HomeWindows5 Open Source PDF Editors For Windows You Can Use
We use pdf files almost daily but when it comes to editing them, we find that there isn’t any popular way. Today, I will share some free open source pdf editors that will help you edit your pdf files without paying a single penny.
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Talking about the pdf format, it was a proprietary of Adobe till 2008. After that, it was released as an open standard for all. As there’s always an option of Microsoft Word or Google Docs for an editable document, Pdf files are not intended to be edited.
The most popular Adobe’s Acrobat Pro DC comes with all the required options but if you are on a tight budget, this isn’t recommended. So, whatever the purpose you’re looking free pdf editors for, just follow this article and you will end up knowing about some really good pdf editors tools.
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Open Source PDF Editors For Windows
1. The Traditional Way – Using Microsoft Word
If your requirements are simple and the pdf file you want to edit doesn’t contain so much styling, you can use the Microsoft Word to edit your document. The software has inbuilt option to convert any pdf file into Word and vice-versa.
First of all, Open Microsoft Word on your Computer. Click the File option and go to Open.
Navigate to the pdf file you want to edit and select that. If you are unable to see any pdf files, make sure the file type option at the bottom right is set to All Files.
Then, Word will automatically convert the file into the .docx format. After that, just edit the file and click on File option again. Now, click Save As and choose file type as PDF.
2. Apache Open Office Draw
Apache Open Office Draw is one of the best free Open Source PDF editors for Windows. This is actually a drawing and graphics tool but can also be used for editing pdf files. You can easily sketch complex plans, add, edit, delete and rotate images and vector graphics. You will also have the option to add styles and formatting to your files.
Coming to the topic, first, install this software from the link given below and launch it.
Then Click on Tools -> Extension Manager -> Add and find the import extension to install it.
Now, import the pdf file, do the required changes and finally save it as a pdf. That’s it. The Open Office is already a very popular office suite and more stable than others. You won’t face any difficulty using its interface.
Download Apache Open Office Draw
3. Inkscape
Inkscape is a professional vector graphics editor and can also be used as a free open source pdf editor. It’s available for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. You can download this software from its website and can start using it directly. Inkscape comes as an executable file and doesn’t need to be installed.
Inkscape is also a popular tool used by many illustrators, designer, web designer or anyone who want to create some vector imagery. But you can also use it to edit pdf files by following the steps below.
The software has a user-friendly interface and provides an easy way to edit text, images and graphics of the pdf files. The software is lightweight but sometimes become slow which can be fixed by restarting it.
To edit pdf files using Inkscape, just import the pdf file, double-click on the text-line and start editing. After finishing, just save the file as pdf.
Download InkscapeFree Online PDF Editors
1. Sejda
Sejda is one of the best free online pdf editors which works seamlessly. It offers a wide range of editing tools like inserting text, images, links, shapes and annotations. You can even sign your documents using Sejda.
I have used this free online pdf editor many times and one thing I can tell you is Sejda is really easy to use. You just have to upload your pdf file, select the things you want to edit and change it as you wanted. Once done, click Apply changes and you’ll get the options to download the document, send it to Google Drive or Dropbox, delete it, or access a shareable link.
While using Sejda, one thing you should remember is its session expires after 3 hours. So don’t forget to save your work in a regular interval of time. Otherwise, you’ll end up losing it.
Visit Sejda
2. PDF Escape
PDF Escape is another online pdf editor offering tonnes of options for free. It lets you add texts, images and even forms which is rare for a free pdf editor. The PDF Escape comes with an easy drag and drop user-interface which makes all the operations really simple for everyone.
There are two versions of PDF Escape. One which is a free web app while the other is a paid software. I am using the online pdf editor here, but if you download the desktop software, you’ll only get the trial version of the paid software.
Though this online pdf editor allows you to add boxes and geometrical shapes, there’s no option to edit the existing texts and images. If you want to hide something, you simply have to create white boxes over it.
Visit Pdfescape
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Conclusion: Free PDF Editors
If your requirements are limited and you just want to edit something in a pdf file, go with the traditional method using Microsoft Word. Otherwise, you can install any of the open source pdf editors mentioned above. It’s true that both the software has some limitations, but for normal pdf editing, it won’t cause any problem.
Oct 12,2020 • Filed to: PDF Editor
You can find open-source PDF editors online that are created via open-source licensing. A community develops an open-source PDF editor, and you are welcome to add to it if you are familiar with software coding. These open-source PDF editors Windows are beneficial tools to have at your disposal. If you are looking for a stable open-source PDF editor, read the article below.
