If you are looking for a free Mac PDF editor so you can add or change text in a PDF, add your signature, add comments, redact information, or just to combine lots of PDFs, rotate pages, reduce the. It's not only the best Java IDE for Mac, but for all platforms on which it deploys I would say. If you work part time on Mac, part time on Windows, the one license covers both (last time I checked anyway). And three cheers for the support on this end as well. I was having trouble with a plugin and they got back to me quickly and fixed the problem.
Have you wondered often how to find the best PDF editors for Mac? When it comes to Mac systems, it is often a bit challenging to find apps that can work best for your Macbook.
So, here we are with the best & free PDF solution for Mac in our blog that can help you easily read and edit your PDFs, fill up PDF forms, and do countless other tasks effortlessly.
Create, convert, combine, split, and export text as well as pages to process and manage them better with the help of a PDF file editor.
11 Best Free PDF Editor Software For Mac in 2020:
So, let’s find out the 11 best PDF file editors for Mac computers in 2020.
1. Adobe Acrobat
Adobe Acrobat is one of the most well-renowned PDF file editor software that offers the best desktop PDF solution including a mobile version to fill, sign, and share PDFs from any device.
It comes with an attractive UI with touch functionality. There is an option for trying the tool for free for 7-days before purchasing it.
You can edit files anytime anywhere with Acrobat. The tool does support lots of advanced features; however, it is slightly complex for beginners.
Key Features:
- Compares documents swiftly.
- Recognizes form fields automatically.
- Transform MS Office files effortlessly into PDF.
- Supports automatic formatting.
- Includes an in-built spellcheck.
- Add digital signatures with this tool.
Read More: How To Convert PDF To Excel (Online & Offline)
2. PDFelement
Another excellent PDF file editor software is PDFelement. With this program, you can easily edit and convert files in PDF format. Additionally, it also supports OCR, annotation, form processing, and digital signature features.
It is an amazing one-stop solution for Mac systems and gives a competitive edge to other software products in this category owing to its data extraction technology.
Key Features:
- Edit PDFs smoothly with superior annotation tools and editing features.
- Convert and create PDFs easily.
- Simple design and user interface.
- Supports OCR and batch processing tools.
3. Skim
Skim is a free Mac PDF editor that has an easy design. Read PDFs effortlessly in addition to editing PDFs and creating as well as converting texts. You can even improve the text of a PDF with the superb editing feature.
It offers a note-taking tool, text highlight feature, magnification tool, and a lot more. Let’s look at the prime features in detail below:
Key Features:
- Add bookmarks easily with this tool.
- Take screenshots of the PDF files for future reference.
- Supports Apple Remote Control.
- Extensively supports AppleScript.
4. Preview
When it comes to discussing the best Mac PDF editing software, then how can we leave behind Preview which is the in-built free application of Mac?
Mac Preview opens a plethora of possibilities to edit PDF files. Wondering what you can do with the Preview app?
Using this program you can merge PDfs, split it, zoom the PDFs as well as secure your PDFs. The best features of this app are mentioned below:
Key Features:
- Supports text highlighting feature.
- Easily export your PDF file to other formats.
- Add a digital signature to the PDFs with this app.
- Read a PDF quickly with this app.
5. PDF Buddy
Our next pick is PDF Buddy that is an online tool for editing PDFs. All you need to do is drag and drop a PDF file in the tool and begin editing the PDF. Sounds pretty simple, right?
It is indeed simple and absolutely safe to edit PDFs with this tool. You can utilize extensive features of this app to edit a PDF according to your choice. Here are some of the important features of this app:
Key Features:
- The tool comes with SSL(Secure Sockets Layer) and AES-256-bit encryption to protect the PDF files.
- You can edit upto 3 PDFs each month with this tool for free.
- This tool is accessible from everywhere.
Read More: How to Convert PDF into Word
6. Master PDF Editor For Mac
If you want to explore more PDF editor apps for macOS, then you can look forward to picking Master PDF Editor as it allows you to smartly convert PDF files to multiple file formats.
You can also edit any portion of your PDF file with the help of this tool; however, it has a slightly complex interface. Although a free version is available, yet it has a limited scope of functions and features.
Key Features:
- It is compatible with Linux based systems.
- It allows you to edit both texts and images in a PDF file.
- The tool is also enabled with OCR, scanning, and printing abilities.
- Comes with powerful annotation tools like Sticky Note, Strikethrough, Measuring tools, etc.
