Home > PDF Editor > 11 Best Free PDF Editor for Mac in 2025 – Tested and Reviewed

11 Best Free PDF Editor for Mac in 2025 – Tested and Reviewed

by Rachel Jones 2025-12-01

Many Mac users deal with PDFs every day, whether for school notes, office documents, or personal files. Choosing the best free PDF editor for Mac becomes important when you need quick edits, clean annotations, or simple page adjustments without paying for a full professional suite. Free tools have improved a lot in recent years, and some of them now offer enough power for light to medium tasks.

This guide is based on hands-on testing across multiple Mac devices and real user feedback from communities like Reddit and the App Store. It highlights reliable free options for everyday work, along with a few paid tools for users who need advanced editing, OCR, or high-accuracy conversion. The goal is to help you pick the editor that fits your workflow and saves you time on macOS.

PDFgear — Fast & Lightweight Free PDF Editor

Quick edits, annotations, and basic page management for everyday PDF tasks. Completely free and ideal for students or casual Mac users.

PDNob PDF Editor — High-Value for Personal & Professional Use

Supports OCR, document editing, annotations, and conversion. Simple and user-friendly interface with excellent cost-performance. Paid tool with flexible plans. Suitable for students, freelancers, small businesses, and everyday office or school tasks.

Skim — PDF Annotation & Review Tool

Lightweight solution for highlighting, note-taking, and reviewing PDFs. Fast performance with minimal system impact. Free to use.

LibreOffice — Open-Source Editing for Occasional Use

Supports text and basic PDF edits, suitable for occasional or graphic-focused tasks. Free and open-source.

Part 1. What Most Users Need in a Free Mac PDF Editor

When choosing the best free PDF editor for Mac, most people look for tools that do not require setup or learning. Here are the core features users normally expect:

• Basic editing and annotation
• Page operations (merge, split, delete, rotate)
• Filling forms and adding signatures
• Smooth reading and clean layout
• Lightweight performance on macOS

Free editors handle simple work, but advanced tasks like OCR, deep text editing, or accurate conversion usually need paid software. If you need these higher-level features, you can skip ahead to Part 3, where tools like Adobe Acrobat and PDNob PDF Editor offer more complete solutions for professional or frequent use.

How We Test These Mac PDF Editors

As a long-time reviewer of Mac productivity software, I tested each PDF tool on a MacBook Pro running macOS Sonoma in November 2025. The workflow covered text editing, annotations, OCR, page management, and PDF conversion in one consistent process.

I also checked stability, free-tier limits such as locked tools or watermarks, privacy practices, and how each editor handled large files. Real user feedback from Reddit and the App Store, along with expert reviews from Macworld and TechRadar, helped validate the results.

Part 2. 7 Best Free PDF Editors for Mac – Top Picks

When you need to edit PDFs on a Mac without spending money, choosing the right tool matters. These seven free PDF editors for Mac cover reading, annotation, page management, and light editing tasks efficiently.

1. Preview (macOS Built-In) – Basic PDF Tools

Preview comes installed with macOS and helps users complete basic PDF tasks without adding extra apps. It can add notes, sign forms, crop pages, and combine PDFs. It works well for basic needs, making it a reliable free mac PDF editor for everyday use. While it lacks editing features, its built-in nature makes it one of the easiest tools on this list.

Supported OS: macOS

Price Plan: Free for all Mac users; no paid version

User & Expert Reviews

"Preview is reliable for viewing and marking up PDFs but lacks tools for detailed editing." — Mac App Store

"Preview is surprisingly capable for light tasks, though not designed to replace a full PDF editor." — Macworld

2. LibreOffice – Open-Source Editing for Occasional Use

LibreOffice is a fully free office suite that also works as a basic free Mac PDF editor. It lets you open PDFs inside its Writer or Draw module, where you can edit text, adjust simple layouts, or change graphics. It helps students and casual users who only need light PDF work. Although it cannot replace a full editor, it is still a steady option for quick tasks without paying.

