The Best Free PDF Expert Alternatives to Edit PDFs on Mac

As a renowned brand in the PDF industry, PDF Expert from Readdle Limited has once earned the Runner-up title in “App of the Year” by Apple in 2015. This is indeed solid proof of PDF Expert’s impeccable performance as a top PDF editor.

However, the subscription-based pricing model that costs at least $6.67/month is certainly daunting.

On this page, we’ll talk about the best free PDF Expert alternatives that allow you to edit and process PDF documents on Mac, without spending a dime. This list includes both free commercial products, and open-source options which are entirely free to use.

PDFgear Desktop

PDFgear is a newcomer in the PDF city, as a completely free PDF management solution, PDFgear is getting increasing attention of late. The software version for Windows and Mac called PDFgear Desktop offers a complete set of features such as summarizing PDF, converting PDF, signing on PDF, compressing PDF, highlighting PDF, filling out PDF forms, etc.

What I appreciate the most about PDFgear is that the PDFgear online tools and PDFgear Desktop are completely free to use, and they are available on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS.

All in all, PDFgear is your go-to option for enjoying enterprise-level PDF editing features without forking out.

Download PDFgear Desktop from Official Website

Key Features

• Chat-based software interaction and PDF summarization powered by GPT-3.5 integration
• 80+ PDF tools in one place for a variety of PDF management purposes
• No ads, no hidden cost, no account registration, and no subscriptions of any kind
• Batch modes supported for PDF converting, compressing, splitting, and OCR

iLovePDF

In the 21 century, we’re seeing a trend that software utilities are going to the web, and iLovePDF is a good example.

iLovePDF is an online PDF editor tool that allows you to convert PDF to Word, add watermark to pdf, rotate PDF, unlock PDF, scan to PDF, etc. While many premium features are behind a paywall, the daily PDF editing needs can be easily met without cost.

As a browser-based PDF editor, iLovePDF works flawlessly with the Safari browser on your Mac computer or Macbook, and all you need for it to function is a stable internet collection.

Edit PDF Online on Mac Using iLovePDF

Key Features

• iLovePDF works on any web browser and without the need for software installation
• Available as the web-based version and mobile apps for Android and iPhone
• iLovePDF offers a handy approach to uploading and editing PDFs from Google Drive
• A desktop version is also available for you to edit PDFs offline

PDFSam Basic

PDFsam is primarily a free and open-source PDF merger and splitter that allows you to create PDF multi-pagers or extract single pages in PDF documents, and you can also find PDFsam on also one of the best open-source PDF editors and the best PDF editors for Linux.

While PDFsam doesn’t do much in editing PDF documents, it does allow you to modify the PDF content without exporting or copying the original document to another format. Additionally, PDFsam offers handy tools that let you merge, split, delete, or rotate PDF file pages easily.

The most noticeable feature of PDFsam Basic is the ability to straightforwardly split and merge PDF documents.

Download PDFsam Basic from Official Website

Key Features

• Drag and drop to rearrange the PDF pages and combine them into one
• More merge settings such as adding a footer and normalizing the page size
• Advanced Settings are offered for users to flexibly control the PDF version and formats

LibreOffice Draw

LibreOffice is a free and open-source office productivity software suite, and its Draw feature, also referred to as LibreOffice Draw, is a free and practical tool for editing PDFs on Windows, Mac, Linux, and Chromebooks.

LibreOffice Draw mainly works as a vector graphics editor, but for many of those who don’t know it yet, LibreOffice Draw is another good option for you to edit PDF documents and draw on PDFs on Mac.

In LibreOffice, the PDF editing feature can be accessed from the Draw Drawing section, and you’ll discover a slideshow-like menu for navigation and a list of graphic editing tools for further adjustments.

Download LibreOffice from Official Website

Key Features

• LibreOffice has other useful tools to insert charts, text boxes, and forms
• It supports editing text, changing font and color, inserting images, and adding comments
• LibreOffice allows you to modify text in PDF documents like in Microsoft Word

Apache OpenOffice

Apache OpenOffice is a free and open-source office software suite that offers robust tools to create, edit, and collaborate on PDFs and other documents. It’s 100% compatible with Microsoft Office and can do everything Microsoft Office can do, which means it also replaces Microsoft Office.

The only downside to OpenOffice is that it does not have an email program like Microsoft Outlook, but there are other free email programs available.

OpenOffice is recommended for college students who may not be able to afford the cost of Microsoft Office.

Download Apache OpenOffice from Official Website

Key Features

• OpenOffice is compatible with Microsoft Office by file conversions
• OpenOffice offers word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, drawing, and database creation
• Open Office runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux

Canva

Yes, the web-based design tool Canva also allows you to edit PDF files online for free. Canva has a dedicated online PDF editor for users to make edits to PDF documents on computers and mobile phones.

On Canva, users can upload and edit a PDF file (that is editable and unrestricted) by creating a design instead of uploading images customarily. After importing the PDF, which can be edited using handles to change the text font, font size, color, etc.

During the editing, Canva inevitably compresses your edited PDF and it lets you choose which pages to download as a PNG, JPEG, or PDF.

Edit PDF on Mac Online Using Canva

Key Features

• Canva supports editing PDF files and Ebooks with up to 15 pages
• Canva matches uncommon fonts in PDF documents to the closest font family
• Canva retains the same layout and position for the modified imported documents

Inkscape

Inkscape is yet another vector graphics editor that serves as a free PDF Expert alternative to edit PDFs, and it works on GNU/Linux, Windows, and macOS. Thanks to its open-source nature, Inkscape is entirely free to use.

Inkscape provides an inbuilt feature to import and makes edits to PDF files with which you can pull elements out of it, extracting images from a digital PDF magazine, for example.

Inkscape support the editing of PDF text, which can be implemented by ungrouping objects or selecting and moving around individual objects.

However, the proper display of the PDF files in the Inkscape workplace requires the local installation of a specific font family, otherwise, the text will look slightly different compared to the original copy.

Download Inkscape from Official Website

Key Features

• Inkscape helps print edited PDF documents in the 100% actual size
• Vector graphics are easier to manipulate and can be enlarged without losing quality.
• Extensive editing options like adding, rearranging, or removing text and shapes in PDF

FAQs

Are there any truly free PDF editors?

Yes, there are PDF editors that are actually free, and PDFgear is among them. PDFgear is a full-featured PDF editor program that is completely free to use. Additionally, some open-source PDF editors like LibreOffice Draw are also truly free to use.

What are the best free PDF Expert alternatives for mobile phones?

The best free PDF Expert alternatives for Android, iOS, and iPhone are the PDFgear online tools and the PDFgear app for iPhone and iPad, respectively working in a web browser or as a standalone app. They are all functional and entirely free to use.

Are the free alternatives as good as PDF Expert?

While there are some free PDF Expert alternatives that may lack the more advanced features of the paid versions, many of these alternatives are still highly efficient at handling basic editing tasks like adding text, merging pages, and resizing images. The key is to find a free version that meets your specific needs and provides the features you require.