Best PDF editors in 2023

The best PDF editors enable you to get even more done with PDF files but the real question is which PDF editor is best suited to your needs and workflow. 

Despite their finalized appearance, Portable Document Format files can be changed in the same way you alter a text document – you just need the right software. The best PDF editors let you open up almost any PDF file so that you can edit, alter, annotate, sign or convert it to other popular file formats including Microsoft Word. 

If you regularly work with PDF files as part of your job or in your free time then one of the best PDF editors will make things even easier for you. We’ve tested more than a half-dozen different options and these are the best ones for altering text, changing images and annotating PDF files. On a tight budget, these are the best free PDF editors.

1. Acrobat Pro DC

Best PDF editor for Windows

Cost: $240/year

Developer: Adobe

Compatibility: macOS, Windows

Category: PDF editor

Full-featured PDF editing and annotation tool

Excellent OCR

You'd expect Adobe Acrobat Pro DC to be great because it comes from Adobe, the birthplace of the portable document format. To some extent, this full-service PDF-editing application meets that expectation.

Acrobat Pro DC offers a complete set of PDF-editing tools, and it even lets you edit scanned documents. Acrobat DC's OCR engine can convert scanned documents to text, which you can then search through and change. 

But Acrobat doesn't allow you to convert an entire document the moment you open it. Instead, the app waits for you to begin using the Pro DC's edit tools, recognizing and converting the pages as you select them for editing. Changing text in an OCR'd document was simple and the results look great.

It's also easy to edit images and text in documents you haven't scanned. I was able to make changes to everything with zero issues.

What I don't like about Acrobat Pro DC is the interface. It feels like a half-realized demo of what the app could be. Editing tools surround your document, and the UI feels disorganized, offering few options for customization. 

Since it's designed to work on both Macs and PCs, Acrobat Pro DC looks like it belongs in neither environment. This doesn't make this program bad at what it's supposed to do; it just makes you feel like you're working outside your chosen OS.

2. PDF Candy

Best free PDF editor

Cost: Free

Developer: Icecream Apps

Compatibility: Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera, Safari

Category: OCR, PDF editing, file conversion

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OCR capabilities

Extensive features for converting, creating files

Solid layout tools for PDFs

Limited text editing features

Our pick for the best free PDF editor is PDF Candy, because it offers something many free options do not — an OCR feature for scanning text. You can't edit OCR'd text in this web-based PDF editor, but you are able to upload PDF files and extract text and create a text document, RTF file, or Word document in both .doc and .docx formats.

You can choose from 44 tools to create or convert PDF files. It's also easy to rearrange pages within a document, add watermarks, protect PDF files with passcodes, edit metadata within a PDF file, split or add pages to documents, and extract images. Actual text editing is pretty limited, the trade-off you make to enjoy a fairly feature-rich free PDF editor.

Once you've made your edits in PDF Candy, you can download the edited document or upload a new document to work on. PDF Candy keeps all of your documents in a queue so you can download them all at once after you've finished making changes to them.

3. PDFescape

Best PDF-annotation tool

Cost: Free; $36/year for premium account

Developer: Avanquest

Compatibility: Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera, Safari

Category: PDF annotation

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Free online PDF editing

No registration required

Web-based annotation tools are easy to understand and use

Extremely limited font options when you add text

Desktop version requires a subscription

PDFescape is a basic, web-based PDF-editing and -annotation program you can use for free to work on PDF documents that are smaller than either 10MB or 100 pages, whichever is greater. (PDFescape used to limit you to 50 pages, so the higher limit is a welcome change.) If you need to edit larger files, you can upgrade to a premium account for $36 a year. There's also an "ultimate" plan for $72 per year.

Accessible through any modern web browser, PDFescape offers no OCR capabilities like PDF Candy does. But PDFescape's annotation tools are easy to use. You'll find a pretty solid set of standard annotation tools that can easily add, highlight and strike through text; insert notes; and otherwise mark up the pages of your PDF file. Using the web app's insert tools, you can also add new images and text to a document, white-out text, and add web links and form fields.

PDFescape does have some major limitations in adding new text. Because there are no OCR capabilities, you can't make changes to existing text; you're limited to adding new text to an existing document. Additionally, the app has very limited font options, as it doesn't use any of your computer's fonts. So you're limited to Arial, Courier New, Times New Roman, Verdana and a Signature font for signing documents.