Top 5 Open Source PDF Editors
1. LibreOffice
LibreOffice is a free and powerful office suite, as well as an open-source PDF editor. This open-source PDF editor was created to be like Microsoft Word so that it can open and edit PDF files easily. The editing of PDF files is relatively easy. It can help you to edit text and images. You can also white-out some areas and then add text on top. The open-source PDF editor is quite an advanced word processor, but its ability to edit PDF is somewhat limited. However, it will still do the basics, and it is an open-source PDF editor for Windows, so it is always available to edit your PDF files.
Pros:
- It opens PDF files easily.
- It can be used to edit other file formats and convert them to PDF.
- You can add a digital signature to your work.
- It can add and delete PDF pages.
Cons:
- It is a bit limited when it comes to editing PDF files instead of editing other text files.
- It can be a bit glitch when working with large PDF files.
2. INKSCAPE
The INKSCAPE is an open-source vector graphics editor similar to Adobe Illustrator, Corel Draw, Freehand, or Xara X. It is one of the best open-source PDF editors. If you are a web designer, graphic designer, illustrator, or free-hand sketch artist, you may need to create vector images for your next project. Inkscape is the right tool to help with this task. It can be used to read, edit, and extract information from any PDF file. If you are experienced at editing PDFs, this is a great open-source PDF editor to have.
Pros:
- It can edit every part of a PDF file, including adding and removing images, text, and links.
- It can be extended with scripting to have even more functionalities.
Cons:
- It isn't effortless to use.
- Sometimes it will be saved as blank pages after you edit and save it.
3. PDFSam Basic
PDFSam is an open-source PDF editor Windows that offers one open-source PDF editors and one commercial one. PDF Basic is a tool that allows you to merge, split, extract pages, rotate, and mix PDF files. It is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. Free and open-source since 2006. PDF visual is a tool that allows you to see your PDF document in the form of pages visually. PDFSam Enhanced is the commercial version, which has all the powerful editing features you require. If you need an open-source PDF software, you can choose PDFSam Basic.
Pros:
- The open-source PDF editor will enable you to organize your PDF pages visually.
- You can change the order of the PDF pages.
- You can mix and merge PDF pages, split and extract PDF pages.
- You may be able to rotate and save single or multiple pages.
Cons:
- Sometimes the visual document composer will show erroneous information.
- The open-source PDF editor requires Java to run.
- It has a steep learning curve and can be a bit confusing for beginners.
4. PDF Architect Free
PDF Architect Free is an open-source PDF editor created by PDF Forge. You can use it to create PDF files from Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and more than 300 file formats. It will make the PDF file editable's essential elements and is a great open course PDF editor to have on your list. This open-source PDF editor is available for Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7.
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Pros:
- It has advanced editing features.
- It can use OCR to make scanned pages editable so that they can be saved as PDF.
- It allows you to add a digital signature to your PDF files.
- It allows you to create forms and also fill and edit existing ones.
- It can merge several PDF files into one.
- It allows you to edit the metadata of the PDF file to provide security.
Cons:
- The free version will leave a watermark on your work. You have to buy a license to remove the watermark.
5. Apache Open Office Draw
Apache Open Office Draw is another open-source PDF editor for Windows that is slowly gaining popularity. It is one of the best open-source PDF editors that lead open-source office software suite for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, databases, and more. It is primarily a graphics open-source PDF editor used to draw diagrams, graphs, and other images, but it can also be used to edit PDF files. You import your PDF file as a graphic, and then you add text on top of it. The PDF can then be saved as a new document. This is an open-source PDF editor, and therefore comes from a reputable developer.
Pros:
- It works on multiple platforms.
- It has many editing features available.
- It has a feature for checking to spell.
- It is excellent for adding graphics to a PDF file.
Cons:
- When you're loading a large PDF file it operates slowly.
- Some functions will impede your workflow, such as the Excel feature.
- Some errors show up when working with large PDF files.
The Better PDF Editor than Open Source PDF Editor
PDFelement Pro is an exceptional PDF editor for Windows and Mac, and it has some very advanced PDF editing features. More than edit PDF files easily, it can convert PDF, merge PDF, OCR scanned PDF, secure PDF, sign PDF, and more. Now, follow the 3 steps below, and you can edit your PDF file easily.
3 steps to edit PDF files using PDFelement Pro
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Step 1: Download and install PDFelement Pro on your computer.
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Step 2: Drag and drop your PDF files into the program or click on the 'Open File' button to import PDF files.
Step 3: Click on the 'Edit' button to edit PDF text, images, links, and pages easily.