Over the years, PDF has become the most popular document file format worldwide thanks to its portability, accessibility, editability, compatibility, and security. Whether reading e-books, reviewing project reports, exchanging electronic documents, or viewing manuals, PDF has established itself as the ideal file format. As a result, PDF readers have been developed on a bigger scale to make it easier for users to open, view, and even edit PDF files.

Depending on your editing needs and budget, you can choose between a free and a paid PDF editor. Paid PDF editors have advanced features, but some free editors offer some of the benefits of a paid tool, including the capability to edit your PDF form for free.

Read on to learn more about why you might need a free PDF editor instead of a paid one.

For Basic Editing Needs

A free PDF editor can be enough to get the job done if you have basic editing requirements. With most free PDF editors, you can easily:

  • Merge or combine several PDF files
  • Divide or split long PDF files
  • Rearrange pages
  • Compress large PDFs
  • Convert PDFs to common file formats.
  • Change the text within your PDF documents as you deem fit
  • Complete PDF forms

For Casual Use

If your job doesn’t require you to work with PDF files day in and day out, or you only do a one-off editing job occasionally, a free PDF editor could suit your needs. You can use it to sort out all those sporadic “I-need-to-work-on-a-PDF” moments without committing to a payment plan for a paid PDF editor.

For Experimentation

Sometimes, you don’t want to purchase a paid PDF editor tool, particularly if you aren’t sure about your editing needs. In this case, trying out the free version first makes sense. Before buying a subscription, you can experiment with a free PDF editor to figure out if it meets your PDF-editing requirements. It’s similar to trying out a new suit to see if it’s fitting before you can pay for it.

To Cut Down on Cost

If you’re on a tight budget, you should perhaps consider using a free PDF editor. Despite paying nothing for it, you’ll still be able to work on your PDFs like a pro. And here’s the cool part: many free PDF editors are browser-based. Thus, you don’t have to worry whether or not they’ll be compatible with your platform or device.

PDF Reader for Everyone

Whether you’re a student looking for a basic PDF reading experience or a professional looking for advanced PDF features, there is a free PDF reader out there for everyone. If you’re just looking to create, add, modify, or comment on your PDFs, you can always get the job done with a free editor. This can help you save a few bucks. However, it’s probably time to consider a paid PDF editor if you need more complex features. A PDF editor can have OCR functionality, scanning, password protection, and Bates numbering.