7. PDFescape
Did you know that PDFescape is compatible with all major web browsers, which is why we have included this tool in our list of best PDF editors for Mac computers?
This application is a free PDF editor for Mac that helps to create PDF forms and perform a myriad of actions with its compelling features. It’s a completely online tool and to get started you just need to hit the free online button on the web app.
Key Features:
- Read and edit PDFs.
- Various tools to add text, rotate a PDF view, zoom a file, etc.
- You can even password protect your PDF files.
- This app also lets you share PDFs easily.
8. Smallpdf
This is another online tool for editing PDFs. This cross-platform tool lets you add texts and fill forms. With a simplified interface, you can easily modify PDFs.
All you have to do is drag and drop your files or browse and select the file from your Macbook, Dropbox, or Google Drive to get started with the editing process. Here are some important features of this app:
Key Features:
- Does not require installation or registration.
- Convert a PDF into various file formats.
- With state-of-the-art SSL encryption, it secures your PDF.
9. PDFpenPro
PDFpenPro is another Mac PDF editor that can be used for professional purposes. Similar to the Preview app, this tool has a simple UI and is therefore great for beginners.
Key Features:
- Has intuitive annotation properties.
- Helps to convert PDFs to Word, Excel, Powerpoint formats.
- Enabled to perform OCR on scanned documents.
10. PDF Expert
Our next pick is PDF Expert that is undoubtedly another best PDF editor for Mac. It’s a fast, robust and beautiful PDF editor that has been recognized as the “App of the Year” in the Mac App Store.
With this app, you can enjoy advanced reading experience as it facilitates smooth scrolling function, fast search, and many interesting layouts. It comes with a state-of-the-art Search feature. Other interesting features include:
Key Features:
- Add annotations to documents.
- Merge files and split view with this app.
- Fill PDF files and include digital signatures.
- Reduce the size of the file too with this app.
Read More: How To Remove Password From PDF
11. PDF Editor Mac
Edit PDF content easily with this application. This can be designated as a good Mac PDF editing software as it is completely compatible with the macOS. You can easily add text and images, rotate PDF files, erase unwanted content, and watermark PDF files with this tool.
Key Features:
- Permanently save an edited PDF.
- Draw lines easily for annotation purposes.
How to Edit a PDF file?
Here is an overview of how to edit PDF files with the help of Adobe Acrobat tool:
- Open the file with the Acrobat DC tool.
- Then, click on the “Edit PDF” option that you can find in the right-hand side pane.
- After this, you can add or edit text, images, paragraphs, etc.
- Several additional tools available are “Link,” “Header and Footers,” “Watermark,” and “Background” for further editing purposes.
- Finally, rename your file and save it.
Wrapping Up
With this, we come to the concluding point of this article. Hopefully, you have found the best PDF editor for Mac from this article. Edit your PDFs easily now with an ideal tool.
Do share your thoughts by leaving a comment in the comments section below.
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In a digitized era, where practically all business is done online, it’s hard to spend a day without encountering a PDF file. After all, it’s the most popular digital document format — interactive, free to use and, crucially, able to preserve original formatting (including fonts, images, layouts, and more).
Developed by Adobe in the 90s, PDF made it possible to present identical documents using different applications and devices. Originally a proprietary invention that was promoted with Adobe software, PDF became an open format in 2008, which meant free use for all, without any lingering ties to Adobe.
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How To Choose The Best PDF Editor For Mac
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Today, there are dozens of applications that can read, modify, and edit PDFs. All are different: free PDF editors, PDF modifiers, costly Mac PDF editors, and even a default PDF reader for Mac that comes with your operating system.
If you need to edit a PDF on Mac, it’s important to not go straight to Google looking for a “free PDF editor download.” In the last decade, lots of bad players have been putting all kinds of malware in those free PDF downloads, hoping for people to be enticed enough by the proposition. So you should know exactly which PDF editor app is best for your needs — luckily you have the perfect guide below.
Apple Preview PDF reader for Mac
If you’re looking for a free PDF editor for Mac, you should start with the one you already have — Preview — which is the default application for viewing any images and PDF files.
Although it can hardly be called a PDF editor app, Preview can perform most of the tasks most people need to do every day: looking through the documents, leaving comments, and signing contracts.
