Introduction
PDFs are widely used for documents, contracts, e-books, and forms, but editing them can be tricky. Many professional PDF editors are expensive, but there are free online tools that let you edit PDFs without installing any software.
In this guide, we’ll explore the best free online PDF editing tools, their features, and how to use them.
1. Smallpdf
✔ Best For: Quick and easy PDF editing with a user-friendly interface
✔ Key Features:
- Add text, images, and shapes to PDFs
- Annotate PDFs with highlights and comments
- Convert PDFs to Word, Excel, or JPG
- Merge, split, and compress PDFs
🔗 Website: smallpdf.com
How to Use:
- Upload your PDF.
- Click Edit PDF and make changes.
- Download the edited file.
2. iLovePDF
✔ Best For: Comprehensive PDF tools, including OCR (text recognition)
✔ Key Features:
- Edit, merge, split, and compress PDFs
- Convert PDFs to Word, PowerPoint, and Excel
- Add watermarks and e-signatures
- OCR feature to extract text from scanned PDFs
🔗 Website: ilovepdf.com
How to Use:
- Select the PDF editing tool you need.
- Upload your file and make changes.
- Download the final document.
3. PDFescape
✔ Best For: Editing PDFs directly in the browser
✔ Key Features:
- Add text, images, and form fields
- Create fillable forms
- Redact sensitive information
- Draw on PDFs with freehand tools
🔗 Website: pdfescape.com
How to Use:
- Upload your PDF or create a new one.
- Use the editing tools to modify the document.
- Save and download your edited PDF.
4. Sejda PDF Editor
✔ Best For: Editing text in existing PDFs
✔ Key Features:
- Edit existing text in PDFs (not just annotations)
- Add images, shapes, and links
- Fill out and sign PDF forms
- Secure PDF editing with automatic file deletion
🔗 Website: sejda.com
How to Use:
- Upload your PDF.
- Click on text to edit it directly.
- Download your edited document.
5. PDFCandy
✔ Best For: Multiple PDF editing and conversion features
✔ Key Features:
- Edit, merge, split, and rotate PDFs
- Convert PDFs to Word, JPG, PNG, and more
- OCR feature to extract text
- No sign-up required for basic editing
🔗 Website: pdfcandy.com
How to Use:
- Upload your PDF file.
- Choose the tool you need (edit, convert, split, etc.).
- Apply changes and download the file.
Final Thoughts
Choosing the right online PDF editor depends on your needs:
- For basic edits & annotations → Smallpdf & PDFescape
- For text recognition (OCR) & conversion → iLovePDF & PDFCandy
- For editing existing text in PDFs → Sejda PDF Editor
All of these tools are free, web-based, and require no installation, making them perfect for quick PDF modifications.