Best Free Mac Pdf Reader

Best Free Mac Pdf Reader

2020-12-30 17:56:07 • Filed to: Choose Right Mac Software • Proven solutions
Adobe Pdf Reader Free Mac
Best Free Mac Pdf Reader Offline
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Best Free Pdf Readers For Mac
Mac users can now easily view PDF files and documents using various software programs available online. Users can benefit in numerous ways from these programs, as they not only allow users to view PDFs, but also manipulate PDF documents and fill simple forms. In this article, we'll list the top 6 PDF readers for Mac and outline their various features.
Skim is a powerful PDF reader for Mac which allows the users to view PDF documents and edit them in a user-friendly manner. The application can also be customized according to users' requirements. Main features of this PDF reader for Mac are.
Top 6 PDF Readers for Mac1. PDFelementPDFelement is an excellent PDF reader for Mac users. It provides various modes to view PDF documents, and many other options to adjust view and zoom settings. Review and edit your document by adding sticky notes, text boxes, highlight tools, links, drawing and more.
You can also convert, edit, protect, create, OCR and add digital signatures to your PDF documents. You'll have an excellent editing experience. You can use this program to edit text, images and manage pages in your PDF document. Signing documents is an easy task as well. PDFelement not only provides the option to add a customized signature image, and the option to insert digital signatures to your PDF document. Convert PDF files to and from other formats like Excel, Word, PPT, TXT, or EPUB etc. The following features are included in this great PDF reader for Mac:
Available to download directly from the Mac App Store, the Kdan PDF Reader is one of the most powerful and popular PDF management tools for Apple computers. It functions as a file manager, file.
Sep 17, 2019 Nowadays, most of the documents are available in PDF format like bank statements, the newsletters from the school, eBooks, agreements etc. So here, we are listing out few PDF readers for MAC along with their pros and cons. Best Free PDF Readers For Mac? Adobe Reader for Mac. PDF was originally developed by Adobe.
Lets users underline, highlight, or strikethrough text in their file;
Allows users to view PDF files with different display mode;
Enables you to edit PDF text while maintaining the original layout;
Allows you to add shapes to PDF files;
You can crop, rotate, and replace images. You can also merge files;
It is compatible with macOS X 10.12, 10.13, 10.14,10.15 Catalina, and 11 Big Sur.
2. Adobe® Reader for MacAdobe® Reader for Mac provides a host of affordable features for viewing and editing PDF documents. PDF documents can be created from a variety of sources and edited according to user requirements. Its key features are:
Ability to create PDF documents from a variety of sources
Allows editing, sharing, adding comments and different views of PDF files
Supports scanning through OCR
Adobe® Acrobat® XI and Adobe® Reader XI have ended support and updates as of 2017. This means you will no longer receive security updates, product updates, or customer support. In order to avoid your file and data being insecure due to lack of protection, you should check here to find out the best alternatives to Adobe® Acrobat®.
3. Skim for MacSkim is a powerful PDF reader for Mac which allows the users to view PDF documents and edit them in a user-friendly manner. The application can also be customized according to users' requirements. Main features of this PDF reader for Mac are:
Allows to edit, view and annotate PDF documents;
Allows snapshots of documents for previews;
Allows password saving in Keychain;
Enables full screen preview;
4. PreviewPreview is an extremely user-friendly PDF reader for Mac which has a ton of options for viewing and editing PDF documents. This PDF reader for Mac has the following key features:
Makes viewing and working with PDF applications easy;
Enables digital signatures, bookmarks, and adding notes to PDF;
Customize toolbar according to your needs;
5. ChromeGoogle Chrome comes with a built-in PDF reader for Mac which enables users to view PDF web documents within their browser. It allows readers to control various functions of their PDF document with easy to use functions. The main features of this best PDF reader for Mac are:
Includes the option to save PDF documents from within the browser;
Enables printing a PDF document from within the browser;
The PDF viewer can be enabled and disabled manually;
6. Haihaisoft Reader for MacHaihaisoft PDF Reader lets you read PDF files effortlessly. You are able to open a document using your browser, as the 'drag and drop' feature isn't available. It also allows you to rotate pages, view in full screen mode, make a presentation, skip to the first, last, next, or previous page, use the search function, zoom in and out, or create a favorites list.
