Technology

Top 8 Free Open Source PDF Editors for Windows and Mac

August 28, 2021

In the age of the Internet, the world is going paperless, and the era of online document editing has arrived. PDF is one of the commonly used formats which are difficult to edit on a computer without a proper PDF editor. Due to this, there is huge demand as well as competition among licensed and open source PDF editors. Now, almost everyone is looking for the best open source PDF editor online, and there are many options available. However, they all have certain limitations. So, without further ado, let’s discuss some of the best open-source PDF editors available online, along with their pros and cons.

Open Source PDF Editors for Windows and Mac

In this article, we have listed 8 Open Source PDF editor that works on Windows, Mac and Linux. Despite using any of the devices you will be able to find one that fits your requirement.

LibreOffice Draw PDF editor
InkScape
PDFedit
Apache OpenOffice Draw
PDFSam
PDF Architect Free
Okular
Skim

1. LibreOffice Draw PDF editor

In the world of PDF editing, LibreOffice is a strong contender among others. The open-source software is much like MS Office and is used by millions of users worldwide. It has all the built-in features of an efficient open-source PDF editor which allows you to modify, edit, save, create PDF files for free. You do not need to buy expensive pdf editors out there and the good news is – LibreOffice runs in Mac, Windows and Linux.

Pros:

You can edit PDF files easily
It allow you to add or delete pages
You can also edit text and images as per your need
It supports file conversion
You can use for importing and exporting document
Digital signature is available

Cons:

It doesn’t have a user-friendly interface
It’s confusing menu options
It doesn’t support cloud options
Compatibility issue with file types

2. InkScape

Inkscape is professional quality vector graphics software that runs on Linux, Mac OS X as well as Windows-enabled devices. This open-source tool can be used as a PDF editor. You can also download it to perform all the basic functions of a complete PDF reader as well as a PDF editor. It is recommended because of its robust performance and wide range of features. This includes complete tasks like deleting or adding text or images. The best part is that you can use its portable version without even installing it.

Pros:

You can export to PNG format
It has a user friendly interface
It is totally free to use
The software is lightweight and doesn’t use too much diskspace
Offers editing of graphics too

Cons:

There are many other options available in the market
It lag/crashes on many PCs.
The processing is slightly slow
It doesn’t have all the required tools

3. PDFedit

PDFedit is a widely used tool due to its multiple platform support. A user can use it on any operating system and have all the benefits of free and open-source PDF editor software. The software has an easy-to-use interface and users can find out exactly which sections, words, or phrases they want to edit. It can also be used to add text and images to a PDF file. This functionality allows the removal of information from the file, if necessary. Besides, it has a password protection feature and many other advanced options to explore.

Pros:

A lightweight software that supports multiple platform
It has personalization tool
It allow to convert files
Many other advanced options available
It also has Password protection feature

Cons:

You may face technical difficulties.
The tool is still in beta version
Some features do not work or show error messages

4. Apache OpenOffice Draw

Apache OpenOffice Draw is the popular open-source office software suite for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, databases, and more. It can also be used as both a PDF reader and an open-source PDF editor. Many features can be found in this software, such as customizing PDF pages, saving them in various available file formats, deleting or inserting any text and importing and exporting features, etc.

Pros:

A variety of features are available
It is platform agonistic and support Mac, Linux and Windows
You can easily create basic charts
It has an ability to check the spelling mistakes

Cons:

An outdated user interface and slow start up
Problem in using Excel’s functions

5. PDFSam

PDFsam Basic is a free and open-source cross-platform desktop application. With PDFSam Basic, you can merge, split, extract pages, rotate and merge PDF documents.

If you want to edit or rearrange the order of pages in a PDF file, this program is worth a try. It is a Java application and can run on any device with Java Runtime.

Pros:

It supports visual organization
You can re-order PDF or splitting pages
Allows for rotating and saving one or multiple pages

Cons:

It requires Java

Difficult for beginners

6. PDF Architect Free

Developed by PDF forge, PDF Architect Free is yet another open-source PDF editor for Windows 10. Using this tool, you can create a PDF from Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and other file formats. It provides you complete control over your PDF files and enables you to modify them as you need. Moreover, it demands no export or copy of the content to another file format in order to perform modifications. Other key features can be seen in the pros section.

Pros:

It allows picture, text, and the diagram editing on PDF files
You can merge all the files into one PDF file
You can convert PDF files into many other formats
It allows you to add annotations
You can sign documents using a digital signature

Cons:

A bit difficult to operate for novice

7. Okular

Compatible with all three operating systems (Windows, Mac and Linux), Okular is an open source PDF editor that is very easy to use. The tool comes with many advanced features that are usually available in enterprise PDF editors. One great thing is that it can help you create custom markers, making it easier to navigate your large PDFs. Hence, this option is handy for those who work on PDF-based eBooks.

Pros:

It has all the basic PDF editing features
It is a cross-platform PDF editor
You will be able to edit text and other parts of your PDF file with ease

Cons:

We found a bit slow while operating a large PDF file.

8. Skim

Using this tool, you can preview PDF files and use the comment feature while reviewing the document. It allows you to create snapshots for quick reference, highlight important text, and navigate between pages using a table of contents with a visual history. In our opinion, a Mac user should look no further than Skim. It has everything you need to edit PDF on Mac.

Pros:

You can view and edit PDF files
You can highlight important content
It has smart cropping tool
Make snapshots for quick reference

Cons:

Works only for Mac

Conclusion

And that’s wrap…..Did you like our latest rundown on the best open source pdf editor for Mac and Windows PC. The aforementioned open-source software can be used as PDF readers and editors. So, which one fits your requirement? Do let us know through the comment box below. Also, check out our other PDF-related articles.

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