4. Apple Preview

Built-in PDF annotation for macOS

Cost: Free with macOS

Developer: Apple

Compatibility: macOS

Category: PDF annotation

Excellent annotation tools

Easy-to-use signature capture

Markup features are often available in other apps

Locating annotation tools not obvious

Mac only

Apple's Preview app is built-in to macOS and offers a minimalist but valuable set of tools for marking up any PDF file. You won't find full-on PDF editing here. But if you need a basic set of tools for highlighting or redacting text, making notes, or adding comments to a document, you won't likely need much more than what's already available on your Mac.

Preview's markup tools are hidden when you first open a PDF document. To see them, you'll have to look for the small pencil icon that appears near the Spotlight search bar at the top of your PDF document's toolbar. Clicking this reveals a small set of tools you can use to select text and add objects, text or notes to your document.

The app's standout feature is a signature tool you can use to store a signature you create using your trackpad or scan using your Mac's camera. You can then easily add that signature to a document by clicking Preview's Signature tool. Simple and easy to use once you set it up, Preview's signing feature will prove its usefulness every time a digital document requires your John Hancock.

You can access all of Preview's editing tools without opening Preview, as long as you're running macOS 10.14 Mojave or later. Just use QuickLook to view a PDF, then click on the Markup button in that mode.

5. PDF Expert

PDF editor with the cleanest interface

Cost: $80 one-time license purchase

Developer: Readdle

Compatibility: macOS

Category: PDF editor

Clean, easy-to-use interface

AI-powered Enhance feature

Editing tools appear when you need them and hide when you don't

Difficulties with larger files

Mac-only

Readdle's macOS-only PDF Expert is a popular PDF-editing tool that allows you to make changes to text in existing PDF documents by removing and replacing images, updating text, and adding text of your own. PDF Expert lacks OCR capabilities, so if you want to edit text in scanned documents, you'll need to look beyond this program.

Of all the apps I tested, PDF Expert has the cleanest interface and therefore was the most pleasant to use. Two tabs appear at the top of the screen: Annotate and Edit. Clicking one of them gives you an appropriate selection of tools to perform either annotation or editing tasks.

PDF Expert's editing tools are flawless. Click text in your PDF, and tools for editing text will slide out so you can make changes. Select an image, and tools for changing the image appear. You can move selected text anywhere on the page you want or remove it altogether.

PDF Expert struggles with large documents; otherwise, this would have been my top pick for Mac. However, every time I attempted to open my nearly 450-page test file, PDF Expert hung. Until this program behaves more dependably, look elsewhere if you tend to work with larger documents. There's also a Windows version in development and you can sign up to get notified when it's ready.

6. PDFelement Pro

PDF editor with some quirks

Cost: $130/year

Developer: Wondershare

Compatibility: macOS, Windows, iOS, Android

Category: PDF editor

Opened and recognized text in every document

1 GB of cloud storage included

Lifetime license available

Bizarre text-editing behavior

Wondershare's PDFelement Pro is a full-featured PDF editor with an OCR engine for recognizing scanned text and a standard set of tools. With those, you can fill in forms, annotate documents, create and add signatures, and edit images within a document.

PDFelement had no problem opening anything I threw at it, including scanned documents, large files and image-heavy PDFs. Once documents are open, PDFelement Pro offers a fairly simple interface, with a set of tools on the left side of your document that are easy to figure out. Just select a tool, and you can go to work making changes to a file.

Editing images, adding signatures and using annotations in the application all worked as planned, but I did experience some odd behaviors when I was editing or adding text using PDFelement Pro. In particular, when I was editing existing text in a document, the application wanted to make the text bold and would not allow me to change the content back to regular text. Also, when I added new text boxes, my own text did not display normally; the program always added a space after I typed an apostrophe. And the program constantly played my Mac's system beep as I typed. That's both annoying and not optimal.

7. Sejda PDF Desktop Pro

A PDF editor with too many limitations

Cost: $63/year

Developer: Sejda

Compatibility: macOS, Windows

Category: PDF annotation

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Can edit text, though on a limited basis

Can add images and annotate your documents

Paid weekly pass available

Very limited features

Paragraphs are treated as individual lines of text

Cannot remove or edit existing images

Sejda is a web-based PDF-editing application that works on any OS that has a modern web browser. A desktop version converts that web interface into something that runs on your computer. 

