Top 11 Free Open Source PDF Editors in 2024 ( For Windows & Online)

PDF files are widely used in professional fields, such as contracts, documents, reports, product promotion, copywriting, etc., because of their small size and stable content layout. However, the editing of PDF files requires a specialized PDF editor. Among the many PDF editors, each has its own characteristics. In order to meet the needs of some users for open source PDF editor. We'll detail the best open source PDF editors available online and offline, as well as the pros and cons of each.

Part 1: Top Open Source PDF Editor for Windows

1. GeekerPDF- The Best Alternative to Open Source PDF Editor

If you are looking for a professional and reliable PDF editor, then an open source PDF editor is not the best choice. The best alternative to open source PDF editor - GeekerPDF for Windows may be better for you. GeekerPDF is an all-in-one PDF creator, PDF editor and PDF converter. It has many professional PDF management functions, a user-friendly interface, and cost-effective performance, and is highly praised by users. GeekerPDF supports users to easily edit PDF documents, making it a one-stop PDF solution.

GeekerPDF has become the best alternative to open source PDF editors mainly due to the following reasons:

• Support editing elements such as text, images, and links in PDF.
• Support merging, splitting, deleting, or rotating PDF pages
• Capable of converting PDF to Word, Excel, Powerpoint, images, text, HTML, and vice versa.
• PDF documents can be protected across platforms through password protection, information editing, and digital signatures.
• Based on OCR technology, GeekerPDF can scan text data, analyze and process image files, obtain text and layout information, and then convert it into PDF for easy use.
• It is easy to measure parameters such as distance, perimeter, and area in PDF.
• Support batch compression and printing of PDF files.
• Compare two PDF files to quickly identify differences.

However, the trial version of GeekerPDF saves watermarks in PDF documents that it has edited.

2. LibreOffice Draw PDF Free Open Source Editor

Among the free and open source PDF editing software, LibreOffice stands out for its excellent performance. The interface of LibreOffice is very similar to MS Office. If you are very familiar with MS Office, this may be an ideal choice. With all the features of an efficient open source PDF editor, LibreOffice claims to be the leading alternative to Microsoft Office.

Pros of LibreOffice:

• Support easy editing of PDF files, such as editing text and images, adding or deleting pages, etc.
• Support file conversion, such as converting other file formats to PDF or converting PDF to other file formats.
• Equipped with digital signature function to protect PDF files.

Cons of LibreOffice:

• The software interface is relatively complex and the menu options are not very user-friendly.
• The cloud option is not supported.
• The edited file may not be consistent with the original file.
• Sending edited files to Windows live mail is not supported.
• Limited compatibility.

3. Inkscape - Open Source PDF Editing Software

Inkscape is also one of the strong competitors among PDF editors, widely praised for its powerful performance and diverse features. Inkscape is perfectly compatible with Windows and has all the functions of a complete PDF reader and open source PDF editor, such as deleting or adding text or images. It is based on Vector Graphics technology to edit PDF files and is a secure and reliable free open source PDF editor. The most important thing is that users can use the Inkscape portable version without installing it.

Pros of Inkscape:

• Support editing graphics in PDF or adding text.
• User-friendly interface.
• PNG output format is supported.
• Installation takes up less memory space.
• It's totally free.

Cons of Inkscape:

• Poor performance may cause lag or crash on many PCs.
• Limited functionality and it does not have all the necessary features for PDF editing.
• The software runs a bit slowly.

4. PDF edit - Free Open Source PDF Editing Tool

Among numerous open source PDF editors, PDF edit is also a well-known tool for users. Through PDF edit, text and images can be added to PDF files and accurately located in the parts, words, or phrases that need to be edited. In addition, users can also use it to remove unnecessary information from PDF files. Overall, PDF edit has all the features of a free and open source PDF editor. It is a one-stop PDF processor that can be used as both a PDF reader and a PDF editor.

Pros of PDFedit:

• Support cross-platform use.
• Provide personalized PDF editing tools.
• Equipped with file conversion function.
• Support the use of password protection function.
• Lightweight software that consumes less memory space.

Cons of PDFedit:

• It is still in the testing stage and the technology is not very mature.
• Some functions may not work.
• Error messages may be displayed.

5. Apache OpenOffice Draw - Open Source PDF Editing Software

Another open source PDF editor, we recommend Apache OpenOffice Draw. It has almost all the functions of a PDF editor, including customizing PDF pages, saving files in different formats, deleting or inserting any text, importing and exporting functions, and so on. As a high-quality PDF processor, it combines the functions of a PDF reader and PDF editor.

Pros of Apache OpenOffice Draw:

• Diversified functions.
• Multi platform compatibility.
• Support the creation of basic charts.
• Equipped with spelling check function, very user-friendly.

Cons of Apache OpenOffice Draw:

• Not very compatible with Excel.
• The software is slow to start up and run, especially when working with large documents.
• An error occurred while running on some versions of Windows.
• The interface is outdated.

