12 Best Pdf Editors For Windows 11 10 Free Paid Picks

Leo Migdal

-Dec 7, 2025, 7:43 AM

12 best pdf editors for windows 11 10 free paid picks

As someone who has tested dozens of PDF editors on Windows 11 and 10, I understand how overwhelming it can be to choose the right tool. With hundreds of PDF editors available -some with confusing interfaces, bloated features, or high prices - it’s hard to know which software truly delivers. Over several weeks, I evaluated these tools hands-on, focusing on OCR accuracy, document conversion, editing ease, and overall usability. This guide saves you time by highlighting practical PDF editors for personal, school, or office tasks, whether you need to edit text, annotate, manage pages, or handle scanned documents. Below, you’ll find a curated list of the best PDF editors for Windows 11/10, selected for usability, reliability, and value. A PDF editor is a tool that allows you to modify PDF files, which are normally difficult to edit because they are designed to preserve formatting.With a PDF editor, you can edit text, replace...

When comparing the PDF editor for windows 11/10, focus on the features that matter most to everyday users. Here are the five essential dimensions to guide your decision: Adobe Acrobat , developed by Adobe Systems, is widely regarded as the industry standard for professional PDF editing. Trusted by enterprises, legal teams, and organizations worldwide, it offers the most complete feature set for those looking for the best PDF editing software for Windows 10 and Windows 11. Its powerful tools support advanced editing, OCR, forms, e-signatures, collaboration, and document security at a high level. PDF files have become ubiquitous in our multi-platform world.

This convenient file format makes it possible to view and share documents across various devices using various operating systems and software programs. While simply viewing or commenting on a PDF is possible with free software, there are times when you need more robust tools for working with a PDF document. Say you want to make edits, reorganize a file, or collaborate with others to make changes. In such cases, you’re likely to be better served by a full-featured PDF editor. The best PDF editors allow you to edit, create, alter, and convert PDF files just like you would with any other text document. The most well-known option to most people is the formidable Adobe Acrobat Pro.

Its reputation is certainly deserved given its excellent feature set and overall utility. But it’s also quite expensive. Fortunately, there’s a whole range of capable and even great third-party PDF editors that provide less expensive alternatives to Adobe’s premier product. EaseUS Black Friday Offer: EaseUS PDF Editor – Edit, Convert, Compress & Protect PDFs The Portable Document Format (or PDF) is what most people use to share information because it can show text, images, and even sound and video on any platform. Most PDFs are for reading only, but that doesn't mean you can't or shouldn't modify them.

For example, you might want to correct a typo without recreating a whole file, or add or remove text and images. Whatever the job, you need a PDF editor. PCMag has been reviewing document editing software for several decades, so you can trust that all the apps here are up to the task. Our Editors' Choice winners are ABBYY FineReader for its OCR tools and Adobe Acrobat Pro for its business features, but we also include far more affordable options that handle the basics competently. Below the list, we outline everything you need to know before choosing the best PDF editor for your needs. ABBYY FineReader's deep feature set, convenient editing tools, and smooth, modern interface make it the premier productivity app for professional OCR and PDF work.

Adobe Acrobat Pro, from the company that created the PDF format, is a document editing and management powerhouse. A subscription isn't cheap, but if Acrobat Pro does what you need, it's an obvious choice. ABBYY FineReader ($99 per year for the Standard version, $165 per year for the Corporate version) combines a well-designed set of standard PDF management features with class-leading OCR technology for converting scanned images into... A spacious, lucid interface lets you create or edit PDFs, as well as convert them into other formats, all in a few mouse clicks. The advanced OCR editor has a fast, keyboard-friendly interface for fixing the unavoidable OCR errors that you get with scanned documents, and its image editor tool makes short work of adjustments to single or... FineReader doesn’t have Adobe’s cloud-based support for gathering responses or payments, but it offers a built-in “hot folder” feature that automatically converts documents you add there into PDFs.

(Adobe’s comparable feature is separate from Acrobat and more difficult to set up.) ABBYY FineReader also includes a convenient screen-scraping application that grabs any text on your screen. The Corporate version has a unique tool for comparing two documents in different formats, unlike Acrobat, which compares only PDF documents. The best PDF editors let you handle portable documents like a pro When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. The best PDF editors let you do even more with PDF files, from marking them up to making changes to the text and images they include.