Print and Read PDF documents
It takes up less space than Adobe Reader
Haihaisoft PDF Reader can be launched instantly
High privacy and security settings
DRM-X platform protected PDF documents are supported
Free Download or Buy PDFelement right now! 
Free Download or Buy PDFelement right now! 
Buy PDFelement right now! 
Buy PDFelement right now! 

/PowerMyMac /Best PDF Reader For Mac: Free And Paid Versions
Our first pick for the best PDF reader for Mac is PDFelement. It is quite a professional level of software which is offered at a very reasonable price. PDF Expert – Best Free PDF Editor for Mac If you want a good PDF editor for your iPhone and iPad then Good Reader does a good job, however it cannot fill or edit the forms. For this purpose, you can use the PDF Expert which is slightly more expensive than Good Reader. Adobe Reader DC is a free PDF reader on Mac. As its name conveys, it only allows you to view, comment, and sign PDFs. If you want to enjoy the editing feature, you need to upgrade to Adobe Acrobat DC. Adobe Reader for Mac is highly efficient and simple-to-use software that comes free of cost. You can view, print and comment on PDF documents using this free PDF reader software. Adobe Reader for.
Mac users can opt for a variety of PDF reader software. For instance, they can use Adobe Reader and Preview. But, if you wish to have a better reading experience, you might go for a powerful and robust PDF program.
In this article, we will give you a list of excellent PDF reader tools for your Mac computer. The list we've compiled separates the free versions from the paid versions. Let's get started with a list of free PDF readers for Mac.
Article GuideBest Free PDF Readers For MacBest Paid PDF Readers For MacIn Conclusion
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Best Free PDF Readers For MacBelow are some of the best free PDF readers for your Mac computer:
Adobe Reader For MacThis is a widely-used tool that can be downloaded for free. You can even set it up as the default reader for your Mac computer. It is known as the standard PDF reader in the industry. Although Adobe PDF Reader is an excellent choice and it keeps itself improved and updated, there are a lot of alternatives out there. These alternatives do the same job without having to oblige you to agree with complicated licensing agreements. Adobe Reader For Mac is very easy to understand and use. It is fast and if you want an established platform, this is the go-to PDF reader for you.
SkimSkim is a great choice if you're going to use it for scientific purposes. The tool can open any document type. It is can be customized to suits your needs and is great for previews and notes. Skim is a very popular PDF reader because it includes various reading modes that are visually appealing and easy-to-use. You can preview links within the document and it supports AppleScript.
Free PDF ReaderThis free tool is a popular reader for your Mac. It is very easy to use, provides a simple interface, and designed for ease of navigation. It has millions of users who ensure that the reader has been tested by the market. The key features of Free PDF Reader include the ability to zoom, rotate, export, and convert documents. It also has printing options that allow you to freely customize what you want with the document's hard copy.
OpenOffice This PDF reader is for both personal and business use and can help you view PDF files on your Mac. It's a popular tool that is versatile as well. Each new version is an improvement upon the previous ones. It is still one of the best Mac PDF readers out there. With OpenOffice, you can import files from Microsoft Office. It also has features for note-taking and creating charts. The tool allows you to share spreadsheets if you want to as well.
PDFSamThis is design for splitting documents and then merging them together. That's why it's known as SAM. It is very fast, easy to understand, and very straightforward. However, some users have complained about problems with PDFSam. You can use this tool to reorder pages, make document through simple dragging and dropping, and extract document sections to separate them from the entire PDF.
Haihaisoft ReaderThis is a lightweight Mac PDF reader with tiny file size. It supports a variety of languages and is designed in a way that makes it easy to comprehend. It is supported and also developed by various platforms for their own use. Haihaisoft Reader can be launched instantly and can open all PDF document types. Protection is also made possible by DRM-X.
Read RightThis excellent product is a very clever tool designed to handle the use of smaller notebook-like laptop types. It can rotate the screen in order to fit the PDF document like that of a book within a mobile device. That's why read right is very convenient for users of handheld devices.