To configure Preview to your liking:
- Launch the app from your Dock or Launchpad
- Select View from the menu bar options
- Set scroll, zoom, and toolbar to what you’d like to see
Then to actually use PDF modifier functions:
- Choose Tools from the menu bar
- Hover over Annotate
- Select from shapes, signatures, notes (comments), and more
When you’re done editing the document, don’t forget to save it (⌘ + S) or export it to create a new file by going to File ➙ Export.
A hidden benefit of Preview that’s not often talked about is its natural integration into the macOS. The app can be easily used within the Apple ecosystem and is quite swift as well.
Adobe Acrobat Reader for Mac
One of the first and hence now widely considered standard solutions for viewing and editing PDF files is Adobe Acrobat Reader. By all accounts, it’s a solid and professional PDF editor for Mac.
There’s, however, one caveat — you can hardly call Adobe Acrobat the best free PDF editor for Mac because to get all of its features you need to pay, a lot. If you subscribe for the whole year, it comes down to $15 a month. Otherwise, it’s $25.
So if you download Adobe Reader for Mac from Adobe’s website, it will only give you a limited number of tools, which are very similar to Apple Preview: comment and sign. To get more you’d need to sign up for the Adobe Acrobat Pro free trial.
Anyway, in case you’re satisfied with Acrobat PDF editor’s limited functionality for the basic version, you can still work with all the PDFs you need:
- Download and install Adobe Reader for Mac from adobe.com
- Open the PDF file of your choice
- To comment or sign the file, navigate to Tools in the top bar of the app
- Choose the tool you want to use and then select a more specific one from the top bar once you’re in the document itself
If you try to choose the tool that’s not available in the free version of Acrobat Reader for Mac, the app will direct you to the website where you can subscribe to get access.
All in all, while the paid Adobe Acrobat Reader for Mac offers you a full toolkit of productivity, its free option is comparable to Apple Preview, with the latter being a bit more lightweight and fast due to its integration with macOS.
But what’s a truly powerful Mac PDF editor?
PDFpen full-featured OCR editor
While the paid version of Adobe Acrobat Reader for Mac is costly and convoluted, PDFpen offers much more in one straightforward package.
Install PDFpen, best PDF editor for Mac
Make any PDF file editable with PDFpen. With in-built OCR support, nothing is carved in stone if you have PDFpen installed on your Mac.
PDFpen lets you edit PDFs by adding text and images, fixing typos, filling out forms, and covering sensitive information. What’s more, the app features an OCR (optical character recognition) functionality, so you can scan printed documents directly into editable PDF files, and even export them to Microsoft Word later on.
Using PDFpen is as easy as Preview:
- Open any PDF document
- In the top bar, find the toggle which lets you switch between text and shapes. These are the tools you can use to enhance your documents. All of them can also be accessed from the Tools dropdown in the menu bar.
One of the most commonly used features with PDFs is highlighting, which is perfectly executed in PDFpen. Just select from the top bar and choose a color. The tool will then switch between a freehand highlighter when hovering over shapes and a structured one when it’s over some text.
Finally, PDFpen’s renowned OCR functionality doesn’t require you to have any specific AI knowledge — it just works:
- In PDFpen, go File ➙ Open (or ⌘ + O) and select your image
- Check all languages that apply
- Turn the image into either an OCR Page or OCR document
- Now you can edit your image freely and export it later
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Bonus: Professional PDF Search
When you’re working with lots of PDFs everyday, some things are inevitably going to get lost. Especially, since lots of documents and reports are often dozens or even hundreds of pages long.
In this reality, you absolutely need a tool that will help you retain information at the tip of your fingers. Enter PDF Search. This app doesn’t just search your PDF files for exact matches — it uses the power of AI to check relevant terms, multiple combinations, and even scan PDF files in bulk.
The first time you open PDF Search, it will ask you to index the folder with all your PDFs, which may take some time but will also speed up all future searches. After indexing is complete, simply enter the number or text you’re looking for in the search field, press Return, and the results (including related ones) would instantly appear.
To recap, when you’re looking for the best free PDF editor for Mac, your options might seem infinite, but it really comes down to what exactly you need to edit. If it’s just viewing documents and making comments, Apple Preview can do the job just fine. But when you need some heavy-duty lifting, nothing beats PDFpen. In addition, PDF Search is recommended for anyone working with large number of PDFs on a daily basis.
Best of all, PDFpen and PDF Search are both available to you on a free 7-day trial from Setapp, a platform for over 150 indispensable Mac apps designed to take your productivity to the next level. All that’s left to do now is just read and edit!
Meantime, prepare for all the awesome things you can do with Setapp.
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