technology
Best PDF Editor for Windows 10 Free: Desktop and Web Based
Find the best free PDF editors for Windows 10 in 2025 — both web-based and desktop options. Compare pros and cons of top tools with editing, OCR, and merging features to choose the right one for you!
PDF format is considered to be a very attractive and secure format of digital document. But what happens is that sometimes when someone sends us a file in this format and we have to edit something in it, it cannot be done. So let us know which are those free tools that can prove to be helpful in editing PDF.
So let us first know, what is PDF editing tool. PDF editing tools are software applications or online platforms that allow users to modify the contents of a PDF (Portable Document Format) file. Since PDFs are designed to preserve the formatting of documents across different devices and platforms, they’re not easy to edit without the right tools.
PDF Editors tools Desktop and Web Based 2025 List
| PDF Editor | Platform | Text/Image Editing | Annotations | OCR | Merge/Split | Watermark-Free | Usage Limits |
| PDFgear | Desktop | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ None |
| PDF-XChange | Desktop | ✅ Yes (limited) | ✅ Yes | ✅ | ✅ Yes | ❌ Some tools | ❌ None |
| PDF24 Creator | Desktop | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ None |
| LibreOffice Draw | Desktop | ✅ Yes | ⚠️ Basic | ❌ | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ❌ None |
| Sejda PDF | Desktop/Web | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ⚠️ 3 tasks/day |
| Foxit Reader | Desktop | ❌ Paid only | ✅ Yes | ❌ | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ❌ None |
| PDF-Candy | Desktop/Web | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ⚠️ Daily task limits |
| PDFsam Basic | Desktop | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ None |
| Systweak PDF | Desktop | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ None |
| AbleWord | Desktop | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ❌ | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ❌ None |
| Inkscape | Desktop | ✅ Visual only | ❌ No | ❌ | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ❌ None |
| PDFescape (Web) | Web | ⚠️ Limited | ✅ Yes | ❌ | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ⚠️ File size limits |
| Smallpdf (Web) | Web | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ⚠️ Limited/day |
Pros and Cons of Each Tool
PDFgear
PDFgear is a solid choice for everyday PDF editing—especially if you’re looking for a free, offline tool with no strings attached. While it might not have every advanced feature, it gets the job done for most people without hassle.
✔ Pros:
- Completely Free: Unlike many other PDF editors that limit features unless you pay, PDFgear offers full access without charging a fee or adding watermarks.
- User-Friendly Interface: It’s easy to navigate, even for beginners. The layout is clean and doesn’t feel overwhelming.
- Offline Access: PDFgear can be downloaded and used offline, which is great for privacy and working without an internet connection.
- Fast Performance: It opens and edits files quickly, without long load times.
- Multiple Editing Tools: You can edit text, add annotations, insert images, merge files, and more—pretty impressive for a free tool.
- No Watermarks: Unlike many free editors, it doesn’t add watermarks to your exported files.
- Supports OCR: The OCR (Optical Character Recognition) feature allows you to work with scanned PDFs and convert them into editable text.
✘ Cons:
No Mobile App (as of now): If you need to edit PDFs on your phone, you’ll need a different tool.
Limited Advanced Features: While it covers most basic editing needs, power users might miss features like advanced form creation, scripting, or batch processing.
Newer Software: PDFgear is relatively new in the market, so it might not be as stable or trusted as long-standing tools like Adobe Acrobat.
Windows Focused: While there is a Mac version, the Windows version tends to have better performance and more updates.
Fewer Cloud Integrations: It doesn’t have deep integrations with tools like Google Drive or Dropbox compared to more established editors.
Best PDF to Word Converter Apps
✅ PDF-XChange Editor: Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Feature-rich for free – Offers editing, annotation, OCR, and form filling.
- Lightweight & fast – Runs smoothly even on older systems.
- Highly customizable – Flexible interface and tools.
- Excellent annotation tools – Great for reviewing and marking up PDFs.
- Offline access – No internet required to use.
Cons:
- Watermarks on some features – Advanced tools leave watermarks unless you pay.
