Editing PDFs formerly was a laborious chore; back then, the only solution was to copy the material into Word, modify it, and export it once again. Fast forward to 2025, however, and PDF editing applications are significantly more user-friendly, AI-powered, and smarter.
This post brought you the 6 top PDF editing apps of 2025 by means of evaluation and testing of hundreds of PDF editors. Whether you are a student wanting to mark up a paper or a professional requiring sophisticated tools, there is something here for you.
1. Adobe Acrobat Pro DC
Best for: Business users & Advanced PDF editing
With its strong feature set, Adobe Acrobat still dominates the PDF sector. It covers everything from making fillable forms and adding e-signatures to modifying text and graphics.
Main Qualities:
Edit pictures and text straight in PDF
Transform PDF into Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and more
Examine papers side by side
Tools for redaction and password protection
Flawless connection with Adobe Creative Cloud
Pros:
Reliability according to industry standards
Perfect for experts and teams
Tools for cooperation and cloud sync
Cons:
Costly for casual users
Pricing:
Standard Plan: $12.99 per month (paid yearly)
Pro Plan: $19.99 a month (paid yearly)
Free version: Viewing only Acrobat Reader
2. Preview (Mac OS)
Best for: Mac users wanting simple editing
Should you own a Mac, Preview is already a strong PDF tool. It helps you redact private information in your PDFs, sign them, mark them, and even rearrange them.
Main Features:
Mark and underline text
Combine or divide PDF documents
Include digital signatures
Export certain pages
Pros:
Included with macOS, no download required
For little chores, quick and easy
Cons:
Lack of sophisticated editing
Available only on Mac computers
Pricing:
Included on macOS, free.
3. PDFgear
Best for: Windows & Web free PDF editing with artificial intelligence tools
PDFgear distinguishes itself with its AI-enhanced features, providing a large feature set with no account needed. For editing, translating, and PDF summarizing, it’s a great free tool.
Main Qualities:
Editing text and images
Combine, divide, and compress files
Chatbot, translator, and AI-powered summarizer
No registration needed
Pros:
Completely free to use
Excellent user interface
AI capabilities reduce time
Cons:
In future, advanced artificial intelligence capabilities might become paid.
Pricing:
At the moment free
4. Sejda
Best for: Fast, web-based PDF editing
A web-first PDF editor called Sejda is perfect for simple, on-the-go operations include signing, annotating, or modifying tiny files. Although not appropriate for thorough modifications, it’s excellent for infrequent users.
Main Features:
Insert or delete text and pictures
Mark up PDFs
Complete papers and sign forms
Combine and divide PDFs
Pros:
No software setup
Easy, clear design
Provides online and desktop editions
Cons:
Free plan limits daily chores to three.
Does not save changes automatically
Pricing:
Free Plan: Basic features
Pro Plan: Annual billing at $5.25 per month
5. Wondershare PDFelement
Best for: Professionals seeking tools improved by artificial intelligence
Packed with sophisticated tools, PDFelement’s AI-driven features make it among the most clever PDF editors for 2025.
Main Features:
Modify watermarks, links, text, and pictures.
Optical character recognition (OCR)
AI Proofread and AI Translate tools
Large file batch processing
Pros:
Editor of professional quality
Great for papers in several languages
Simple, clear design
Cons:
Certain artificial intelligence capabilities call for Pro plan
Windows version stronger than Mac
Pricing:
Free Plan: Simple editing
$89.99/year (around $7.49/month), Pro Plan
6. PDF Expert by Readdle
Best for: Apple users who edit PDFs while traveling
Designed for the Apple environment, PDF Expert is a lovely software. Its artificial intelligence-powered scanning and reading features make it perfect for tablet and mobile usage.
Main Features:
Annotate and edit on Mac, iPad, or iPhone.
Synchronize changes across devices
Improve Scan: Get rid of shadows and distortions
Reading Mode for clearer sight
Pros:
Flawless synchronization across Apple devices
Excellent for mobile document editing
Easy to use
Cons:
Many functions behind paywall
Not for Android or Windows
Pricing:
Free Plan: Simple reading and annotating
Premium Plan: Annual billing at $6.67 per month