For over 25 years, PDFs have taken the top spot as the main format used in saving and sending documents, and rightfully so. As a result, many businesses and firms have adopted PDF documentation for contracts, worksheets, reports, tax forms, etc.
With the popularity of PDFs, it stands to reason that there will often be a need to edit PDFs, and this is where it gets a little tricky. This is because PDFs are almost non-editable and can only be opened in a read-only mode because of their static nature. Some instances where one may need to edit a PDF file include signing a contract presented in a PDF, rearranging a PDF document tax form, or converting a PDF file to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.
When this becomes the case, the only way you can maneuver the static nature of PDFs and carry out the necessary changes is via apps and websites dedicated to editing PDFs efficiently. And in this article, we will be looking at the best websites and apps to edit PDFs.
11 Best Websites and Apps to Edit PDFs
1. FormatPDF
FormatPDF is an efficient online tool for editing PDFs. It is an all-in-one online PDF tool with which you can do any edit on a PDF document, and it does not require downloading or installing any additional program.
With FormatPDF, you can change the format of your document from PDF and vice versa using the PDF converter feature, sign on a PDF online, etc. Using FormatPDF is as easy as uploading your PDF to the platform and executing the function in one click.
Some other notable features of FormatPDF include
- Compress PDF
- Split PDF
- Organize PDF
- Rotate PDF
- Protect PDF
- Sign PDF
- Word to PDF (PDF to Word)
- Excel to PDF (PDF to Excel)
- JPG to PDF (PDF to JPG)
FormatPDF is a secure platform to edit PDFs, and the best part is that it is entirely free, poses no risk of virus attack, and is compatible with every device and operating system.
2. pdfFiller
Although it is not free, pdfFiller is an intelligent choice for editing PDFs as it offers a complete PDF editing package and comes with a 180-day money-back guarantee. Provided you have a working internet connection, pdfFiller can make your documents available on any device. It also gives you the flexibility to manage and edit PDFs on your mobile device.
With pdfFiller, a security breach will be the least of your worries as your data is protected with industry-standard best practices like AES-256-bit encryption.
Some notable features of pdfFiller include:
- Convert PDF to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, JPG., etc.
- PDF reader
- Convert PPT and Word to PDF
- Split, Merge, Extract, & Rearrange
- Page numbering, Watermarks, Password Protection
pdfFiller also supports integration with CRMs, G-Suite, and many cloud platforms. And it provides the perfect solution to customize PDF documents and make them interactive.
3. Movavi
Movavi PDF editor is one of the easiest and most flexible tools to take care of any PDF-related issues without compromising your PDF files’ privacy, integrity, or security. With Movavi, you can edit PDFs. Create charts and info-tables, create documents from scratch or use an inbuilt template library to create documents, and import and merge files from other apps into one.
Movavi is available for Mac and Windows users, and some of its notable features include:
- View PDF
- Create PDF
- Edit PDF
- Convert PDF (to other formats and back), etc.
4. PDF Element
Wondershare developed PDF Element to edit PDFs, which is available for Windows, Android, IOS, and Mac. It is simple software but doesn’t lack functionality when it comes to handling your PDF documents.
With PDF Element, you can create forms and collect their data to export to a spreadsheet and combine multiple forms to analyze data. Among many other features, you can also use PDF Element to:
- Create PDF
- View PDF
- Convert PDF (to and from other formats)
- Add comments to PDF, etc.
5. PDF Extra
PDF Extra gives you total control of your PDF documents, providing the perfect solution for all kinds of PDF tasks for PC, Android, and iOS. It is one of the PDF editing apps with excellent reviews from users globally, and it comes with a free trial.
PDF Extra gives you the room to play with images on your PDF and edit text, bypassing many limitations associated with PDFs. Some other functions you can carry out using PDF Extra includes commenting on a PDF, converting PDFs to other formats, adding highlights to a PDF, etc.
6. PDFExpert
When looking for efficient apps to edit PDFs, PDFExpert is a brilliant option to consider. For starters, it has a nice user interface and many more functionalities than most.
PDFExpert offers you the option of selecting the most suitable viewing layout before proceeding to edit your PDF. You can also pick different reading settings such as Day, Night, Sepia, etc., and it is all available for Mac, iPhone, and iPad.