Options for multiple navigations are available as well as an expansion from zoom control. Readers can use a white background imposed on black text if you want a book-like experience. If you are interrupted with a call, for instance, Read Right will get you back to the same page. 
PDF InfoThis is designed to view the information contained within PDF documents as opposed to making a new one. It has limitations when it comes to using. However, it is uncomplicated and simply designed. It is a very lightweight application which launches instantly upon opening.
Formulate ProThis is a great tool used for modification of documents and is very straightforward as well. It doesn't have a lot of features but can be a great Mac PDF reader if you use it for such purposes. You can edit existing documents by adding images and text. You can use it to print documents as well. Finally, the cursor can be used to write out into documents if you wish.
PDFViewThis compact PDF reader has a ton of amazing features, is easy to understand, and straightforward to use. It is a highly recommended PDF reader and editor by users. However, PDFView lacks the development and improvement compared to other PDF readers out there. The tool has a lot of customizable settings and can actually fit documents into the entire screen size. You can zoom your documents to a smaller or larger size as well.
PDF LabPDF Lab was created for the manipulation and editing of PDf documents. It prides itself in having a lot of users and is a tried and tested tool by many. The interface is can be navigated through easily and looks very simple. With PDF Lab, you can insert graphics and even blank pages into existing PDF documents. It can also be used to create PDF files out of nothing. Encryption allows you to secure private documents and its split function is created to divide documents into different files.
Apple BooksThis is a document viewer created by Apple itself. It is free for personal use and can understand different types of files. You can organize a variety of PDF files into different collections. Sadly, it doesn't enable you to edit PDF files.
With Apple Books, you don't have to open other apps to launch documents. The app itself, which also allows you to read books purchased through Apple's online store, can help you launch and organize PDF files. However, it stipulates that in order to open books, it has to be DRM-free. Thus, it has certain limitations compared to other PDF readers out there.
If you simply want it to be a PDF reader, it does its job well. It comes free with iOS version 12. Thus, if you have an iPad or an iPhone, you can instantly use Apple Books to go with your PDF documents. Another limitation with Apple Books is it cannot be used for annotating, editing, or even creating PDF documents.
Since we're only talking about PDF readers for Mac, Apple Books is still a great inclusion to the list. However, other applications within the App Store can be used in place of Apple Books as they have more functionalities compare to this one.
Best Paid PDF Readers For MacPaid PDF readers usually have more features compared to free versions. They can be great additional tools for the workplace and for business. For instance, if you received an invoice for your purchase order, you would definitely like to manipulate the PDF document in a way that works for your business.
PDF readers and editors are a great way to do this. As such, PDF documents exist because they allow you to easily view and print documents. Plus, they are great organizational tools for almost every purpose out there.
In this section, we'll give you a rundown of the best-paid PDF readers for Mac. Plus, we'll give a description of each PDF reader to help you decide whether it's a great fit for you or not.
PDF Reader PremiumThis is an uncomplicated, straightforward PDF management software that has a great interface. It has a ton of editing options and you can integrate your documents within its cloud-based service. You can purchase and download the app from the Mac App Store.
PDF Reader Premium functions as a page editor, file converter, and file manager. This popular and powerful PDF tool allows you to edit PDF documents easily. You can use freehand writing, including text boxes, add sticky notes, and input hyperlinks and annotations. Adding color codes and tags to your PDF documents prevent you from mixing them up.
This excellent application works on iCloud as well. You can back up documents and access them on various devices. PDF Reader Premium is compatible with Dropbox and allows you to upload, download, and view documents using various devices that run on different operating systems.
Adobe Acrobat Pro DCThis is a PDF reader provided by the giant itself, Adobe. It offers a ton of powerful features allowing you to modify documents and track changes. Adobe is the company that developed the PDF document and they are not rusty when it comes to creating tools to manage it.
Acrobat is a great tool developed by Adobe that can be used in both Mac computers and Windows PCs. This PDF reader allows you to create, convert, or edit PDF files easily. Whether you are using a full-fledged computer or a mobile device, Adobe Acrobat gives you the ability to turn documents into fully-functional PDF files.