- Complex interface – Can be overwhelming for beginners.
- Windows-only – Not available for Mac or mobile.
- No cloud integration – Lacks syncing with services like Google Drive.
- Learning curve – Takes time to get used to all the features.
PDF24 Creator
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Completely free with no watermarks | Limited advanced editing features |
| Easy to use, beginner-friendly | No OCR support for scanned PDFs |
| Works fully offline | Windows only (no Mac or mobile versions) |
| Supports PDF creation, merging, splitting, and basic edits | Interface is simple but less polished compared to premium tools |
| Lightweight and fast | Lacks cloud integration and collaboration features |
LibreOffice Draw
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Completely free and open-source | Not specifically designed as a PDF editor |
| Supports editing PDF files with text and images | Can struggle with complex PDF layouts |
| Part of the LibreOffice suite—good for multiple document types | Interface feels a bit outdated |
| Allows exporting PDFs after editing | Limited advanced PDF features (e.g., OCR) |
| Cross-platform (Windows, Mac, Linux) | Editing large PDFs can be slow or buggy |
Sejda PDF
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| User-friendly, clean web-based interface | Free version limits daily usage and file size |
| Offers a wide range of PDF editing tools | Requires internet connection for online use |
| Supports editing text, merging, splitting, compressing, and more | Desktop version has fewer features than online |
| No watermarks on edited files | Some advanced features require paid plan |
| Works on any platform via browser | Limited offline functionality |
Foxit Reader
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Fast and lightweight PDF reader | Free version has limited editing features |
| Easy to use with a clean interface | Some advanced tools require paid upgrade |
| Good annotation and commenting tools | Occasional pop-ups promoting paid versions |
| Supports form filling and digital signatures | Limited PDF creation and editing in free version |
| Cross-platform (Windows, Mac, mobile) | Can feel bloated with extra features |
PDF Candy
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Offers a wide variety of PDF tools (convert, edit, merge, split, compress, etc.) | Free version has daily usage limits |
| Easy-to-use web interface and desktop app | Some advanced features require paid subscription |
| No watermarks on edited files | Desktop version is Windows-only |
| Supports both online and offline use | Limited features compared to premium editors |
| Supports multiple file formats for conversion | Internet needed for online tools |
PDFsam Basic
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✅ Free and open-source | ❌ Limited to basic PDF operations (no text/image editing) |
| ✅ Cross-platform (Windows, macOS, Linux) | ❌ Requires Java runtime environment |
| ✅ Intuitive, modular interface | ❌ Interface feels dated and may seem cluttered |
| ✅ Batch processing support | ❌ Lacks advanced features like OCR or cloud integration |
| ✅ Supports splitting, merging, rotating, and mixing PDFs | ❌ No built-in PDF creation or conversion tools |
Systweak PDF
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✅ Comprehensive PDF Toolkit: Offers editing, conversion, OCR, compression, signing, and security features. | ❌ Windows-Only: Currently available only for Windows. |
| ✅ User-Friendly Interface: Intuitive design suitable for both beginners and professionals. | ❌ No Mobile Support: Lacks mobile applications for editing on the go. |
| ✅ Advanced OCR Capabilities: Converts scanned PDFs into editable and searchable text. | ❌ Limited Cloud Integration: Few options for syncing with cloud storage services. |
| ✅ Strong Security Features: Supports password protection, encryption, and redaction. | ❌ No Free Version: Offers a 7-day trial; no free tier available. |
| ✅ Batch Processing Support: Allows applying changes to multiple PDFs simultaneously. | ❌ Occasional Performance Issues: Some users report lag with large files. |
AbleWord
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✅ Free and Lightweight: Completely free to use and doesn’t consume significant system resources. | ❌ Limited PDF Editing: Basic editing capabilities; lacks advanced features like form filling or digital signatures. |