6. PDFSam - Open Source PDF Editor

If you are looking for open-source PDF software, try PDFSam basic. This is a multifunctional PDF file editor with the functions of merging, splitting, and editing PDF files. It also supports editing or rearranging various pages in PDF files. It is a Java application that can run and support all devices of Java programs.

Pros of PDFSam:

• Support visual organization.
• Split, merge, rotate, and reorder PDF pages.
• Allow you to extract or save single - or multi-page PDF files.

Cons of PDFSam:

• This PDF editor may display errors during operation.
• Not very friendly to beginners.

Although open source PDF editors provide many basic PDF editing capabilities, they do have certain limitations.

Disadvantages of open source PDF editors include, but are not limited to, the following:

Pros of PDFSam:

• The reliability needs to be improved.
• Higher installation costs.
• Continuous service and updates cannot be guaranteed.
• Limited technical support.
• Unable to work efficiently on all hardware.

PART 2 Free Open Source PDF Online Editor

To process PDF documents, in addition to an offline PDF editor, you can also choose online PDF editors. In order to save you time and effort, we have recommended 5 of the best free open source PDF editors on the Internet.

1. PDFescape - Free Online Open Source PDF Editing Platform

Among many online PDF editors, PDFescape is loved by users for its concise and efficient services. Access the PDF scape platform through browsers such as Google Chrome, Safari, and Microsoft Edge to meet your PDF editing needs.

Pros of PDFescape:

• Provide free online PDF editing service.
• Support hundreds of file types and creates PDFs from them.

Cons of PDFescape:

• There are many advertisements in the free version.

2. Sejda PDF Online Editor

Sejda PDF is also one of the commonly used PDF editors for many users, providing users with free and paid PDF editing functions. Although the free version provides very limited functionality, the paid version of Sejda PDF online editor provides rich PDF editing functions for users. This is a powerful online PDF editor.

Pros of Sejda PDF:

• Compatible with different cloud storage service platforms.
• With comprehensive PDF editing functions.

Cons of Sejda PDF:

• The free version only supports processing of three files per day and has a limit on the size of uploaded files (less than 50 MB or 200 page files).

3. HiPDF - A Practical Online PDF Editor

HiPDF is also a PDF editing online platform that places great emphasis on user experience. It improves its online PDF processing function through various tools and provides users with PDF batch processing services, which is very convenient. If you do not want to install any third-party offline PDF editors, HiPDF is a great PDF online editor.

Pros of HiPDF:

• Support accessing the tool from multiple platforms.
• Protect PDF documents using 256-SSL encryption technology.
• Equipped with PDF batch processing function.

Cons of HiPDF:

• PDF editing features are limited.

4. DocFly PDF editor

Instead of installing an PDF Editor, you can also choose the online DocFly PDF Editor. It provides users with a one-stop PDF editing and management tool, and places great emphasis on the user experience. You no longer need to install complex the Adobe e Acrobat software, and DocFly PDF can easily complete PDF processing online.

Pros of DocFly PDF:

• Diversified PDF editing and processing toolkit.
• Support scanning documents.

Cons of DocFly PDF:

• Customer service needs to be improved.

5. iLovePDF Online Open Source PDF Editor

ILovePDF provides users with an open source PDF solution that integrates cloud services, integrating numerous PDF editing and management functions, such as editing text and images. The design of iLovePDF is very user-friendly, making it easy to complete PDF editing tasks with just a few simple steps, even novice users can quickly get started. iLovePDF is one of the recommended tools in the online PDF editor.

Pros of iLovePDF:

• iLovePDF supports batch processing of multiple PDF files.
• Diversified PDF file editing and management functions.

Cons of iLovePDF:

• The free iLovePDF has limited features in terms of processing files.

PART 3 Necessity of PDF software

PDF is a widely used file format in people's work at present, the main reasons are as follows:

PDF files are stable and maintain the original typography and layout of their text and content on any platform.

By setting a password, digital signature, etc., you can avoid unauthorized access to PDF files.

Compared with other file formats, PDF files can save storage space for users.
However, processing PDF files requires specialized PDF readers, editors, and converters.

PART 4 What is the Best Open Source PDF Editor Software?

Many of the best open source PDF editors in the industry, both offline Windows editors and online editors, each has its own advantages and disadvantages, and you may not have a choice. In order to save your time and energy, after a comprehensive comparison, we recommend that you choose a secure and reliable offline PDF editor. Because offline PDF editors often provide more comprehensive PDF processing capabilities, safer data protection measures, and more stable performance, we recommend you to use GeekerPDF - the best alternative to open source PDF editor. GeekerPDF has a simple interface, complete functions, and attaches great importance to the protection of user data security. Overall, GeekerPDF is one of the best PDF editing software, simple and efficient.

Open source PDF editors are favored for providing users with operations beyond editing. However, if you need a comprehensive and mature offline solution for PDF editing, management, and conversion, then GeekerPDF is the ideal choice for you.

Summary

If you are looking for a free and open source PDF editor, then don't miss this article. We have provided you with a detailed introduction to offline and online PDF editors, which you can choose according to your own needs.