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Buyer's guide

The best PDF editors in 2026

There is no single best PDF editor. The right one depends on the job: Rewriting the text in a contract, signing a lease on your phone, or merging scans that should never leave your computer. So instead of a ranking, this guide gives one pick for each need, with prices and features taken from each maker's own website.

Full disclosure: We make pdf2kit, one of the nine tools in this guide. Every tool, ours included, is shown with its limits. No maker paid to be listed, and there are no affiliate links. Facts checked on .

The short answer

Need to change the existing text in PDFs every week? Get Adobe Acrobat Pro, or Foxit PDF Editor to spend less. On a Mac, iPhone or iPad, get PDF Expert. For merging, splitting, signing, filling in forms and scans, a free tool is enough: PDF24 Creator on Windows, or pdf2kit on any device, which keeps your files private.

All nine at a glance

Prices are in US dollars before tax, as shown on each maker's website on 2 November 2026. They can change and can differ by country.

ToolBest forPriceWorks onEdits existing textFiles stay on your device
Adobe Acrobat ProProfessional workUS$19.99 a month on a yearly planWindows, Mac, web, phone appsYesDesktop app: Yes. Online tools: No
Foxit PDF EditorAcrobat features for lessUS$129.99 a year, or US$209.99 onceWindows, Mac, webYesDesktop app: Yes
PDF-XChange EditorPaying once on WindowsFrom US$62 onceWindowsYesYes
PDF ExpertMac, iPhone and iPadYearly plan, or once for MacMac, iPhone, iPadYesEditing: Yes. Converting: No
PDF24 CreatorFree desktop tool on WindowsFreeWindows, webNoDesktop app: Yes. Online tools: No
pdf2kitPrivate, free work on any deviceFreeAny modern browser, Android appNoYes
Stirling PDFSelf-hosting and open sourceFree for individuals; teams US$99 a monthWindows, Mac, Linux, your own serverYesDesktop and own server: Yes
SmallpdfEasy online tools with e-signingPaid plan; limited free useWeb, Windows, phonesPaid plan onlyNo, files are uploaded
iLovePDFOnline tools plus desktop appsPaid plan; free with limits and adsWeb, Windows, Mac, phonesYesWebsite: No. Desktop apps: Yes

Full editors: Change the text itself

These four can rewrite the existing text and images inside a PDF, redact it and read scans with OCR. They cost money, but they do the most.

Best for professional work

Adobe Acrobat Pro

Adobe created the PDF format, and Acrobat Pro is the editor most businesses use. It edits the text and images inside a PDF, redacts, builds forms and sends documents out for signature.

Price
US$19.99 a month on a yearly plan, US$29.99 month to month. Acrobat Standard: US$14.99 a month.
Works on
Windows, Mac and web. Phone apps for iPhone and Android.
Free option
Free Acrobat Reader, and a 7-day trial of Pro.

Strengths

  • Edits existing text and images
  • Redaction, form building and signature requests
  • Converts PDF to Word and Excel and back

Limits

  • Subscription only, and leaving a yearly plan early can cost a fee
  • Needs an Adobe account
  • No Linux version
  • The AI Assistant costs extra and works in the cloud

pdf2kit vs Adobe Acrobat, in detail >

Best for Acrobat features for less

Foxit PDF Editor

Foxit edits text, reads scans, builds forms and redacts, much like Acrobat, for about half of Acrobat Pro's yearly price. It is also one of the few big editors you can still buy once.

Price
US$129.99 a year. Editor+ with signature requests and phone apps: US$159.99 a year. One-time license: US$209.99.
Works on
Windows, Mac and web. Phone apps with Editor+.
Free option
Free Foxit PDF Reader, and a 14-day trial without a card.

Strengths

  • Edits existing text, with OCR, forms and redaction
  • Costs less than Acrobat Pro
  • Can be bought once, with no subscription

Limits

  • Signature requests and phone apps need the pricier Editor+
  • No Linux version
  • The subscription needs a sign-in

Best for paying once on Windows

PDF-XChange Editor

A fast, full-featured Windows editor that you pay for one time, with no subscription and no account.

Price
One-time US$62 for Editor, US$79 for Editor Plus. Updates are included for one year.
Works on
Windows 10 and later.
Free option
A free version. Paid features add a demo stamp to the file.

Strengths

  • Low one-time price
  • Edits existing text, with OCR and redaction
  • Works on your computer, no account needed

Limits

  • Windows only
  • Building forms needs Editor Plus
  • No service to send documents out for signature

Best for Mac, iPhone and iPad

PDF Expert

Made by Readdle for Apple devices, with a clean, simple design. It edits text and images, signs, fills in forms, redacts and reads scans.

Price
A yearly plan for iPhone, iPad and Mac, or a lifetime plan for Mac. 30-day money-back guarantee.
Works on
Mac, iPhone and iPad.
Free option
A 7-day trial.

Strengths

  • Feels at home on a Mac, iPhone and iPad
  • Edits existing text and images
  • OCR and redaction

Limits

  • No Windows, Android or Linux version
  • Converting to Word and other formats uses Readdle's servers, which keep files for up to 3 hours

Free tools that keep files on your device

These three cost nothing for personal use and do their work without uploading your file. Of the three, only Stirling PDF can change existing text.

Best free desktop tool on Windows

PDF24 Creator

A free toolbox for Windows, paid for by ads on the PDF24 website. The desktop app works offline, so your files stay on your PC.

Price
Free, also for business use.
Works on
Windows 10 and 11. Online tools in any browser.
Free option
Everything is free.

