Redact With Confidence: Top 9 Free PDF Redaction Tools

After reading countless confidential information leakage news, it’s hard not to think about what you can do to keep sensitive information on your documents safe before they go public. For those documents that have to be issued to the public, there can be special numbers or figures that can’t be disclosed. This is where PDF redaction tools kick in.

In this post, you are going to know top 9 free PDF redaction tools. choosing the most handy one or two of them, you will get the confidence when your files need to be shown to others. We are going to introduce them in a perspective of comparison, so that you will see each one’s pros and cons clearly.

Do Not Miss: Top 7 Online Redaction Tools You Should Have a Try, How to Redact Document (Microsoft Word, Google Docs, PDF)

Comparison Of the 9 Free PDF Redaction Tools

SN.	App/Web	Editor’s Rating	Typical Features	Compatible Platform
1	PDFelement	4.7/5	Read, edit, scan, redact, annotate, convert, sign, merge, encrypt, and print PDF documents.	Windows, Mac OS, Android
2	Adobe Acrobat Pro	4.5/5	Edit PDF, add comments, redact, compress, recognize text, combine files, merge, split.	Windows, Mac OS
3	Sejda PDF Editor	4.5/5	Edit & sign PDF files online for free, fill out PDF forms online, change PDF text, redact sensitive information, add text to PDF, add image to PDF, create links in PDF.	Windows, Mac OS
4	PDF-XChange Editor	4.4/5	Create, view, edit, annotate and sign PDF files via document scanning, images, text/markdown files, convert.	Windows
5	Foxit PhantomPDF	4.3/5	Annotations, redact, commenting, convert, customizable branding, delete pages, electronic signature.	Windows, Mac OS
6	PDF Buddy	4.7/5	Add text, redact, signatures, and images, highlight or white out content, merget, split PDF files.	Windows, Mac OS
7	Xodo PDF.online	4.6/5	Add PDF text, redact, annotate, add markup and comments directly to PDF pages.	Windows, Mac OS
8	PDFfiller	4.8/5	Create, redact, edit, manage, save, share.	Web-based
9	FreePDFRedactor	4.4/5	Redact, verify and share.	Web-based

Detailed Description

1. PDFelement

PDFelement comes with a simple and neat UI. Besides its capability of redaction, different tools are well listed on the left side of the page, making it convenient to use. It’s a powerful all-in-one option, and you can tweak your PDF almost in any way. You can use it to view, edit, annotate, convert, or even recognize text. Some small details in design can be inspiring and truly helpful. For example, it doesn’t take another app to remove watermarks on your PDF files.

Converting PDF files into many other formats can save you trouble sometimes. PDFelement can convert PDF into Word, Excel, EPUB, and many others. Besides the normal functions of a PDF editor, you can expect something out of the box too. It’s such an all-feature PDF editor to be explored. You can download PDFelement and start to use it now!

Price: free Version and Plans

Yearly plan: $79.99

2 Year Plan: $109.99

Perpetual Plan: $129.99

2. Adobe Acrobat Pro

There is always a classical choice for redact, edit, sign, or share your PDF files. Adobe Acrobat Pro enjoys the fame of erasing pictures or words on PDF files on the basis of which it supports synchronizing under the same account from different devices, making it convenient to coordinate among your tablets, PC, and phones. However, the bummer is obvious as well.

Since it doesn’t work with Acrobat XI anymore, potential security issues may occur. Download Adobe Acrobat Pro from reliable resources and experience professional PDF redaction.

Price: Free Trial and $239.88/year

3. Sejda PDF Editor

Sejda PDF Editor helps with your redaction in two ways. You either use its online version or the software on your computers. Both are easy to handle. The difference lies in how it accesses your file. The online version, based on the website, requires you to upload your file to their cloud and download it after you are done with your redaction, while the software saves your file in your hard drive.

As a typical PDF editing tool, Sejda provides most of what you need for tweaking a PDF file such as split, merge, compress, watermark and so on. OCR text recognition is a plus. Unfortunately, the free version has some critical disadvantages. The free version processes files no bigger than 50MB and max combining pages are 50. You can get Sejda PDF Editor on your device and try it right away.

