5 Best Free Online PDF Editors

Editing PDFs is easier than ever, with various tools available that enable you to change text, swap images, add and remove pages, and more. You probably think of editing PDFs as a desktop task, but increasingly this is something you can do with a web app like CocoDoc.

CocoDoc—The Best Free PDF Editor

Available to use free, CocoDoc already has 1 million users around the world. A web tool that requires no downloading or installation; it runs in any desktop browser. So, you might use it on Windows, a Chromebook, or on a Mac.

Using CocoDoc means uploading your PDF files to a remote web server. To keep your documents secure during transit, the service employs bank-grade 256-bit SSL encryption. CocoDoc also supports password protection of uploaded files, ensuring they remain in your control.

Meanwhile, CocoDoc provides a collection of advanced PDF editing features—everything you should expect from an online PDF editor, and more besides.

Elements can be erased, text edited and added, and images, annotations, and freehand changes made. Text boxes, checkmarks, dates, track changes, and copy and paste are all supported. There's even an online spell checker to ensure your PDF files are polished and professional before you share them with unique URLs.

Furthermore, CocoDoc gives you 50MB of online storage and lets you edit PDF files. You can even convert a PDF to another file format.

How Does CocoDoc Free PDF Editor Work?

Using CocoDoc to edit your PDFs is simple.

Start by heading to www.cocodoc.com and clicking Edit PDF online. Then drag and drop your file into the window or click Choose File to browse for it on your PC. You can even link Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive accounts to browse for files, or simply convert a file by its website URL.

To add text, click Text, select the line you want to edit, and make the change. Be sure to click OK once the edit is made.

A signature can be added using CocoDoc's built-in tool, which allows you to type, scrawl, or upload a signature.

CocoDoc supports uploading images, which can be resized and placed anywhere.

When you're done adding notes with the Text Box or highlighting sections or blacking out passages in redaction, click Download to save the edited PDF to your computer.

The entry-level package is available for free but has a lot of restrictions. Paid plans start at $9/month and run to $25/month.

Click here to edit your PDF efficiently using CocoDoc.

Alternatives to CocoDoc for Editing PDFs in Your Browser

While CocoDoc offers superb tools for editing PDFs, it isn't the only service available.

1. iLovePDF

Featuring the ability to not only merge, split, compress, and edit PDFs, iLovePDF can also repair corrupt documents. With several conversion options (you can turn almost any readable file into a PDF), iLovePDF will also let you remove password security, create new passwords, and manage signatures. iLovePDF also includes options to add page numbers, manage watermarks, and transform PDFs to the archive format, PDF/A.

To cover all eventualities, iLovePDF offers a desktop app for Windows and macOS, and a mobile PDF editing app for Android and iOS. There’s also the option of editing PDFs in your browser with iLovePDF. Most of iLovePDF’s tools and features can be found in the mobile and browser versions, giving you all the PDF editing tools you need wherever you are.

2. Sejda PDF

Another feature packed browser-based PDF editor, Sejda PDF boasts an amazing collection of features. You can merge documents, edit, sign, and create forms in your PDFs, and convert common office formats to PDF.

Sejda PDF also lets you split a PDF, extract pages and images, add watermarks, manage passwords, repair, and even rotate your portable documents.

Easy to use and with clear instructions on the website if you run into problems, Sejda PDF produces excellent results however you edit your PDFs.

3. PDF Doctor

Is your PDF feeling unwell? Perhaps it’s time to consider the PDF Doctor.

Another PDF editor with support for all the usual office formats, PDF Doctor can convert most documents to PDF for editing. Some can also be converted back - a PDF can be converted to and from a JPG, for example. A PDF can also be converted to HTML, making it easy to share in a web-readable format.

You'll find the expected features such as watermarks, password management, page number management, merging and compression, and PDF document splitting.

PDF Doctor is also available in 12 different languages for a worldwide audience.

4. DocFly

Finally, a strong alternative to CocoDoc is DocFly, a browser-based PDF editor which boasts fast and accurate PDF conversion.

DocFly also includes detailed editing tools, with the option to change content, reorder pages, manage passwords and signatures, extract pages and merge PDF files, and more. With DocFly, you get an easy-to-use PDF editor that you can access anywhere, but beware. DocFly will only give you a total of three free PDF edits, conversions, or creations every month.