20 Best Free PDF Editors of 2026

How to choose the best free PDF editor for you?

In order to choose the best free PDF editors for you, you need to consider certain factors. To provide them to you, we have listed the most important ones below:

1. Features of the App

The best app for PDF editing should have a variety of features to make the user's work easy. In fact, some of the common features that a PDF editor should have are editing, the capability to add annotations, highlighting content, filling out forms, merging and splitting PDFs, etc. 

Additionally to this, these best apps for PDF editing should be capable of editing multiple file formats. Some editing apps are also considered as best artificial intelligence apps because of their generative AI capabilities. Also, from a user perspective, it is essential to determine features as per your requirement and download the one that is suitable for you.

2. UI/UX

User interface and user experience are two of the most important components for the best PDF editors. It primarily means that these apps should have an intuitive user interface. UI should be clean and organized, which eases the user and helps him access tools with ease. A good UI/UX is one that is self-explanatory and completely devoid of any confusion.

3. Security and Privacy Features

A PDF editor app, free or paid, should take privacy and security concerns seriously into account. The reason behind that is simple. Several times, people have been using PDF editors with sensitive files such as social security number cards, driver’s licenses, passports, etc. Therefore, it is important that the application used should comply with the data protection standards.

4. Ad-free Experience

An application needs to have a revenue model otherwise, it won’t be able to survive. However, too many ads at every step are not ideal. Most best free PDF editors have a version that, upon payment, gives an ad-free experience. 

However, if you choose to go for ads for the free version, make sure that they are limited in number. Your app will attract more traction, making users want to stay longer and come back. That's because there won't be annoying ads getting in the way. Enjoy a seamless experience every time!

5. Compatibility with OSs

It doesn’t matter whether it is an app to edit PDF on Android or a free PDF editor for iPad. It is important that the application that is being used is compatible with multiple operating systems. Some of the most common operating systems with which it should be compatible are Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, etc. In fact, it should also have a web-based version.

6. File Size and Performance

A majority of free PDF editing apps take a lot of juice from the system. The juice is basically the memory of the system, RAM, and processor required in order to run the application. Aside from this, the PDF app itself shouldn’t be a huge application. 

7. Support and Updates

In order to become the best free app to edit PDFs, the app should provide regular updates and support for the system. This includes security patches, bug fixes, and compatibility with the latest version of the operating systems.

How we tested these free PDF Tools and Editors?

Selecting a PDF editor is not the last step. Users also need to test it out and see whether it meets their needs or not. This includes evaluating numerous features, ease of use, performance, and compatibility with different operating systems:

1. Identify the Requirements

Before establishing the list of apps to edit PDFs on Android, it is essential to identify the requirements. Every person has their own use case when using an application, and so is the case with free PDF editing apps. Therefore, it is essential to segregate the PDF apps based on the features required. This could be editing capabilities, file format handling, annotations, etc., and check the efficacy of the application for that feature.

2. Downloading and Installation

Once you are done creating the list of free PDF editing apps. It is finally time to download and install the application on your system or smartphone.

3. Evaluation of Interface

A good application is one with a good interface. To begin, use the app. Then, check if it's easy to go from the home page to other pages. This helps ensure smooth navigation for users. Top free PDF editors have features organized in the user interface. This makes it easy for people with different levels of tech knowledge to use them comfortably.

4. Text Editing

This can be done by simply opening a text sample on your system using the PDF editor application. Once the text file has been loaded onto the app, we start editing the text and try out different features provided by the app. The idea here is to check the ease of usage.

5. Image Handling

A PDF is a combination of text and images. Therefore not just text but a PDF should be able to handle images too. To see the effectiveness of an app in this department, we check out the crop feature, resize, rotate, etc.

6. Markup and Annotation Feature

Annotation and markup are essential for both paid and a free PDF editor for Android. A PDF is majorly just a document that comprises various data points. Therefore in order for an app to be known as the best app for editing PDFs, the app should be capable of adding data, highlighting, strikeout text, etc.

7. Form Filling

PDF editors are often used with forms. Therefore, simply try out an empty form and see if the free PDF editing app will allow you to fill it out.

8. Page Manipulation

There can be a PDF with a single page. However, usually, it is a combination of several pages joined together. Therefore, the PDF editing app should have the capability to manipulate the sequence of the page, i.e., rearranging them to the likeness.

9. Conversion of Documents

There are several file formats that are often used. Make sure the PDF editor is compatible with them and is capable of converting them to PDF. 

10. Performance of the App

A good PDF editing app requires fewer resources and runs with ease using your current system. There are several applications in the market for PDF editing that are very demanding in terms of resources.

11. Compatibility of the App

The app should be compatible with multiple operating systems. Some of the most common operating systems that it should be compatible with are Windows, Linux, Android, iOS, etc. 

12. Compare it with Other Editors

There are several PDF editor apps that are available in the market. It is important to check and compare one application with the other. This helps us understand the efficacy of one application over the other. For example, some applications have great features but have tons of ads, while some support more file formats. These are small differences that need to be considered and compared to figure out the best application for you.

Difference Between PDF Reader Apps V.S. PDF Annotation Apps V.S. PDF Editor Apps

Final Verdict

So this was our take on some of the best PDF editor apps that you can try out for free (mostly only the basic version). These free PDF editor tools can be downloaded easily and without much effort through the links provided. 

We hope that the article on online PDF editors provides you with some valuable information, and helps you ease out your work processes. If you also own a similar PDF editing app, you can showcase your product by getting in touch with MobileAppDaily. Our experts will carefully evaluate its features and add the app to the list.