For instance, you can capture a photo of a paper and upload it to Acrobat. Then, you can edit this uploaded document and finally, convert it into a PDF file. Acrobat also gives you the ability to convert PDf files into any Microsoft Office file type making sure all formatting and fonts are preserved.
It can be integrated into Microsoft Excel enabling users to edit data found in scanned tables. Thus, financial data comes with ease of editing and analysis. Similar to PDF Reader Premium, Acrobat allows you to track changes you've made to documents. Finally, Adobe Acrobat is an excellent tool for reading PDFs and it can easily detect various differences between two similar PDF files.
PDF ExpertThis is a popular PDF editor that has a straightforward dashboard and a quick search function. It can be used with Apple Pencil and works on iPad Pro as well. This robust solution allows you to manage business documents and has uncomplicated functions.
It has a high rating within the App Store for Mac making it a popular option for a lot of users out there. You can read, annotate, and edit documents using a centralized dashboard. It's very slick and fast and has smooth scrolling capabilities. With its search function, you can easily locate what you're searching for among multiple PDF documents.
The great thing about PDF Expert is it enables you to edit links, texts, and images. It can also detect fonts, opacity, and size of text automatically. If you have an Apple Pencil combined with an iPad Pro, PDF Expert is an excellent choice for editing documents and adding notes on-the-go. You can download it for free but it has in-app purchases. There is premium, paid versions for Mac, iPhone, and iPad.
Adobe Pdf Reader Free MacPDF ElementThis comprehensive tool helps you manage documents with a suite of capabilities. It has a ton of editing features and allows you to collaborate with other colleagues through the software. Extensive options with regards to fonts let you manage your PDF files and make them look appealing.
Developed by Wondershare, PDFelement is a great way to edit PDf files allowing you to add images, texts, links, watermarks, headers, footers, and backgrounds to it. It has an extensive suite of editing tools allowing you to change font types, styles, and size. You can place, replace, extract, and rotate images as well.
The great thing about this software is it allows you to collaborate with others making it a useful tool for teams. You can add text boxes, comments, and sticky notes. It can be used to fill up forms and business documents (e.g., tax forms, contracts). PDF Element comes in paid Standard and Professional packages making it a great option for company owners who'd like their teams to collaborate with documents.
In ConclusionThere are a lot of PDF readers out there for your Mac computer. The best free and paid PDF readers for Mac have been listed here. In this way, you can select a tool that will help you not only read PDF files but to edit them as well. If you're looking for the top options out there, then look no further. We've got you covered in this article. It's simply up to you to choose the best PDF reader for Mac that suits your needs.
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Editor's note: After another round of testing, we stand by our picks. We also added a little information about our thoughts on online PDF editors.
PDF is a necessity in macOS. Without PDF, you can't easily create & share portable documents. In fact, almost every native macOS application lets you export content into PDF.
Preview in Mac is a great PDF viewer and annotator, but it's not enough for editing. Normally, people got to convert the PDF file to something else and do the editing after. That isn't the most convenient option either.
That is why a fully-fledged PDF editor for Mac is a necessity indeed! Unlike the common thought, there is an impressive variety of PDF editing programs to choose from.
And, Adobe Acrobat Pro is most people's go-to option.
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Disclosure: We sometimes use affiliate links which means that, at zero cost to you, we may earn a commission if you buy something through our links.
Why Adobe Acrobat Pro DC isn't enough?Adobe Acrobat Pro DC has been the standard for PDF editing for quite a long time. Considering that Adobe built the format, it's quite not surprising. Anyway, it's not really a great reason to keep using Adobe Acrobat Pro DC as the macOS PDF editor.
The Good: Acrobat Pro DC is undoubtedly one of the powerful PDF solutions out there. You can get the best of the Adobe ecosystem as well. If you use Adobe Reader to view PDF documents, you can have the benefits of a familiar UI as well.
The Bad: Even then, Acrobat Pro DC does not offer the best User Interface in town. Sure, it gets the job done, but that's not enough. We cannot recommend Acrobat Pro DC when you want to edit multiple documents and manage everything with ease.
