Best PDF Editors
Top pdf editors ranked by transparent trust scores.
8 products ranked
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Top Pick
9.4
Excellent
Adobe Acrobat Pro
Ranked #1 based on expert reviews, user sentiment, and value analysis.
#1
9.4
Excellent
Consensus
Compare
Ranked #1 based on expert reviews, user sentiment, and value analysis.
Pros
- Industry standard with maximum compatibility
- AI-powered document intelligence
- Comprehensive e-signature built in
Cons
- Expensive subscription pricing
- Can be slow on large documents
Don't buy this if…
- Adobe Acrobat Pro is subscription-only with no perpetual license option; canceling mid-annual-plan incurs an early termination fee.
#2
9.2
Excellent
Consensus
Compare
Ranked #2 based on expert reviews, user sentiment, and value analysis.
Pros
- Beautiful native macOS interface
- One-time purchase option
- Very fast rendering of large PDFs
Cons
- macOS and iOS only
- Fewer features than Acrobat Pro
Don't buy this if…
- PDF Expert is Apple-only; Windows users should look at alternatives like Foxit or Nitro.
#3
9.0
Excellent
Consensus
Compare
Ranked #3 based on expert reviews, user sentiment, and value analysis.
Pros
- ConnectedPDF for document tracking
- AI assistant for document queries
- Lighter weight than Acrobat
Cons
- Perpetual license is expensive
- Interface can feel cluttered
Don't buy this if…
- Some features require the ConnectedPDF cloud service which has its own privacy policy; review data handling before enabling.
#4
8.7
Excellent
Consensus
Compare
Ranked #4 based on expert reviews, user sentiment, and value analysis.
Pros
- Familiar Microsoft Office-style ribbon
- Batch processing for enterprise workflows
- PDF/A compliance and Bates numbering
Cons
- Windows only for desktop version
- No macOS native application
Don't buy this if…
- Nitro PDF Pro desktop is Windows-only; macOS users can only access the Nitro cloud-based web editor.
#5
8.5
Excellent
Consensus
Compare
Ranked #5 based on expert reviews, user sentiment, and value analysis.
Pros
- Browser-based, no installation needed
- 21 PDF tools in one subscription
- Very user-friendly interface
Cons
- Limited advanced editing compared to desktop apps
- File size limits on free tier
Don't buy this if…
- Documents are processed on Smallpdf servers; do not upload highly confidential documents without reviewing their privacy policy.
#6
8.3
Good
Consensus
Compare
Ranked #6 based on expert reviews, user sentiment, and value analysis.
Pros
- Affordable perpetual license available
- Cross-platform with single license
- AI-powered document features
Cons
- Newer product with less industry trust
- Some features are still maturing
Don't buy this if…
- UPDF is a relatively new product; verify its feature set meets your specific needs before committing to a perpetual license.
#7
8.1
Good
Consensus
Compare
Ranked #7 based on expert reviews, user sentiment, and value analysis.
Pros
- Completely free and open-source
- Available on all major platforms
- Reasonable basic editing capabilities
Cons
- PDF rendering is imperfect, layout may shift
- No OCR or e-signature features
Don't buy this if…
- LibreOffice Draw may alter PDF formatting and layout on import; always compare the edited output against the original document.
#8
7.9
Good
Consensus
Compare
Ranked #8 based on expert reviews, user sentiment, and value analysis.
Pros
- Generous free tier for occasional use
- Auto-deletes files from servers after 2 hours
- Both online and desktop versions available
Cons
- Free tier limited to 3 tasks per day
- Advanced features require paid plan
Don't buy this if…
- The free tier watermarks documents exceeding 200 pages; upgrade to the paid plan for large document editing.
Quick Comparison
How We Rank
Composite trust score from expert reviews, user sentiment, complaint analysis, and value assessment.
Trust Score
Weighted composite of all factor scores
Expert Score
Aggregated expert review ratings
User Sentiment
Community votes and review analysis
Value Score
Price-to-performance ratio
Freshness
Recency of reviews and data
Change Log
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