# How to choose a PDF editor: editing, signing, OCR and privacy Source: https://listme.name/blog/how-to-choose-a-pdf-editor Published: 2026-10-10 Choose a PDF editor by the task first. Editing changes the text, images and pages already in a file. Annotation adds comments and highlights on top of the content. Filling and signing add data to form fields and a signature to the page. Conversion turns a PDF into another format, or the reverse. Many tools do one of these well and the others poorly. The [best PDF editors ranking](/best/pdf-editors) separates tools that change content from tools that only view, annotate or rearrange pages. ## Separate editors from viewers and page tools The ranking splits PDF software into three groups. Full editors change text, images and pages in an existing file. [Foxit PDF Editor](/software/foxit-pdf-editor) and [PDF-XChange Editor](/software/pdf-xchange-editor) are in this group, and Foxit's listing says it edits text and pages and handles signatures. [Adobe Acrobat](/software/adobe-acrobat) is also a full editor, and its free Reader only views, comments on and fills PDFs. Browser tools such as [Smallpdf](/software/smallpdf) and [Sejda](/software/sejda) cover editing, conversion and signing without an install. Viewers and page tools such as [Okular](/software/okular) and [PDFsam](/software/pdfsam) read, annotate or rearrange pages. Okular annotates and checks digital signatures, and PDFsam splits, merges, extracts and rotates pages. Neither rewrites text or images, so they complement an editor rather than replace one. If the job is signing a form, check for e-signature support before you buy. Foxit, Smallpdf and Sejda list signing among their features on their sites, and the ranking lists e-signatures for Acrobat. > **Comparison table:** [Best PDF editors, side by side](https://listme.name/best/pdf-editors#compare-table). Score, price, platforms, free plan, pricing model for 11 products in one table. ## Check OCR for scanned pages A scanned PDF is a picture of a page, so you cannot select or search its text until OCR adds a text layer. OCR, or optical character recognition, reads the image and turns the letters into text. Scans of contracts, receipts and archives need it before search works. Sejda lists an OCR tool that converts PDF scans to searchable text. Smallpdf lists an OCR PDF tool among its converters. PDF-XChange Editor's download page lists OCR language packages, and it offers a portable build without OCR. Check OCR on one of your own scans before you rely on it, because the result depends on the scan quality and the language. ## Decide between offline and online tools Browser tools process files on the vendor's servers. The ranking says this about [Smallpdf](/software/smallpdf): its files go through the company's servers, which matters for confidential documents. [Sejda](/software/sejda)'s browser tools work the same way, according to the ranking. Desktop editors keep files on your computer. [PDFsam](/software/pdfsam) works on your own computer with no internet connection needed, according to its listing. For confidential documents, choose a desktop editor, or read the vendor's privacy policy and retention terms before you upload anything. > **Compare:** [Sejda vs Smallpdf](https://listme.name/compare/sejda-vs-smallpdf). 85.0 and 86.0, ranked #5 and #4 in best PDF editors. ## Check platforms Platform reach narrows the field. [PDF-XChange Editor](/software/pdf-xchange-editor) is built for Windows only, so Mac and Linux users need another tool. [Foxit PDF Editor](/software/foxit-pdf-editor) runs on Windows and macOS. [Okular](/software/okular) runs on Linux, Windows, macOS and Android. PDFsam runs on Windows, macOS and Linux. Sejda has a browser version and desktop builds for Windows, macOS and Linux. [Adobe Acrobat](/software/adobe-acrobat) has apps on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android and the web. > **Ranking:** [Best PDF editors for Linux](https://listme.name/best/pdf-editors/linux). 3 products ranked. Top pick: Sejda (85.0). ## Price, free limits and open source Free options vary a lot. Acrobat's Reader is free, but editing needs a paid subscription. PDF-XChange Editor has a free edition for Windows, and its paid Plus edition adds more features, with a perpetual license option. Foxit PDF Editor has a free trial only, and its site lists a starting price of $10.99 a month. Smallpdf has a free plan, with individual and team plans for more. Sejda has a forever-free tier with limited usage and features, and regular users reach its limits. Okular and PDFsam are free and open source. Okular is licensed under GPLv2 or later, and PDFsam is licensed under AGPL-3.0. Free limits change, so check each vendor's pricing page before you rely on a free plan for confidential files. The ranking's overview makes the same point. ## Compare the tools at a glance | Tool | Main job | Platforms | Free option | Open source | |---|---|---|---|---| | Adobe Acrobat | Full editing, conversion and signing | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, web | Free Reader; editing needs a subscription | No | | [PDF-XChange Editor](/software/pdf-xchange-editor) | Editing, annotation and conversion | Windows | Free edition; paid Plus | No | | [Foxit PDF Editor](/software/foxit-pdf-editor) | Text and page editing, signatures | Windows, macOS | Free trial only | No | | [Smallpdf](/software/smallpdf) | Browser editing, conversion and signing | Web | Free plan | No | | [Sejda](/software/sejda) | Browser and desktop PDF tools | Web, Windows, macOS, Linux | Forever free, limited use | No | | [Okular](/software/okular) | Viewing, annotation and signature checks | Linux, Windows, macOS, Android | Free and open source | Yes, GPLv2 or later | ## Top picks from the ranking The [best PDF editors ranking](/best/pdf-editors) ranks the tools covered here in this order, with the editorial score in brackets: - [Adobe Acrobat](/software/adobe-acrobat) (90.5): the most complete editing, conversion and signing tools, with a subscription for editing. - [PDF-XChange Editor](/software/pdf-xchange-editor) (89.5): a free Windows editor with annotation and conversion, and a paid Plus edition. - [Foxit PDF Editor](/software/foxit-pdf-editor) (88.5): a paid desktop editor for Windows and macOS that changes text and pages. - [Smallpdf](/software/smallpdf) (86.0): browser tools for occasional tasks, with files processed on company servers. - [Sejda](/software/sejda) (85.0): browser and desktop tools with a forever-free tier that has limited use. - [Okular](/software/okular) (79.5): a free, open-source viewer for annotation and signature checks, with limited editing. The ranking also includes [PDF Expert](/software/pdf-expert) (84.5), which suits Apple users who annotate, sign and fill PDFs and runs only on Mac, iPhone and iPad. [PDFsam](/software/pdfsam) (77.0) follows in the ranking. It is free and open source for splitting, merging and rearranging pages, but it does not edit text or images. ## What to do next Name the main task first. If it is occasional editing on a Mac, a browser tool or Acrobat's subscription may fit. If it is regular editing on Windows, compare PDF-XChange Editor and Foxit. For confidential files, prefer a desktop editor, or check the retention terms of any browser tool before you upload. Test OCR on a real scan, and check the export format if the file must go to someone who uses another program. For background on the open-source licenses in this list, read [what is open source software](/blog/what-is-open-source-software). If your PDFs live in a shared drive, [how to choose cloud storage](/blog/how-to-choose-cloud-storage) covers where those files are kept.