PDF editor · PDF Gear Tech Pte. Ltd.

PDFgear

Free PDF editor for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android, plus online tools, with no sign-up, ads or watermarks.

81/100

#4 of 9 PDF editors
Facts checked 8 Oct 2026

In short

PDFgear is free on Windows, Mac, iOS and Android, with no sign-up, ads or premium version^1,2.
The desktop app changes existing text and runs OCR on scanned pages².
Exported files carry no watermark⁴.
Redaction permanently deletes selected content, offline on Windows and Mac⁵.
Signature requests go through eSignGear, PDFgear's signing site, free for two documents a month⁷.

PDFgear suits anyone who wants to edit PDF text, run OCR and redact without paying, on a computer or a phone^1,2,5. Files are edited on your device and saved without watermarks⁴. Its password tool only adds an open password, it documents no way to compare two PDFs, and it says some advanced options may cost money later^6,9,10.

Best for: People who want to edit PDF text for free.

Where the points come from

Editing24 of 30

Systems15 of 15

Signing and security14 of 20

Price20 of 20

Privacy8 of 15

Editing 24 of 30 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Edit existing text	YesChanges existing text, replaces images and deletes paragraphs².	6 / 6
OCR	YesOCR makes scanned PDFs editable².	6 / 6
True redaction	YesRedaction permanently deletes selected text or images on Windows and Mac⁵.	6 / 6
Create fillable forms	YesBuilds fillable forms on Mac and in the online form creator^3,11.	6 / 6
Compare two PDFs	Not publishedPDFgear's own guide to comparing PDFs uses other tools¹⁰.	0 / 6

Systems 15 of 15 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Apps	Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, WebApps for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android, plus online tools in the browser^1,8.	15 / 15

Signing and security 14 of 20 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Request e-signatures	YesThrough eSignGear, PDFgear's signing site: send and track, two documents a month free⁷.	8 / 8
Password protection	Not publishedAdds an open password⁶. Limits on printing or copying are not documented.	0 / 6
Certificate-based signatures	YesSupports certificate-based digital signatures³.	6 / 6

Price 20 of 20 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Free version without watermarks	YesFree, and exported files carry no watermark⁴.	8 / 8
First-year price for text editing	$0Entirely free, with no premium version².	7 / 7
One-time licence	YesEntirely free².	5 / 5

Privacy 8 of 15 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Edits files on your computer	YesEdits PDFs on your computer without an internet connection⁴.	8 / 8
SOC 2 Type II or ISO 27001	Not published	0 / 7

The rule behind each line: how we score PDF editors.

Plans and prices

As the vendor lists them, before tax. Prices are in US dollars unless the plan shows euros; the points use US dollars, with euros converted at the ECB rate.

Plan	Price as listed	Per month	Notes
PDFgearAnyone	Free^1,2	$0	Windows, Mac, iOS, Android and online tools; no sign-up

PDFgear says it may charge for some advanced options, such as cloud AI tools, but has set no timeline⁹.

Strengths

Entirely free, with no ads, premium version or in-app purchases².
Edits existing text and works without an internet connection⁴.
Redaction permanently deletes text or images⁵.
Supports certificate-based digital signatures³.

Limits

Password protection sets only an open password; print and copy limits are not documented⁶.
PDFgear documents no tool for comparing two PDFs¹⁰.
Signature requests are free for only two documents a month; more needs eSignGear Premium⁷.
PDFgear says fees for some advanced options, such as AI tools, are under consideration⁹.

What PDF Gear Tech Pte. Ltd. says

Vendor claims. We show them, but they earn no points.

PDFgear says it holds a 4.9-star rating from more than 10,000 reviews¹.
PDFgear says its OCR supports more than 30 languages¹.

Other PDF editors

1
Wondershare PDFelementWindows users who want to buy a PDF editor once
90/100
$79.99/yrfirst-year price for text editing
2
Foxit PDF EditorPeople who want a full desktop editor with a one-time licence option
88/100
$129.99/yrfirst-year price for text editing
3
iLovePDFBudget buyers who mostly work in the browser
85/100
$67.12/yrfirst-year price for text editing
5
Adobe AcrobatPeople who want PDF editing and signature requests on every device
81/100
$179.88/yrfirst-year price for text editing

All 9 PDF editors

Sources

PDFgear - Free PDF Editor Software & Online tools, PDFgear. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
PDFgear for Windows: Edit, Convert, Annotate, Chat PDF, PDFgear. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
PDFgear for Mac, PDFgear. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Best Free PDF Editor for Computer and Mobile, PDFgear. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
How to Redact a PDF for Free, PDFgear. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
How to Password Protect a PDF for Free, PDFgear. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
eSignGear | Free Online e-Sign & Digital Signature Tool for PDFs, PDFgear. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
PDFgear Free AI PDF Editor for Android, PDFgear. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Is PDFgear Really Free? And Why is that, PDFgear. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
How To Compare Two PDF Files Online and Offline, PDFgear. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
PDF Filler & Form Creator, PDFgear. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.

Website: www.pdfgear.com · Markdown version · We are not affiliated with PDF Gear Tech Pte. Ltd..