Even though PDF files may appear to be finalized, they can be edited and changed in the same way you can alter a text document. You just need the right software to do so. The best PDF editors allow you to open almost any PDF file and from here, you can edit, alter, annotate, sign or convert it into other popular file formats like Microsoft Word’s Doc and... Whether you use PDF files for work, need to make edits while studying or just want a quick way to sign a file, we've found the right paid and free PDF editors to get... After testing a dozen different platforms, we're here to help you find the best ones to alter text, change images, annotate PDF files and beyond. Ever opened a PDF and felt trapped in a digital maze?

Uneditable text, images that can't be resized, and signing documents that feel like a hassle? You’re not alone! This guide will help you discover the 10 best PDF editors for Windows, offering both free and paid options to meet your needs. Whether you're looking for basic PDF editing or more advanced document management capabilities, we've got you covered. From Adobe Acrobat DC, pdfFiller, Foxit, and Nitro Pro, to EaseUS, this list features the top tools available, ensuring you can create, modify, and share PDFs with ease. Whether you're a beginner or a pro, the best PDF editors are essential for any Windows user—so let's dive in and find the perfect tool for you!

Take an example of a doc file, you will be able to edit it with Microsoft Word. So the tool used to edit the doc file is Microsoft Word, similarly to edit PDF files you have two options. The first is to convert the PDF file into an editable extension like Word or Doc and the second option is to use a PDF editing tool to edit the file directly. A PDF Editor allows you to drag and drop pages from your existing document, make changes on any page, combine pages, encrypt documents, add form fields, change and modify text, edit images, and much... Whether you are a student, businessman, or a lazy lad wanting quick edits, a PDF Editor is a one-stop solution for all your needs. Let's take a look at some of the best PDF editors for Windows out there:

Many users face the same issue on Windows 11/10: the built-in Microsoft Edge can open PDFs, but only supports basic viewing and comments. Meanwhile, the market is full of PDF editors for Windows — some are free but basic, others are powerful but expensive, and many online tools may raise privacy concerns - making it hard to... To help you find the most suitable solution, our team spent over 400 hours testing and comparing more than 40 popular PDF editors. During this review, we referred to trusted sources like TechRadar and PCMag, and we also checked long-term user feedback from Reddit, Quora, G2, and Trustpilot. This allowed us to fully evaluate each tool's pros, cons, use cases, and value for money. This article is not just a simple list of features—it is a true buying guide.

Whether you are a student, a professional, or a business user, you will quickly discover the best PDF editor for windows 11/10 here and make a smarter, more efficient decision. Powerful features for document editing, signing, commenting, and team collaboration. (Standard: $22.99/mo or $155.88/yr; Pro: $239.88/yr) Supports OCR, document editing, annotations, and conversion. Simple and user-friendly interface with excellent cost-performance. (Monthly: $14.99; 3 Years: $35.99; Lifetime: $55.99)

Ever tried sending a Word doc that looked perfect on your screen — only for your client or professor to open it with half the formatting missing? Or scanned a paper form and needed to add a signature but had no idea how? That’s why the PDF format isn’t going anywhere. It preserves layout, works on any device, and is still the gold standard for sharing contracts, resumes, forms, and professional documents in 2025. Whether you’re a freelancer sending invoices, a student submitting assignments, or a business professional reviewing reports, chances are you’re working with PDFs every single week. And when you don’t have the right tools to edit or convert them, small tasks — like merging pages, adding comments, or changing a file type — become frustrating fast.

That’s where having the best PDF editor on hand makes a huge difference. And if you’re dealing with screenshots, scanned notes, or presentation slides, a solid converter helps you convert PNG to PDF or even convert PDF to PNG without jumping through hoops. In this guide, we’ll break down the top free and paid tools for editing and converting PDFs on Windows — so you can stop struggling and get back to actually getting things done. Whether you need a full-featured editor, a simple converter, or just a better way to handle digital paperwork, we’ve got you covered. The truth is, not all PDFs are created equal. Some are clean digital exports, while others are messy scans, outdated templates, or low-res image conversions.

That’s where a good PDF editor comes in — not just to fix things, but to make them actually usable. Whether you need to fill out a form, rearrange pages, highlight key sections, or drop in a signature, the best PDF editor can turn a static file into something interactive and flexible. 'ZDNET Recommends': What exactly does it mean? ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing.

When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers. ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and...

Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form. Portable Document Format files, also known as PDFs, are universally used during electronic document exchanges. This file format is often preferred when users need to share, store, or print documents that typically aren't tampered with or edited, and when the formatting of a document is vital. But in some situations, it is important to be able to edit or save a PDF document, as is the case for many contracts that require a digital signature.

12 Best Pdf Editors For Windows 11 10 Free Paid Picks

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