Supported OS: macOS, Windows, Linux

Price Plan: Completely free

User & Expert Reviews

"LibreOffice gets the job done for light PDF tweaks but struggles with complex formatting.---community forums"

"It is a strong zero-cost option, though not optimized for advanced PDF workflows.---TechRadar"

3. PDFgear – Quick and Lightweight Free PDF Editor

PDFgear is one of the most popular options for users who want fast tools without extra steps. It supports annotations, page edits, and form filling. It runs smoothly on older macOS devices and does not force users to upgrade to a paid plan. Because of its simple layout and smooth speed, many users call it one of the best free PDF editor for Mac choices today. However, it lacks advanced features like OCR or deep content editing.

Supported OS: macOS, Windows, Android, iOS

Price Plan: Free

User & Expert Reviews

"PDFgear makes quick PDF edits simple and straightforward for everyday tasks. I found annotations and page rotations worked instantly on my Mac." — Reddit

"It is lightweight and capable, though it lacks advanced batch or layout editing tools." — Macworld

4. Skim – Lightweight PDF Annotation & Review Tool

Skim works very well for users who read long files and take notes often. Students and researchers use it to highlight, add notes, and mark books or research papers. It is fast, light, and stable on macOS. Although it does not offer text editing like a full PDF editor Mac tool, it is one of the best annotation tools available for free.

Supported OS: macOS

Price Plan: Completely free and open-source

User & Expert Reviews

"Skim is perfect for annotating lecture notes and research papers; highlights and notes are easy to add." — Reddit

"It provides a fast reading and review experience, though it lacks editing or OCR capabilities." — Macworld

5. Inkscape – Graphic-Focused PDF Editing

Inkscape is a strong tool for users who need to edit graphics inside PDFs. It handles vector shapes, logos, diagrams, and illustrations very well. It does not work as a full Mac PDF editor for text-based files, but it is perfect for design tasks. If your PDF has drawings, charts, or visual elements, Inkscape gives you powerful control without paying anything.

Supported OS: macOS, Windows, Linux

Price Plan: Completely free and open-source

User & Expert Reviews

"Inkscape is excellent for editing diagrams and vector graphics in PDFs, though text editing is cumbersome." — Quora

"It is powerful for graphic-focused PDF tasks but not ideal for standard document editing." — iMore

6. ONLYOFFICE PDF – Collaboration & Office Integration

ONLYOFFICE PDF is useful for users who want editing and team-friendly features. It supports annotations, form filling, and cloud sync. It is a good free PDF editor Mac OS X option when you want smooth editing and easy sharing. It works well for school projects, group files, and office use. The interface is simple and easy to learn.

However, it lacks some advanced PDF editing features like OCR or detailed text layout adjustments, making it less suitable for standalone PDF-heavy work.

Supported OS: macOS, Windows, Linux, Web

Price Plan: Free version available; paid plans unlock advanced collaboration and enterprise features.

User & Expert Reviews

"ONLYOFFICE PDF is convenient for team annotations and integrates well with other office files." — Reddit

"It is effective for collaborative PDF tasks, though advanced editing is limited." — Macworld

7. PDNob Online – Fast Web-Based PDF Tasks

PDNob Online is the free web version of PDNob PDF Editor. It offers OCR, compression, file merging, signatures, and batch conversion without downloading anything. It works well for users who want fast tasks like reducing file size or adding a signature. Although it does not support direct text editing, it is still a practical free tool for office or school work.

Supported OS: Web-based

Price Plan: Completely free

User & Expert Reviews

"PDNob Online is perfect for quick PDF tasks without installing software, and OCR works reliably." — Reddit

"It is fast and convenient for temporary PDF handling, though it cannot edit existing text." — 9to5Mac

Part 3. 4 Paid Mac PDF Editors for Advanced PDF Editing

If your PDF tasks go beyond simple edits, free tools may not be enough. These four paid Mac PDF editors provide advanced features like OCR, full text editing, page management, and professional-level tools for students, freelancers, and business users.

