and paper.
- Effortlessly convert PDFs to other formats like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and vice versa.
**Pros and Cons
| **Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Responsive customer support for assistance | Advanced features come with a steep learning curve |
| **Link sharing for easy collaboration |
**Pricing:
- Free trial: Basic editing (30 days)
- Individuals: Starts at $8/month
- Business: Starts at $15/month (billed annually)
- Free limited plan available
Soda PDF
Soda PDF provides a responsive, browser-friendly editor with strong batch tools and cloud storage. It's versatile for individuals and teams.
**Features:
- Create and convert a batch of files or folders in one click
- Protect your PDF documents with 256-AES password encryption
- Annotate directly on the PDF with sticker notes, comments, and more
- Multi-format merging
**Pros and Cons
| **Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Seamless performance across your preferred browser | Some useful tools are only available with a Pro subscription |
| Free trial with no personal information required | Occasional ads in free version |
**Pricing:
- **Home: 48/yearor48/year or 48/yearor10/month
- **Premium: $84/year/user
- **Business: $120/year
- Free limited plan
UPDF
UPDF is a multi-featured PDF editor for Windows with AI-driven PDF solutions. You can easily create edit, convert, annotate, summarize, translate, perform OCR, and secure PDF documents.
**Features:
- Simultaneously convert multiple PDFs into PPT, Excel, Image, HTML, etc
- Ability to merge and split a PDF file.
- Capable of converting scanned PDFs and images to editable PDFs
**Pros and Cons
| **Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Offers a wide range of editing tools for PDFs, including annotation and conversion features | Occasional performance issues with large files |
| User-friendly interface, easy to navigate | AI add-on extra cost |
**Pricing:
- Annual: $29.99
- Lifetime: $49.99
- AI Add-on: $55/year
- 30-day free trial
Sejda PDF Editor
Sejda offers a no-fuss hybrid of online and desktop editing, with unlimited tasks in Pro and strong OCR for scanned files.
**Features:
- Text editing and font adjustments
- Merge/extract pages
- E-signatures (free tier)
- Batch processing and password protection
**Pros and Cons
| **Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| **Online and desktop versions available for convenience | **Free plan limits usage to 3 tasks per day |
| User-friendly interface, easy to navigate | Web version requires internet |
**Pricing:
- Free: 3 tasks/day
- Pro Web: 7.50/monthor7.50/month or 7.50/monthor5/week
- Desktop + Web Annual: $63/year
- 14-day free trial
PDF-Xchange
PDF-XChange Editor combines viewer and editor in one, with top-tier OCR and customization. It's a free powerhouse for annotations. PDF-Xchange enables you to view images and MS Office files natively and convert them to PDF seamlessly.
**Features:
- Custom stamps from images/PDFs
- Convert non-interactive PDFs to forms
- Native Office/image viewing
- Fast rendering for large files
**Pros and Cons
| **Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| **Fast performance, even with large files | **Limited cloud storage integration for free users |
| Customizable interface, allowing users to tailor the tool to their needs |
**Pricing:
- Free: Full viewer + basic edits
- Editor: $62 one-time
- Plus (enhanced OCR): $79 one-time
- Volume discounts available