Price: Free Version or Desktop+Web annual: $63/year

4. PDF-XChange Editor

In term of redaction, reaching PDF-XChange Editor can give you an amazing experience. It doesn’t only black out information on your file, but also wipe out it from the code behind it. PDF-XChange Editor offers great service by anonymizing user’s for the sake of information protection.

It has functions like deleting or extracting pages, adding new pages, merging other files, converting files to other formats, changing scanned texts into editable status etc. It’s enough for daily PDF editing but there’s nothing mind-blowing as well.

Price: Free or $56.00/year

5. Foxit PhantomPDF

Foxit PhantomPDF has a reputation for being easy and convenient to use. It allows you to redact your file with ease. If you are used to the Microsoft Office interface, this PDF editor becomes handy for you on your PC. The toolkits are arranged in a similar sequence so it will be easy to find every button in the old place. This will reduce the time you spend getting familiar with a new program.

Foxit PhantomPDF also supports editing and conversion of different file formats. The highlight of this program is its comprehensive search system which will help when you face a long passage and try to dig out information. For a free PDF redaction experience, try Foxit PhantomPDF without hesitation.

Price: Free or $14.99/month

6. Xodo PDF

Xodo, which created an app and a program for editing PDF files. Two simple steps lead you to an effortless experience of PDF redaction. First,install the Xodo PDF and upload your file to be redacted. Wait for a minute until it’s loaded. Second, select the sensitive text or image that you don’t want to show and click the apply button. Let it process. Then it’s all set.

Price: Free

7. PDFfiller

PDFfiller is built for collaborative PDF work. It allows for easy PDF editing, e-signature, and document sharing through emails, message, or fax. Before you share your document, redaction can be done with several clicks. Simple as that, you can upload your file from Google drive, one drive or other cloud storage resources. Uploading from your computer drive is also acceptable.

Compared with other PDF redaction tools, PDFfiller is more powerful in terms of teamwork. Redaction is just a small part of its comprehensive functions. It facilitates the work flow within an organization to a large extent. Try PDFfiller and redact your PDF in a smart way!

Price: Free Version or Plans

Basic $96/year

Plus $144/year

Premium $180/year

8. PDF Buddy

PDF Buddy is an online PDF edit tool, with which the redaction of a PDF file becomes super easy. You just need to go to the PDF Buddy website, upload your file, and start to redact. This tool also helps with editing, signing, annotating, highlighting, merging, splitting PDF files. It also generates links when you want to share your forms or PDF file with someone.

If you have any concerns about the safety of your file, you can be assured they use Secure Socket Layer (SSL) for all data transfer. So your date is totally safe with PDF Buddy. As a hassle-free online PDF redaction tool, it accurately plays its role.

Price: Free Version or $7.99/month with 25GB story

9. FreePDFRedactor

It’s a light-weighted free PDF redaction tool based on a website. The advantages are just as obvious as its disadvantages. It is completely free but it can only deal with files less than 5MB or files containing less than 20 pages. The steps of redaction on this website are clearly listed right above the file receiver so that there is no pressure in understanding how to redact your on this web. You just read and follow. Done!

FreePDFRedactor is especially suitable for those who need to redact small files every now and then. Don’t forget to ensure your internet is working properly before you start. Open FreePDFRedactor to get easy redaction.

Price: Free

FAQs

What’s the Best Way To Redact Information on PDF Files for Free?

For a light-weighted redaction task, the best way is to get free online redaction tools such as PDF Buddy. But if you have a heavy workload, free methods may not work properly.

Can Redaction Be Undone?

If you have saved the file after applying redaction, the information is wiped out for good. Therefore it’s highly recommended that you save your original files as a backup before you start your redaction.

How To Redact a PDF Without Adobe Pro?

There are many free PDF redaction tools in the market. The other top 8 ones are listed in this post. You can always resort to one of them and reach your goal of blacking out the sensitive information in your PDF files.

Conclusion

The best tool is always the most suitable one for you. You have to first figure out your needs and choose accordingly from the top 9 free PDF redaction tools. If you are dealing with small and light files, online redactors are highly recommended. But if you have consistent needs for redacting or editing PDF files, go for the one with stable performance.