Best PDF Editors 2023

Create, Edit, Convert and eSign PDF Files

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best PDF editors
best PDF editors 2023

The best PDF editors helps businesses and individuals edit Portable Document Format files, which are more commonly known as PDFs. These programs provide users with a wide range of features for editing PDFs, including the ability to add or remove text, images, and pages; annotate documents; fill out forms; sign documents electronically and collaboration with co-workers; compatibility with mobile devices; easy export options, etc.

What is PDF file?

PDF file was created by Adobe Systems in 1993. It is a document exchange format that’s very common on the internet, being spread through social media and emailing services. Since PDF files are so popular, they have become an important part of our daily life.

Do I need PDF Editor?

The short answer is: it depends. If you regularly work with PDFs, then a dedicated PDF editor can be an invaluable tool. With the right tools, you can quickly and easily edit, annotate, create fillable forms, convert documents to other formats and more. It can help save you time and money by streamlining your workflow.

However, if you only occasionally need to edit or create a PDF document, then an online document converter such as Smallpdf might be enough for your needs. These free services let you open and edit existing PDF files in just a few clicks – no extra software required!

The Best PDF Editors of 2023:

What makes 5BestThings trustworthy? Our team of writers and editors dedicate extensive time to analyze and reviewing various products, services, and apps, ensuring that we recommend only the best options for you.

  1. Nitro PDF Pro : Best PDF editor 2023
  2. Acrobat Pro DC: Best choice for advance user’s
  3. Soda PDF: Best PDF editor Value for money
  4. Foxit PhantomPDF: Best Editor Runner-up
  5. PDFelement: Best for Novice users
  6. PDF Expert: Best for Mac User’s
  7. PDF Fillers: Best online Editor

Nitro PDF Pro
(Image credit: Gonitro)

1- Nitro PDF Pro 14:

Best PDF editor software 2023


Pros

  • Intuitive interface
  • High-quality features
  • Edit and share your work as needed
  • Seamless integration between eSigning on Cloud services

Cons

  • Though it’s an add-on with the desktop Nitro Pro application, Nitro Sign is included in the Nitro Cloud platform.

Best Price: Nitro PDF Was $179.99 Now $162 (One Time Licenses)

At Gonitro Website


Nitro PDF Pro 14  – The latest version of Nitro PDF Pro packs an impressive range of features designed to make document management easier and more efficient. It comes equipped with powerful tools for creating, editing and converting PDFs from any application. You can also add annotations, Auto Tagging, stamps, strikethroughs, underlines and much more to your documents. Additionally, you’ll be able to quickly fill out forms with its intuitive form-filling tool. And if you need to review a document before signing or distributing it – no problem! The program also includes powerful collaboration tools that allow multiple users to work on the same file at the same time while tracking changes in real-time. The new version has been designed to make it easy for you to comply with marketing standards for WCAG 2.1 and PDF/UA.

Nitro PDF Pro 14 has many features that are helpful in a business setting, including the ability to create PDFs from over 300 different file types, the ability to convert PDFs into editable Microsoft Office formats, and the ability to fill out and save PDF forms. One of the most helpful features for business users is Nitro’s batch processing capabilities, which allow you to perform tasks such as converting multiple files at once or adding Bates numbering to a group of documents. You can also password-protect PDFs and add watermarks to prevent unauthorized copying.

Nitro is the best PDF software for those who want to save time with powerful tools that are affordable.

To learn more about the features and Compare Nitro PDF to other best PDF Editors. visit our Nitro PDF Pro review.

Acrobat Pro DC
(Image credit: Adobe)

2- Acrobat Pro DC:

Best choice for advance user’s


Pros

  • Intuitive interface
  • High-quality features
  • Touch-enabled controls for easy editing on the go
  • Supports shared reviews

Cons

  • Some users have reported that the subscription price for Acrobat Pro DC is quite high

Best Price: Starting at $14.95/monthly subscription see at Adobe


Acrobat Pro DC- Adobe Acrobat Pro is the industry standard for PDF editing, and the latest version offers even more features and options to make your life easier.

Acrobat Pro DC- If you do a lot of work with PDFs, Acrobat Pro DC is the best PDF software for organizing and signing documents as well as commenting on them. In addition to adding notes or signatures, you can also track changes made by others in shared reviews. It is a great PDF software for Mac and Windows that lets you work with PDF files more effortlessly.

With an intuitive interface and touch-enabled controls, you can easily edit PDFs on the go with your mobile device. The new Acrobat Pro DC also supports export to Microsoft Office formats so you can work with your PDFs in other programs.

Soda PDF Pro
(Image credit: Soda PDF)

3. Soda PDF:

Best PDF editor Value for money


Pros

  • User-friendly interface
  • Wide range of features
  • Can be used on any device, with consistent results across all platforms.

