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While Lion didn't wow the crowd with most of its features, it brought some amazing additions to Apple's PDF viewer/editor that puts it over the top and makes it our choice for the best.

Aug 12,2019 • Filed to: Mac Tutorials

'What is the best free PDF Editor for Mac?'

Best Free Pdf Reader Reviews

Here we’ve compiled the top 5 PDF editor Mac tools to easily work with your PDFs. We’ve found the best 5 free PDF editor for Mac to help you modify your files, including tool like PDFelement Pro for Mac.

Choose Your Best PDF Editor for Mac

1. PDFelement Pro - Clean and Powerful PDF Editor

PDFelement Pro is one of the best programs for all solutions to edit PDF files on Mac. With this tool, you are able to edit, add, modify and delete texts, graphics and images in PDF format. You can also convert your PDF files to Word, Excel, EPUB, Images and more formats. You can annotate and mark all the screen content with a variety of markup and annotation tools. It allows you to fill out your existing PDF forms, create PDFs form and extract data from PDFs forms. The advanced OCR feature helps you to edit and convert scanned PDF and extract data from scanned PDF.

2. PDF Expert - Beautiful and Robust PDF editor

PDF Expert by Readdle is a start product in Mac App Store. It has been rewarded as 'Editors' Choice', 'App of the Year' and 'Top 1 Paid App'. It provides advanced reading experience on Mac. The cool thing is that you can compare two PDF files in the 'split view mode'. You can also mark up while reading. PDF Expert also provides tools to combine PDFs. Add, remove, extract, rotate, copy and reorder pages to make the best arrangment of your PDF files. Fill out PDF forms and sign electronically.

3. Adobe^® Acrobat^® DC Mac - Powerful but Expensive Choice

As the leading brand in the PDF industry, the PDF editor of Adobe^® Acrobat^® is no doubt with realiable quality.From the product interface we can see, it has a wide range of tool set. You can edit, comment, fill&sign, convert, combine and secure PDFs. With the help of Action Wizard, Pro users can customize an action and run it. So that you are able to deal with piles of PDFs with the same action. It is also integrated with Adobe Sign. If you have an Adobe suite already and enough budget, then Acrobat DC is a better choice.

4. Foxit PhantomPDF Mac - New Product by Old Brand

Foxit published PhantomPDF Mac in recent year. Been dedicated in Windows solution of PDF for years, it's Mac version deserves a trial. This PDF editor mac allows you to edit text, convert, annotate, compress, OCR and sign PDFs. You can also fill out forms and protect PDFs with password.

5. PDFpen Pro

PDFpen Pro is an all-purpose PDF editor for mac. You can edit, mark up, OCR and protect PDF and create PDF forms. Edit text and images, annotate PDFs with highlight, notes and hand-drawings. OCR scanned PDFs into editable text. There's also a redaction option that can black out your sensitive information.

Three Light-weighted PDF Editing Software for Mac

Pdf Editor For Mac

6. Preview - Mac Built-in Markup Tool

Preview is a light-weighted PDF annotation tool, which is built-in on Mac. You can add text, notes, shapes and highlight to note down your thoughts. You can also compress, convert and combine PDFs. It also allows you to organize pages like add, delete and move. To protect your PDF documents, you can add password. However, it has less features compared with professional pdf editors on Mac. It doesn't support batch process and OCR. The most important is that it can't edit existing text in a PDF. Therefore, it's only suitbale for those who only want to mark up PDF files. If you are looking for PDF editing software on Mac, it is not your choice.

7. Adobe Reader DC

Adobe Reader DC is a free PDF reader on Mac. As its name conveys, it only allows you to view, comment and sign PDFs. If you want to enjoy the editing feature, you need to upgrade to Adobe Acrobat DC.

8. FineReader Pro for Mac

FineReader Pro for Mac is OCR product from ABBYY, a leading comany in OCR area. The highlight of the program is converting scanned PDFs with great accuracy. If you often deal with scanned files, then FineReader Pro for Mac is your best choice. You can convert those documents into editable formats like docx, xlsx, pptx and more.

Two Minority Free PDF Editors Mac

9. PDF Editor Mac

PDF Editor Mac is free pdf editor mac from individual developer. Although it may not have beautiful interface and is not so intuitive, the program have the common features that's enough for light users. You can edit, rotate and annotate PDF documents.

10. Skim

This software is a free PDF annotation and reader for Mac that allows you to make a number of modifications. It lets you perform tasks such as highlighting, underlining, and adding sticky notes as for better viewing of PDFs.

PDF is a familiar file format for most people. Adobe first introduced it in 1993, and later standardized it in 2008 to allow anyone to create PDF files and the tools necessary to do so.

These days there are too many PDF editors to choose from, and they all seem to do the same task. Most of them aren’t worth your time, but it’s also quite difficult to get much done for free.

So here are our top picks for editing and creating PDFs on your Mac.

How to Print to PDF in macOS

Your Mac can create PDFs natively, which means just about any desktop publishing app can become a PDF editor. You’ll miss out on features like interactive forms, but there’s no quicker way to share a document or web page as a PDF.

To export as a PDF in macOS:

1. Click File > Print in your editor, browser, or other relevant application.
2. Find the PDF drop-down at the bottom of the Print dialog. Click it and choose Save as PDF.
3. Give your file a name, specify a password if required under Security Options, then click Save.

Editing PDFs With Preview

In short: Part of macOS. Fine for markup, signing documents, and simple PDF management; not a “true” PDF editor or creator.