The Ugly: Acrobat Pro DC is damn expensive. It comes with a monthly subscription charge of $14.99. Adobe Pro 2017, an older, standalone version, is available for a hefty price-tag of $449. These rates are way beyond what a normal user can afford.
We believe these reasons are enough for anyone to look for an Adobe Acrobat alternative — or one better PDF editor for Mac.
How to choose the alternative to Acrobat Pro DCAs we said, there are a huge number of PDF editors for macOS. As always, we wanted to pick the best ones. To navigate through the immense collection of options, we had a proper criteria as well.
The PDF Editor must have a Simple User Interface. It must be non-distracting as well as focused. We always recommend a UI that works well with single-document and multi-document management.
Easy & Advanced PDF Editing is a must-have option in a PDF tool. Automated selection recognition is great since it enables easy editing of other components like images, boxes, shapes and signatures.
Security of the PDF documents is also an important concern. The PDF editor should have an option to enable the basic security features. For instance, there must be a way to password-protect PDF.
Feature-rich: The ideal PDF editor shouldhave additional features as well. On top of the list are Optical Character Recognition and Digital Signing. You may, indeed, go for a minimal editor, though.
Price: Not everyone wants to or cannot spend around $100 on a PDF editor. So, we have included a variety of PDF editors that come with varying price tags.
So, we have chosen the best Mac PDF editors based on this criteria.
The pick: PDF Expert (the fastest, easiest & made-for-all)PDF Expert is a fast, robust and beautiful PDF editor. If you are looking for a feature-rich PDF editor that is available on multiple platforms, PDF Expert could be the right candidate. We chose PDF Expert as the best pick after testing it for more than a few weeks.
After the testing period, this tool has become our go-to option for editing PDF documents with ease. The package has some downsides and room for improvement, of course. Even then, we believe PDF Expert must be your first choice if seamless editing is your priority.
PDF Expert comes from Readdle Inc, a developer who makes wonderful apps for Apple devices. Many of the products, including the Spark email app, are popular on iOS and macOS. So, in terms of security and privacy, you don't have to worry at all.
Best Free Mac Pdf Reader OfflineHere are a few reasons why we think PDF Expert is your best choice at PDF editing on Mac.
Intuitive User InterfaceAs you can see, PDF Expert offers a clean and intuitive User Interface. You can simply drag-and-drop a file to get started. From the top-left side of the window, you can open options like Bookmarks, Thumbnails, Outline, and Annotation. Unlike the other PDF editors, we have tried, this one doesn't scare us with the big number of toolbars.
Instead, everything is organized very efficiently. So, whenever you want a particular feature, you can access that single module. Altogether, we love this UI so much.
Easy PDF EditingPDF Expert lets you edit PDF documents without any fail. There are actually four main options in the toolbar — Text, Image, Link and Redact. Making things easier than ever, PDF Expert automatically detects the type of content you've selected. If you've selected an image, for instance, you will see options to rotate, replace, export and crop the photograph.
Like the same way, you edit other parts of the PDF document. The Redact feature is also quite helpful, which works in a single click. I've found this feature really useful while sharing confidential data with friends.
Smart Annotation & Page ManagementYou get some smart Annotation features in this package. You can fill out content, provide signatures digitally and export all your annotations with ease. You can add signatures using text, trackpad or by even uploading an image of the signature. Either way, you get awesome results. PDF Expert has a page manager, with options such as Add Page, Append File, Copy, Paste, Rotate, Delete and Share.
You can easily arrange multiple pages by dragging and dropping them. You can also extract individual pages from a complete PDF document. Altogether, it checks all the important boxes.
Multi-Platform SupportPDF Expert is available for both macOS and iOS. It also enables content-sync between the devices, you know. If you want to access documents that you created using PDF Expert for macOS, you can easily do it from an iPhone or iPad. You can download the apps from the App Store, and everything is kept in sync. It's a great way to access cloud storage; everything is done via iCloud.
It's as seamless as it gets. I always love a software product when it can offer the same amazing UX on iPhone and Mac. PDF Expert does exactly that.
Enhanced Security & UtilitiesPDF Expert has an in-built method for password-protecting PDF files as well. This is a great way to secure your PDF file without further complication. It's so simple that you can go to File –> Set Password and pick the password of your choice. You can also use it to reduce the file size of a PDF file.