Strengths

  • Completely free, with no account
  • OCR, redaction, forms, merge, split and compress
  • Converts PDF to Word and Excel

Limits

  • Cannot change existing text, only add new text
  • The desktop app is for Windows only
  • The online tools upload your file and delete it after one hour

Best for private, free PDF work on any device Made by us

pdf2kit

pdf2kit works in your browser on any computer, tablet or phone, and as a free Android app. Your file is never uploaded: Everything happens on your own device.

Price
Free, with no ads and no daily limit.
Works on
Any modern browser on Windows, Mac, Linux, ChromeOS, iPhone and Android. Free Android app.
Free option
Everything is free, with no account.

Strengths

  • Nothing to install and nothing uploaded
  • Merge, split, compress, sign, fill in forms and add a password
  • OCR makes scans searchable
  • Turns Word, Excel and images into PDF

Limits

  • Cannot change existing text, only add new text
  • Cannot build forms or send documents out for signature
  • No redaction: White-out only covers text, it does not remove it
  • No PDF to Word

Also as an Android app. The free pdf2kit app has the same PDF tools, plus extras a browser cannot do well on a phone: A document scanner that finds the page edges, opening PDFs straight from other apps, printing to PDF, and a home screen widget.

Get it on Google Play

Open the PDF workspace > The Android app >

Best for self-hosting and open source

Stirling PDF

An open-source PDF toolkit you can run as a desktop app or on your own server for a whole team.

Price
Free for individuals. Team plan: US$99 a month for up to 100 users.
Works on
Windows, Mac and Linux, or your own server. Also a hosted cloud version.
Free option
Free desktop app, and a free self-hosted version for up to 5 users with logins.

Strengths

  • Open-source core you can check and run yourself
  • Edits existing text, with OCR, forms and redaction
  • Runs on Linux

Limits

  • No phone apps
  • Running your own server takes technical skill
  • Stirling Cloud sends files to its servers

pdf2kit vs Stirling PDF, in detail >

Online services

These two work on the maker's servers, so your file is uploaded. They start fast on any computer, and both also offer apps.

Best for easy online tools with e-signing

Smallpdf

A friendly online toolkit with phone apps and a Windows app, and a way to send documents out for signature.

Price
Pro plan, paid monthly or yearly.
Works on
Web, Windows (Pro), iPhone and Android.
Free option
Two free tasks a day. The 7-day trial needs payment details and turns into Pro unless you cancel.

Strengths

  • Simple to use, with no account for basic tasks
  • Sends documents out for signature
  • Edits existing text on the Pro plan

Limits

  • Files are uploaded to its servers in Ireland
  • The free plan is limited
  • No Mac app

pdf2kit vs Smallpdf, in detail >

Best for online tools plus desktop apps

iLovePDF

A large set of online PDF tools, plus desktop apps for Windows and Mac that work on your computer.

Price
Premium plan, paid monthly or yearly.
Works on
Web, Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android.
Free option
Free with ads and limits per task, for example one file up to 15 MB for PDF to Word.

Strengths

  • Many tools in one place
  • Edits existing text
  • Signs and sends documents out for signature

Limits

  • The website uploads your file and deletes it within two hours
  • Ads and file limits on the free plan

pdf2kit vs iLovePDF, in detail >

Also considered

PDF Guru edits text and converts PDFs online, but it shows no prices up front, its trial turns into a paid subscription, and downloads need that subscription. Your files are stored on its servers. pdf2kit vs PDF Guru >

Windows Print to PDF is built into Windows and turns anything you can print into a PDF. It cannot open, merge or edit an existing PDF. pdf2kit vs Windows Print to PDF >

How we chose

  • We looked at the PDF editors that reviews and users name most often in 2026, and that are still sold and updated.
  • We gave each tool the one job it does best. We did not score or rank them.
  • Prices, platforms and features come from each maker's own website, checked on 2 November 2026. Where a price was not clearly shown, we left it out.
  • We make pdf2kit. We listed its limits as plainly as the others'. No maker paid to be listed, and there are no affiliate links.
  • Found a mistake? Write to info@pdf2kit.com and we will fix it.
Sources

Common questions

What is the best PDF editor in 2026?

It depends on the job. To change the existing text in a PDF, redact or build forms, Adobe Acrobat Pro is the standard, and Foxit PDF Editor does much the same for about half the yearly price. On a Mac, iPhone or iPad, PDF Expert fits best. For everyday jobs like merging, signing, filling in forms or making a scan searchable, a free tool is enough: PDF24 Creator on Windows, or pdf2kit on any device.

What is the best free PDF editor?

PDF24 Creator is free on Windows and works offline. pdf2kit is free on any device, needs no account and does not upload your file. Stirling PDF is free for individuals and can also change existing text. Adobe and Foxit also offer free readers, but editing needs their paid editors.

Is there a free alternative to Adobe Acrobat?

For everyday work, yes: pdf2kit merges, splits, compresses, signs, fills in forms and reads scans on any device, and PDF24 Creator does much of this on Windows. To change existing text without a subscription, PDF-XChange Editor and Foxit PDF Editor 14 are sold for a one-time price.

Are online PDF editors safe?

Online editors upload your file to their servers. By their own statements, Smallpdf deletes files from its free tools after one hour, iLovePDF within two hours and PDF24 within one hour. For contracts, health records or ID papers, a tool that works on your own device avoids the upload: a desktop editor, PDF24 Creator, Stirling PDF, or pdf2kit, which works in your browser without uploading.

Which PDF editor works on Linux?

Of the tools in this guide, Stirling PDF has a Linux desktop app, and pdf2kit works in any modern browser on Linux. Adobe Acrobat, Foxit PDF Editor, PDF-XChange Editor and PDF Expert have no Linux version.

Try pdf2kit on your own PDF

If your job is merging, signing, filling in a form or compressing, try it now. It is free, and your file stays on your device.

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