| ✅ User-Friendly Interface: Simple, clean, and easy-to-navigate design suitable for users of all skill levels. | ❌ No Mac or Mobile Support: Only available for Windows operating systems. |
| ✅ PDF to Word Conversion: Allows opening and saving PDF files as Word documents, facilitating easy editing. | ❌ No Automatic Spell Check: Spell check needs to be manually initiated, which can be inconvenient. |
| ✅ Supports Multiple Formats: In addition to PDFs, it supports DOC, DOCX, RTF, and TXT formats. | ❌ Outdated Version: Last updated in 2015, leading to potential compatibility issues with newer file formats. |
| ✅ No Hidden Costs: Offers all features without any hidden fees or premium versions. | ❌ Basic Formatting Tools: Lacks advanced formatting options found in more robust word processors. |
Inkscape
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✅ Free and Open-Source: Completely free to use with no subscription fees. | ❌ Steep Learning Curve: Interface and features can be overwhelming for beginners. |
| ✅ Advanced Vector Editing: Excellent for editing vector-based PDFs, such as diagrams and illustrations. | ❌ Limited Text Editing: Editing existing text in PDFs can be challenging and may require converting text to paths. |
| ✅ Cross-Platform Support: Available on Windows, macOS, and Linux. | ❌ Performance Issues with Large Files: Handling large or complex PDFs can cause lag or crashes. |
| ✅ Extensive Customization: Highly customizable interface and supports extensions and scripting. | ❌ No Native CMYK Support: Lacks full CMYK color space integration, which is essential for professional printing. |
| ✅ Active Community Support: Large community offering tutorials, forums, and documentation. | ❌ Inconsistent PDF Export Quality: Exporting PDFs may result in bloated file sizes or quality loss if not properly configured. |
PDFescape (Web)
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✅ Free Online Access: No installation required; accessible via modern browsers. | ❌ File Size Limitations: Free version supports PDFs up to 10MB or 100 pages. |
| ✅ User-Friendly Interface: Intuitive layout with drag-and-drop functionality. | ❌ Limited Font Options: Restricted to a few basic fonts; lacks custom font support. |
| ✅ Basic Editing Tools: Allows adding text, shapes, annotations, and form fields. | ❌ No OCR Capabilities: Cannot edit existing text or images in scanned PDFs. |
| ✅ No Watermarks: Edited PDFs are saved without watermarks. | ❌ Ads in Free Version: Free version includes advertisements. |
| ✅ Cloud Storage: Files are stored for up to 7 days; option to save locally. | ❌ Limited File History: Access to only the last 7 days of file history. |
Smallpdf (Web)
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✅ User-Friendly Interface: Clean, intuitive design with drag-and-drop functionality. | ❌ Limited Free Usage: Free plan allows only two tasks per day. |
| ✅ Wide Range of Tools: Offers PDF editing, conversion, compression, signing, and encryption. | ❌ Limited Editing Features: Basic text editing with limited font options; lacks advanced markup tools. |
| ✅ Cross-Platform Support: Accessible via web browsers; mobile apps available for Android and iOS. | ❌ No Mac Support: Currently, no native Mac application available. |
| ✅ Cloud Integration: Supports saving and loading files from Google Drive and Dropbox. | ❌ Performance Issues: Some users report slow processing times and errors during conversions. |
| ✅ No Account Required for Basic Use: Allows editing without creating an account. | ❌ Aggressive Subscription Model: Users have reported unexpected charges and difficulties canceling subscriptions. |
FAQ’s
Q1: What is the best free PDF editor for Windows 10?
PDFgear and PDF24 Creator are top free editors with full features and no watermarks.
Q2: Can I edit text and images in PDFs for free?
Yes, PDFgear, LibreOffice Draw, and Sejda PDF let you edit text and images for free.
Q3: Are there PDF editors without usage limits?
Yes, PDFgear and PDF24 Creator offer unlimited free editing without restrictions.
Can I merge or split PDFs for free?
Yes, PDFsam Basic and PDF24 Creator let you merge and split PDFs easily.
Do free PDF editors support OCR?
Some do. PDFgear, PDF-XChange Editor, and PDF24 Creator include OCR features.
Are there free online PDF editors?
Yes, PDFescape, Smallpdf, and PDFCandy offer free online PDF editing with limits.