Best Pdf Reader For Mac FreewareWhen we checked, PDF Expert was able to reduce the file size by 75%, which is quite a great deal. Because you get Touch Bar support, accessing these options is easy as a piece of cake.
What Could be BetterThere are a few things that we didn't like in PDF Expert. We understand that PDF Expert is a minimalistic PDF editor but it has left out some basic features as well.
You cannot create PDF documents using PDF Expert. You can technically add a new page in the PDF file and add text, but that's something inefficient. We'd have really loved to see some additional set of PDF creation features in the program.
PDF Expert could have included a basic version of Optical Character Recognition. It's disappointing that the program does not even support plug-ins, which can bring in the feature. It lacks other types of plug-ins as well.
There are only four editing options in PDF Expert. At times, these may not be enough for most people. We'd have loved to see some extra toolbars in there.
It would be better if PDF Expert had better options for bulk actions. As of now, that's NIL.
Also, PDF Expert lacks options for customization and control. The features are basic — very basic, at times.
Availability & pricingPDF Expert is available for macOS and iOS. You can download the Mac version from the official website and the iOS version from App Store.
PDF Expert for macOS is priced at $79.99 while the iOS version can be bought for $9.99. If you ask us, both apps have been priced quite reasonably. The PDF Expert license actually lets you run the app on 3 Macs.
VerdictPros
Simple design and UI
Smart editing options
Multiplatform Support
Cons
Lacks advanced features
Cannot create PDF Files
If you are looking for a simple yet effective PDF editor for Mac, PDF Expert is the best option. It brings all the necessary editing features, never compromising the performance as well. It isn't for you if you want technical features like OCR, though. Overall, for the price you're paying, PDF Expert is worth it.
Upgrade pick: PDFpenPro (the most powerful)There are times when you need more than a basic PDF editor. PDFpenPro is the best choice for that occasion. It comes with a great set of features inside, including the option to create awesome PDF files. If you can spend more for a comprehensive PDF suite, PDFpenPro could be a potential option.
Unlike the top pick we suggested for most people, PDFpenPro is made for advanced users, it is an upgraded version of the PDFpen software. You get a lot more options than simply changing the text or adding some comments. We think it's suitable for you if you have to handle too many PDF documents.
[ Further reading: Case Study: Tim Ferriss & PDFpen ]
Precise Control UIPDFpenPro has been designed to create PDF files with precision. The UI has been optimized for professionals. When you open the program, you can see the blank screen where you can insert content like text, images, shapes and others. Like we saw in PDF Expert, PDFpenPro too offers different viewing options. It has a multi-tabbed UI for managing multiple files as well.
Nevertheless, we should admit that the UI isn't that intuitive. We needed time to figure out how the tools work. It also lacks automated recognition options.
Advanced Editing OptionsPDFpenPro checks all the boxes when it comes to editing PDF files. You can take care of a wide variety of content like text, images and others. All the editing options are included in the same toolbar. It's also easy to navigate between multiple pages of the document. We also loved the Precision Edit tool in PDFpen, which lets us select even the minute elements in a document and remove them easily.
When it comes to annotations, there are five different ways you can annotate documents using PDFpenPro. From simple drawing and scrabbling over the document, to adding your notes, comment boxes, links, bookmarks, or attachments. There is even an option to add an audio annotation, which is adding audio comments to the document. We also loved how you can use your iPad to bring richer content.
PDFpenPro allows you to turn websites into PDF in a single click. Thanks to the wider compatibility, you can export PDF files to Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint as well.
DocuSign SupportPDFpenPro is your upgrade pick if you have to deal with PDF signing a lot. Apart from the native option to put and manage signatures, the latest version now offers DocuSign integration. It means you can now make use of this signature-management system to request digital signs from others. Because DocuSign comes with full legal compatibility, you don't have to worry at all.
On any day, this powerful integration can help you save a few hours. Personally speaking, this is one of the best signing options I have seen in a PDF editor.