Cons

  • Some users have reported that Soda PDF can be slow when opening large files.
  • There is no way to embed video files into creating the PDF

Pricing: Soda PDF Pro Was $125 Now 65.97/ year


Soda PDF 360 Pro is an extremely comprehensive and affordable PDF editor that offers everything you need to edit, convert, protect, and share your PDFs. With Soda Anywhere Pro, you can create PDFs from nearly any type of file–over 300 in total–and then quickly convert those PDFs into editable Microsoft Office formats, or save them as images. You can also add Bates numbering to PDFs, password-protect them, and add watermarks to prevent unauthorized copying. And if you need to sign a document electronically, Soda Pro makes it easy to do so with its built-in eSigning capabilities.

Soda PDF has a user-friendly interface and offers a wide range of features, making it one of the best PDF software in the market.

Soda PDF offers two subscription-based tiers: Standard and Pro.

Standard provides you with essential tools- like View, Convert, Edit, and Page. With these capabilities, you can do things such as edit the text in a PDF document, add images or content, split or merge PDFs.

The most interesting features are exclusively available to Pro members. These include Optical Character Recognition ( OCR – helps you search for words within an image ), Electronic Signature capabilities ( allows others to sign documents electronically ), Batch options ( perform actions on multiple files at once ), adding Comments ( useful when collaborating with someone else ) , and being able to Secure a PDF so no one can make changes without your permission .

To learn more about the features, please visit our Soda PDF review.

Foxit PhantomPDF
(Image credit: Foxit)

4- Foxit PhantomPDF:

Best Editor Runner-up


Pros

  • Provides high-quality PDFs
  • Gives you tools to edit documents quickly

Cons

  • The user interface could be more intuitive
  • Pricey

Pricing: Starting at $103.95/year subscription see at Foxit


Foxit PhantomPDFThe Foxit PhantomPDF Standard does its job well by providing the same features as expensive packages, but with less sticker shock. It provides high-quality PDFs and gives you tools to edit documents quickly. Foxit PhantomPDF Standard is one of the best PDF software for small businesses.

The Foxit PhantomPDF features include the ability to create PDFs from nearly any type of file, convert PDFs into editable Microsoft Office formats, fill out and save PDF forms, add Bates numbering to PDFs, password-protect them, and add watermarks to prevent unauthorized copying. You can also use Foxit PhantomPDF to electronically sign documents.

The software offers four tiers of subscription pricing, with the pro version including e-sign capabilities costing $210 per year. The cheapest option is the cloud version with limited features cost $79.95

Wondershare PDFelement
(Image credit: Wondershare)

5- Wondershare PDFelement:

Best for Novice users


Pros

  • Intuitive drag-and-drop feature
  • All-inclusive editing software
  • Clean junk files
  • Uninstall stubborn programs

Cons

  • A few users have complained about the interface being confusing and hard to maneuver.
  • Others have also complained that the software is not as stable as they would like it to be.

Best Pricing: Starting Was $129 now 79.95/year subscription


Wondershare PDFelement is an all-inclusive editing software that provides a professional solution for a wide range of common and uncommon PDF operations without breaking your bank. It allows you to create, edit, convert, OCR (Optical Character Recognition), share or protect pdf files with relative ease.

PDFelement comes with a wide range of features like text editing, adding images or links, Bates numbering, e-signatures, and many more. You can also use it to create PDFs from scratch using its intuitive drag-and-drop feature or by converting other document formats such as Word or Excel files into PDFs.

PDF Expert
(Image credit: PDF Expert)

6- PDF Expert:

Best for Mac User’s


Pros

  • Intuitive interface
  • Wide range of features
  • Easy to edit PDFs
  • Can fill out forms, sign documents, and add comments or notes

Cons

  • Mac only

Best Price: Starting at $6.95/Monthly


PDF Expert is one of the best PDF editors for those who need to edit and annotate PDFs regularly on Mac. It offers an intuitive interface with a wide range of features, making it easy to edit PDFs. You can also use it to fill out forms, sign documents, and add comments or notes. Additionally, you can access its features from your iPhone or iPad.

PDF Expert features set it apart from other PDF editors, such as the ability to merge or split PDFs, add text or images, and fill out forms. It is also one of the few PDF editors that let you edit password-protected PDFs.

pdffiller
(Image credit: PDF Filler)

7- PDF Fillers:

Best for Online Editor


Pros

  • Intuitive interface
  • Wide range of features
  • Easy to edit PDFs
  • Can fill out forms, sign documents, and add comments or notes

Cons

  • Online only
  • The interface can be a bit confusing for some users.

Best Price: Starting at $8.95/Monthly


PDF Fillers is a web-based PDF editor that offers an easy and affordable way to edit PDFs. It has a wide range of features, such as the ability to add text or images, fill out forms, sign documents, and add comments or notes.