You can use a free version of Sejda, but it limits the number of daily tasks you can perform and the size of the documents you can access. 

To get the most out of the program, you can buy an annual license for both the web and desktop versions for $63. You can also buy a weekly pass for both versions for $8 if you've got a one-time project that requires Sejda.

Sejda has no OCR engine, so you can't use this app to edit PDF files created from scanned documents. You can edit only PDF files that already have selectable text.

To edit your PDF file, you upload it to the Sejda website and then use the toolbar at the top of the page to choose your tools. You'll find tools for editing text, adding links, adding form fields and images, and signing or annotating your document. All of Sejda's tools are rudimentary at best. 

The app breaks every line of text in your document into a single text entry, so you can't edit entire paragraphs of text. When you do edit existing text, remnants of the previous text often get left behind in the document. Sejda will let you add new images to a document, but you can't use the app to edit or remove existing images.

Sejda isn't a great app, but it works in a pinch when you need to make a quick change to an existing PDF document and you have no other tools at hand.

The first question you should ask yourself when choosing a PDF editor is what you plan to do with it. If it’s just to mark up documents and add digital signatures, PDF annotation software will better suit your needs.

As there are many well-featured PDF annotation programs that are available for free, you can save yourself some money. For instance, as we mentioned, Mac users can save even more time since the Preview app that ships with Apple’s computers includes markup and signature tools.

It also doesn’t cost much, or even anything at all, to create a PDF. You can do so from a Word document or a web page, and also convert a PDF to a Word doc or a JPEG.

However, if you’re in the market for a full-fledged PDF editor that lets you manipulate text and create documents, consider what kinds of features you’ll need for PDF editing. Applications with good OCR capabilities will likely cost more but if you don’t need OCR, you may be able to make do with a free PDF editor.

While PDF editors are great for making changes or notes to documents, they’re not necessary if you simply want to view and read a PDF. For that, check out our list of the best PDF readers you can download. 

We looked at both PDF editors and applications used for making annotations in PDFs. Every PDF editor can also annotate documents but dedicated PDF-annotation tools aren’t actually designed to make changes to any of the original content in a PDF document.

While testing each of these applications, we used a few different types of documents including large, text-heavy files, documents with a mix of formatted images and text and simple documents with text and images inserted into the document in a linear fashion. We tested features like text recognition (when supported) and we tried making changes to text, replacing and adding images and adding annotations.

For more on our testing procedures, check out this guide on how Tom’s Guide tests, reviews and rates products. 

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Agricultural Testing Market worth $9.8 billion by 2028 - Exclusive Report by MarketsandMarkets

CHICAGO, June 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Agricultural Testing Market is estimated at USD 6.7 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 9.8 billion by 2028, at a CAGR of 7.1% from 2023 to 2028 according to a report published by MarketsandMarkets.

The demand for agricultural testing is rising globally due to several reasons. there is an increasing awareness and emphasis on food safety and quality. Consumers are more concerned about the potential presence of contaminants, pesticides, and other harmful substances in their food. This has led to stricter regulations and standards for agricultural products, driving the need for comprehensive testing to ensure compliance. Globalization and international trade have expanded significantly in the agricultural sector. Different countries have varying import requirements and regulations for agricultural products. Testing is essential to demonstrate compliance with these standards and facilitate smooth trade relationships.

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Browse in-depth TOC on "Agricultural Testing Market"200 - Tables50 - Figures250 - Pages

The safety testing in application segment accounted for the largest share of the agricultural testing market in 2023 in terms of value.

Safety testing of agricultural samples includes testing for targets such as toxins, pathogens, heavy metals, pesticides, GMOs, and organic contaminants. The presence of contamination in soil, water, seed, compost, and biosolids can lead to contamination of the agricultural produce, which can lead to foodborne illnesses and cause several health issues on consumption by humans. Thus, significant emphasis has been laid on safety testing of agricultural samples, with focus on addressing loopholes in safety laws, implementing good agricultural practices (GAP), and also continuing research to determine the maximum residue limits for contaminants in food. Further, due to increase in apprehension among consumers toward GM content in food and introduction of GM labeling mandates and regulations on specific GM traits, GMO testing for seeds is also an emerging driver for this market. Also, due to the disposal of toxic chemicals in water bodies through untreated wastewater and effluents is a major concern for the agricultural sector as irrigation of agricultural land with this contaminated water can lead to soil toxicity and public health concerns. As a result, safety testing of agricultural samples has gained importance over the years.