1. Adobe Acrobat - Professional & Enterprise PDF Solution

Adobe Acrobat offers strong editing tools, advanced OCR, file protection, and accurate conversion. It is widely used in offices and schools because it handles complex files with ease. If you work with PDFs every day and need high accuracy, Acrobat is one of the best choices. It is more advanced than any free tool, but it comes with a higher cost.

Supported OS: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android

Price Plan: Subscription-based; plans vary depending on features (starts around $155.88/yr)

User & Expert Reviews:

"Adobe Acrobat handles complex PDFs and scanned documents flawlessly, though it can be heavy on system resources." — Reddit

"It is the most comprehensive PDF tool, ideal for professional workflows." — Macworld

2. PDNob PDF Editor – Cost-Effective for Personal & Professional Users

PDNob PDF Editor offers a simple layout with strong features like OCR, text editing, page tools, signing, conversion, and annotations. It works well for students, freelancers, and small offices that want a reliable PDF tool without the high price of Acrobat. It focuses on speed and easy use, making it ideal for light to medium PDF work.

Supported OS: Windows, Mac, Online, iOS

Price Plan:

• Free: 20 watermark-free PDF edits, no strings attached.
• Paid: Full access for individuals & teams from $44.99, yearly or lifetime. Affordable, unlimited, hassle-free.

User & Expert Reviews:

"PDNob makes editing, OCR, and conversion fast and easy without overwhelming users with complexity." — G2

"It is a strong cost-effective alternative for light-to-medium PDF tasks compared with Adobe Acrobat." — 9to5Mac

3. Nitro PDF Editor – Office & Team Management

Nitro PDF Editor works well for teams that need to create, edit, sign, and manage PDFs across several devices. It offers strong conversion tools, business templates, and workflow features. Many companies use it because it works well for group documents and general office work. While it is powerful for team use, its interface may feel complex for casual or individual users.

Supported OS: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS

Pricing: Paid plans; subscription required, typically targeted at teams, starting from $180 annually

User & Expert Reviews:

"Nitro is excellent for team-based PDF workflows, though it can feel overcomplicated for solo users." — Reddit

"It provides robust collaboration and editing tools, ideal for office environments." — TechRadar

4. PDF Expert – Fast & Intuitive PDF Editing for Mac

Microsoft.com offers a smooth experience because it is designed for macOS. It supports text editing, reading, signing, and page tools. It loads files quickly and works well for personal or work use. Users like it because the layout is clean and easy to understand, making it a simple choice for daily tasks.

Supported OS: macOS, iOS

Pricing: $79.99 Yearly; $139.99 Lifetime

User & Expert Reviews:

"PDF Expert makes PDF editing smooth and fast, perfect for professionals on Mac." — Reddit

"It is intuitive and reliable, though it lacks enterprise-grade OCR and batch features." — Macworld

Part 4. FAQs About Mac PDF Editors

Is there a completely free PDF editor?

Yes. PDFgear, Skim, PDNob Online, and LibreOffice all offer free editing features. They let you annotate, merge, and fill forms without adding watermarks or requiring payment.

Does Apple have a built-in PDF editor?

Yes. Preview comes pre-installed on macOS and supports annotations, signatures, page reordering, and basic PDF edits, making it a reliable choice for simple everyday tasks.

Is there a free version of Adobe for Mac?

Adobe provides a free Reader that lets you view and annotate PDFs. Full editing, OCR, and advanced tools require a paid Acrobat plan.

Which PDF app is best for Mac?

For light tasks, PDFgear or Skim works well. For advanced editing, OCR, and professional use, Adobe Acrobat or PDNob PDF Editor are the best options.

Conclusion

Choosing a PDF editor depends on your needs. For light or occasional tasks, the best free PDF editor for Mac—like PDFgear, Skim, or PDNob Online—handles annotations, basic edits, and OCR efficiently. Paid tools such as Adobe Acrobat, PDNob PDF Editor, Nitro PDF, and PDF Expert offer advanced features for professional or frequent use.

This guide will be updated regularly to reflect the latest tools and reliable information, helping users select the most suitable PDF editor for their Mac workflows.

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