PDF Fillers also allows you to merge or split PDFs, add bookmarks, and password-protect your PDFs. It is one of the few PDF editors that let you edit password-protected PDFs.

Sejda PDF Editor
(Image credit: Sejda)

8- Sejda PDF Editor:

Many Limitation


Pros

  • Wide range of features
  • Easy to edit PDFs
  • Works with Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems

Cons

  • Limited features in the free version
  • Some users have found that the interface is a bit basic.
  • Transferring or downloading large files can take a long time.

Best Price: Starting at $10/Monthly


Edit PDFs easily with Sejda, available as both a desktop and online version. The software works with Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems.

Not only does Sejda PDF come in a free desktop version with limitation if need more featues you need to upgrade to the por version, the desktop version also does not require installation! Simply launch the program from your computer and start working with your PDFs.

With Sejda PDF Editor, you can merge or split PDFs, add bookmarks and annotations, fill out forms, sign documents electronically. It can also be used to repair any corrupted PDF files. The desktop version has nice features but it is limited in terms of what it can do. The online version costs $10 per month.

When you are looking for the best PDF Editor 2023, consider these features:

The best PDF editor 2023 should have a lot of features and tools to help you create, edit or convert your documents. But don’t just look at what each one offers- think about the type of work you do most often with pdf files

If it is collaborative editing that you need then choose a solution which supports this feature.

– Editing tools and functions. Does it allow adding or removing content? Can I fill in forms on my own? Is there an option to add notes or comments so others can see them too? Some of this may be more important than having certain editing tools.

– Mobile app support so you can work on the go using your smartphone or tablet, too!

Cloud storage options for sharing and collaborating with others is crucial to some businesses if they need this feature.

– Viewing tools are important since many people just want an option that allows them to view their files quickly without downloading something.

– PDF software for Mac or Windows that gives you the best experience possible.

Price is an important consideration too! After all, not everyone can afford expensive packages which offer everything under the sun. So finding a solution with features tailored to your needs at a price point you are comfortable with will help save money in the long term.

What is a PDF editor?

A PDF editor is a specialized software used to modify and create PDF documents. It’s typically used for tasks such as digital signatures, document signing, editing text, adding images, and creating fillable forms. It also allows you to convert other types of documents into a PDF format.

In short, if you need more advanced capabilities than what an online document converter can offer, then a dedicated PDF editor might be the right choice for you. Whether you’re looking to collaborate on business projects or make your life easier when dealing with complex documents, it could prove to be a great investment.

PDF editor Vs a PDF reader?

The main differences between a PDF editor and a PDF reader are the features they offer. A PDF reader, such as Adobe Acrobat Reader DC, allows you to view, navigate, print and annotate existing documents. However, it does not let you edit content or create new documents from scratch. On the other hand, with a dedicated PDF editor like Nitro PDF Pro, you can do all of that – plus more!

So, if you need more capabilities than just viewing and annotating existing PDFs, then a PDF editor is probably your best choice. It’s an investment that can pay off in the long term if you frequently work with documents at home or in the office.

Is OCR important while selecting a PDF editor?

As we have seen, there are many things to think about when choosing the best PDF software for your needs in 2021. But one feature that is often overlooked is OCR or optical character recognition. This can be a useful tool if you need to convert scanned documents into text files that can be edited. Not all PDF editors have this function so it is something to keep in mind if it is important to you.

Free PDF Editor Vs Paid PDF Editor?

There are many free PDF editors available on the market but they often lack some of the features that you might need for work or business. If you find that you need more than just the basics, then it might be worth investing in a paid PDF editor. The good news is that there are many affordable options available that still offer a wide range of features.

Paid PDF editors also often come with customer support which can be very helpful if you run into any problems or have questions about using the software.

Conclusion:

we’ve looked at some of the best PDF editors of 2023, it’s up to you to decide which one is right for your needs. We hope this list has saved you some time and helped you find the best PDF editor software suited for your business needs and experience. Do you have a favorite PDF editor that we didn’t mention? Let us know in the comments below! Happy editing!

Ryan Taylor, has teach graphic arts and digital photography course to high school students with some fine art classes for middle schoolers, as well. I am also a freelance illustrator. Ryan joined 5 BestThings on November 2, 2010 and worked as an editor specialized in Software Reviews (Security section).
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zathen
zathen
Sep 14, 2016 3:51 pm

Great choices! Here’s a web solution that might also be useful

Henry Peter
Henry Peter
Feb 23, 2016 3:55 am

Hey Ryan, nice list! I’m pretty familiar with most editors and some of these I had actually not heard of yet. There are TONS of pdf editors out there. Have you looked at any of the online editors like PDF Pro, , or PDF Buddy??