The rapid technology of the technology segment accounted for the highest share of the agricultural testing market in 2023 to 2028 in terms of value.

Rapid technology is segmented into chromatography & spectrometry, PCR, ELISA, and X-ray fluorescence which are used to test and identify contaminants through different means. Rapid diagnostic tests provide results in a significantly shorter time compared to conventional methods. These tests employ techniques such as immunochromatography, lateral flow assays, or molecular-based methods like polymerase chain reaction (PCR). With rapid tests, agricultural professionals can quickly identify pathogens, contaminants, or diseases, allowing for swift decision-making and timely interventions. Rapid technology also enables testing to be conducted directly at the site of sample collection, eliminating the need to transport samples to a laboratory. Portable and handheld devices, such as biosensors or miniaturized PCR machines, are now available, enabling real-time analysis in the field. On-site testing reduces turnaround time, improves resource allocation, and allows for immediate actions to be taken based on test results.

The soil segment of the sample segment is estimated to grow at the highest in the agricultural testing market.

Soil sample testing enables precise nutrient management in agriculture. By determining the nutrient levels in the soil, farmers can apply fertilizers and soil amendments judiciously, avoiding overuse or underuse of nutrients. This targeted approach optimizes nutrient application rates, reduces fertilizer waste, and minimizes the environmental impact of excessive nutrient runoff. Effective nutrient management based on soil sample testing helps ensure sustainable agriculture practices, conserves resources, and reduces the risk of nutrient pollution in water bodies. Soil sample testing assists farmers in selecting appropriate crops and planning their planting strategies. Different crops have varying nutrient requirements and tolerances to soil conditions. By analyzing soil samples, farmers can identify which crops are best suited for their specific soil characteristics. They can make informed decisions regarding crop rotation, choosing crops that complement the soil's nutrient content and address any deficiencies. Soil sample testing aids in optimizing crop selection, diversifying farming systems, and maximizing the utilization of available soil resources.

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The Asia Pacific region accounted for the fastest growing market, in terms of value, of the global agricultural testing market in 2028.

Major growth drivers of the Asia Pacific include increased adoption of advanced biotechnological methods and organic farming resulting in a need for agricultural testing services, and an increase in the number of exports from the region, necessitating agricultural testing for the produce. Agriculture is one of the prime industrial sectors in several countries in the region, further driving the growth of the market. While many countries have successfully adopted farm mechanization techniques that are used for crop production, harvest, and post-harvest operations such as packaging and marketing to help improve the quality of produce, there are many countries which are yet to adopt such mechanized technologies in an all-inclusive manner. Although the region has been able to successfully implement positive changes in their agricultural methodologies, the region's yields continue to remain stunted, mainly owing to the deteriorating soil quality and water quality, increased use of fertilizers to maintain increasing yields, and the extensive use of chemical pesticides. This drives the need to adopt quality analysis technologies.

This report includes a study of the marketing and development strategies, along with the product portfolio of leading companies. These companies include SGS (Switzerland), Eurofins (Luxembourg), Intertek (UK), Bureau Veritas (France), ALS Limited (Australia), TUV Nord Group (Germany), Merieux (US), AsureQuality (New Zealand), RJ Hill Laboratories Limited (New Zealand), SCS Global (US), Agrifood Technology (Australia), APAL Agricultural Laboratory (Australia), Agvise Laboratories (US), LGC Limited (UK) and Water Agricultural Laboratories (US).

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Browse Adjacent Reports @ Agriculture Industry Market Research Reports & Consulting

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Environmental Testing Market by Sample (Wastewater/Effluent, Soil, Water, Air), Technology (Rapid, conventional), Target Tested (Microbial Contamination, Organic Compounds, Heavy Metals, Residues, Solids), End Users and Region - Global Forecast to 2027

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