Preview is an app that comes pre-installed as part of macOS. It’s a barebones document viewer, but it also includes a few handy PDF tools. Unfortunately, it’s not a PDF creator. You can’t design interactive documents or forms from scratch using Preview, but you can make rudimentary edits to existing ones.

Its best features are its markup and annotation toolsHow to Create, Merge, Split & Markup PDF Documents on a MacHow to Create, Merge, Split & Markup PDF Documents on a MacDon't pay for PDF software! Convert documents, merge or split PDFs, and annotate and sign forms for free on your Mac.Read More. Preview also allows you to rearrange page order, delete pages, import new pages, and export individual pages as separate documents. You can’t edit existing PDF elements or create new ones, which means you can’t “edit” the PDF so much as annotate it.

Preview functions as a better PDF viewer than an editor. You can sign forms using its in-built signature feature, enter text into forms and save the input, and mark up a PDF with shapes, arrows, custom text, and your own scribble. These tools are easy to use and look great on the page, but it’s a far cry from a proper editor.

Some users report that Preview does not display its changes correctly in other editors, though I’ve had no problems arise from this when using the app to sign and return forms.

Foxit Free Pdf Reader

Editing PDFs With LibreOffice Draw

In short: Proper free PDF editing and creation with an open source look and feel, warts and all.

There’s a lot to love about the open-source office suite LibreOfficeThe 7 Best Free Microsoft Office AlternativesThe 7 Best Free Microsoft Office AlternativesMicrosoft Office is the king of office suites, but that doesn't mean it's the right one for you. Here are some other office suites you might like better!Read More, not least the Draw app’s ability to edit PDF files. We’re not talking simple markup a la Preview, but full-blown PDF editing. To get started, launch Draw and point it at the PDF file you want to edit.

Once Draw opens your file, it converts shape elements into fixed images which you can resize and move. You can also move or fill text boxes, though any pre-filled data will be lost upon import. You can add your own shapes and boxes, form elements, charts, tables, and so on.

The biggest problem with LibreOffice Draw is its interpretation of certain PDF files. The formatting can appear slightly off, with weird text kerning and style interpretation. It’s also a fairly limited PDF creator. Form creation tools are hidden away under View > Toolbars > Form Controls. These can even create working interactive forms, but the tools are far from advanced.

Download:LibreOffice (Free)

Editing PDFs With Adobe Acrobat Pro DC

In short: Pricey but complete, perfect for editing and creating PDF files from scratch. It’s also the only app on this list to include optical character recognition (OCR).

Adobe created the PDF, and it’s still providing one of the best solutions for PDF editing, creation, and all the basic tasks in between. DC stands for “Document Cloud” which should give you an idea of what Adobe is going for: a cloud-reliant subscription-based all-in-one solution. At $15 per month, the biggest barrier to entry is the price, though you can try for free before you buy.

For your money you get one of the best tools of its kind. Acrobat allows you to take the standard “desktop publishing” blank page route, but it’s also a master of conversion. This means you can design your document in Pages, Word, or even an app like Illustrator, then convert with Acrobat, add some PDF jazz, and keep it all handy in the cloud. You can even snap a picture with your camera, then turn it into an interactive document.

Every time you open a PDF, Acrobat will scan it and make text searchable using OCR. Editing tools are second to none, and you won’t have to worry about the weird formatting issues seen in free solutions like LibreOffice. A clear differentiation between edit and view mode means you won’t accidentally screw up formatting while trying to fill out a form. If you can afford it, you won’t be disappointed.

Download:Adobe Acrobat Pro DC (Free trial, subscription required)

Editing PDFs With PDF Expert

In short: An affordable single-license premium PDF editor that lacks some creative tools, but plays nicely with most PDF files.

Readdle’s PDF Expert is a premium tool, but it’s a one-off purchase. For $60 you’ll get a competent editor that allows for proper PDF document editing that’s a step above what Preview offers. Unfortunately PDF creation from scratch isn’t an option here, and a few of the editing tools leave something to be desired.

The app is a competent editor for basic text, markup, and image-related duties. You can fix typos, add a new photo to your resume, or add hyperlinks, but there are no tools for adding new shapes and form fields. However, it does include tools for merging, annotation, signing documents, and a fast search.

Pdf-xchange Editor

If you need a good editor and can’t commit to a Creative Cloud subscription, PDF Expert might just fit the bill. There’s a seven-day free trial upon downloading, so you can test out the features and decide if the app goes far enough with its limited tools. It’s worth noting that the app enjoys positive reviews and a 4.5/5 star rating on the Mac App Store.

Download:PDF Expert ($60)

Forget the Other PDF Editors

I tried a fair few PDF editors while coming up with this list, and Adobe Acrobat Pro DC was probably the best solution. Windows users can use apps like Nitro and Foxit for common PDF tasks, but the scene is a little more limited on a Mac. In particular, look out for fake landing pages masquerading as official websites, especially if they suggest using a third party “installer” app for downloads.

For online tools, check out our roundup of browser-based PDF editors that let you edit documents for freeHow to Edit All Your PDF Files OnlineHow to Edit All Your PDF Files OnlineYou don't have to install software just to fill in or edit a PDF. We have compiled online solutions you can turn to for all your PDF editing needs.Read More.

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Best Free Pdf Reader

1. macOS provides a free but little known utility to modify your PDFs. Not to edit text, but to change the size. Try the ColorSync Utility. It can open PDFs and apply filters to it to reduce the size significantly. Tip: do not the standard “Reduce size” but construct your own filter. Then open a PDF with ColorSync Utility, apply the filter and “Save As...” the result.