Some of the features provided by PDFExpert include reading, editing, and commenting on PDFs, etc. You can also change text and images, fill out forms, sign them electronically, etc.
7. Nitro
Nitro PDF Pro has an interface identical to MS Office, making it easier to understand and navigate. In addition, it has the ability to improve your work productivity by providing solutions to all PDF-related tasks.
Nitro PDF Pro offers users the ability to protect their PDF files and restrict unauthorized interference like editing and copying your content without your approval. You can also use Nitro PDF Pro to:
- Batch-create PDF
- Organize PDF
- Convert PDF (to and from any format)
- Protect PDF, etc.
Currently, it is available for Windows users alone.
8. Foxit PDF Editor
Foxit is another great tool for editing PDFs; however, most of its useful features are individual in-app purchases at pp cents each. To be able to create a new PDF or turn an image into a PDF, you will have to pay to get these features and more. And this adds up to even more when you have to access different cloud services such as Google Drive and Dropbox, considering you will still buy those separately for an iPhone or iPad
However, Foxit offers fast, affordable, and secure PDF solutions for desktop and web. In addition, the Foxit MobilePDF provides its core features for OS and Android users for creating and editing PDFs.
You can use Foxit PDF Editor to
- Create PDF
- Edit PDF
- Annotate PDF
- Add handwritten signatures to a PDF
- Work on XFA forms
- Password-protect PDF
- Add bookmarks to a PDF
- Import data to PDF
- Export data from PDF. Etc.
9. Tracker PDF-XChange Editor
Tracker PDF-XChange Editor is an all-intuitive PDF editor that costs significantly less than most business-oriented PDF editors but provides similar functionality, if not better. It has an interface similar to MS Office, which makes it easy to navigate.
You can download and use the free version with no payment indefinitely but with limited features, and your PDF pages will have watermarks. You can also edit text, highlight text, annotate, convert WebP images, etc., with the free version.
For the paid version of Tracker -XChange Editor, you will be able to:
- Delete pages from PDF files
- Insert pages
- Move pages
- Edit headers
- Edit footers
- Add bates numbering
- Edit bates numbering
However, you cannot edit scanned documents except if you upgrade to the Pro version of PDF-XChange Editor, which has an improved OCR plugin and other add-ons. The Pro version costs about twice the price of the standard version, which is $56 for a single-user lifetime license for Windows users.
10. Able2Extract Professional
Although the name may suggest differently, Able2Extract Pro is a full-fledged PDF creator, and editor with all the functionalities of the best PDF editors out there. It may have an odd name, but this is a fully-fledged PDF creator and editor. It costs $149.95 and $34.95 for a limited time, a 30-day license.
There are no subscriptions or web versions, but with Able2Extract Pro you can:
- Convert PDF to Word
- Convert PDF to Excel
- Convert PDF to PowerPoint
- Highlight text
- Replace text
- Remove pages
- Redact text
- Annotate text
- Password-Protect text, etc.
The new version 16 also lets you compare two documents, sign PDFs, encrypt PDFs, create and convert PDFs in batches, create and edit forms, and many other tools.
11. Swifdoo
Swifdoo might not be a household name yet when it comes to PDF editors. Still, it ranks up with other PDF editors that provide all the essential tools for handling PDF files without complicated processes and unnecessary steps and features that are hard to understand.
It is affordable and lets users go straight to the tool they need and immediately jump right into editing their PDF files. It is designed with an intuitive tabbed interface and comprehensive PDF features.
Although its features are great, there is a crowded market of PDF editors, but what makes Swifdoo stand out is its affordable price of $69. Another good thing about it is a generous trial period to enable users to have a test run before committing to purchasing it.
It is only available for Windows and has no mobile app.
Conclusion
It is clear that the PDF is a lifesaver, and many firms, businesses, and individuals prefer to save and send important documents as PDFs. This is because it is the only document format that provides your documents with the needed security. For instance, you can add a password to your sensitive files and ensure that only authorized persons can gain access to your PDF.
This and many more reasons are why PDF has become the popular choice for documentation. Thankfully, there are now apps and websites that can be used to bypass its static nature and further improve its functionality. These apps and websites, as we enumerated in this study, will help you have an easy time handling PDFs and ensure your document integrity is intact.
So, suppose you need to make one or more adjustments to your PDF documents, like splitting, organizing, compressing, etc., to improve productivity. In that case, these are the best apps to use.