Efficient Scanning & OCRBest Free Mac Pdf Reader DownloadOptical Character Recognition is perhaps themost important advanced feature inside PDFpen. It has been designed to extract an impressive variety of data from sources like a scanned image. To use this feature, you can open the image in the software and begin the OCR option. In a few minutes, PDFpenPro will help you convert the content into editable text.
It's quite a time-saver and PDFpenPro offers great speeds too. PDFpenPro offers much control over the OCR process. You can decide the quality and resolution with ease.
[ Further reading:Best OCR Apps for Mac and Windows ]
Availability & Pricing

PDFpenPro is available for both macOS and iOS.
PDFpenPro costs $124.95. Still, you can download a free trial from Smilesoftware and get a single license that can register only on one Mac.
You can actually find its standard version, PDFpen, on Setapp.
VerdictPros
Advanced PDF Editing
OCR and DocuSign support
Versatile Editing Control
Cons
UI could be better
An expensive package
PDFpenPro is made for professionals, and there's a steep learning curve. Even then, PDFpenPro offers many features you can't find in other tools. The best example would be OCR, which works great in this program. It is just that you should be ready to pay something extra.
Other apps we consideredHere are some of the top apps we considered as the best Mac PDF editor. They did not, however, make it to the top list.
PreviewPreview is the pre-built PDF and image viewer in macOS. It's something that you can securely use for viewing and annotating PDF documents. The best part? It's quite integrated to the system that you get the maximum level of performance. The main limitation here is that Preview does not actually let you edit the PDF files. It has a bunch of effective options for annotation.
You can do a few things like adding text and shapes to the document. Once done, Preview can neatly export the files to PDF as well. Considering that you are not paying anything to get this program, we'd love to keep it aside. So, if you just want to bring some annotations and text boxes to a PDF document — without affecting the existing text, Preview would be fine.
Preview is free and is built into macOS.
ABBYY FineReader Pro for MacAre you looking for a fully-fledged suite for OCR? Then, ABBYY FineReader Pro for Mac is a great choice for. The problem is that you cannot expect standard features here. The whole program has been made for OCR needs, an area in which you can expect the best results. In just a few seconds, the program would convert a scanned image to editable text.
As far as OCR technology is concerned, ABBYY FineReader Pro for Mac works just great. It was able to do the OCR for even some of the low-quality images we'd tried. But, of course, if you have a better-quality image, the results would be better. We would not recommend the program for standard editing needs, though. The price tag is relatively higher too.
ABBYY FineReader Pro for Mac is available for $119.00.
Wondershare PDFelement Pro for MacWondershare PDFelement Pro for Mac is one of the most well-priced PDF editing suites out there. It makes some compromises in performance and features, though. However, the best part of the app comes with full support for OCR and PDF conversion. These two features are great when you consider the overall price tag of the app.
If you ask us what matters the most here, it's Batch Processing. Wondershare PDFelement Pro for Mac is one of the very few editors that allow complete support for batch processing. You can convert and deal with a lot of PDF files at once. The UI is also quite similar to that of PDF Expert, but we wish it had an enhanced level of performance.
Priced at $99, Wondershare PDFelement Pro is available for macOS and Windows.
Foxit PhantomPDFFoxit PhantomPDF is one of the smoothest PDF editors we've seen so far. It packs so many features into a smaller-looking tool. Nevertheless, compared to other PDF editors we've covered, Foxit PhantomPDF comes with a larger footprint. Multitasking is not easy when you have Foxit PhantomPDF running in background. It also checks the boxes of OCR and automated recognition.
It's comparatively easier to do PDF editing in Foxit PhantomPDF. We think, however, that the AI could be an impressive one. As of now, the User Interface looks so rudimentary and you will need some time to get used to the deal. Keep that aside, Foxit PhantomPDF is a great PDF editor for teams as well. It has options for real-time collaboration features.
Foxit PhantomPDF is available for Windows and macOS. It has a hefty price tag of $99.95 for Mac.
Kdan PDF Reader ProKdan PDF Reader is another app which makes it to our list of PDF editors for Mac. It is quite popular with over 44,000 App Store ratings. It provides a wide range of document functions for business and daily life. It has both desktop and mobile apps, so you can work anytime, anywhere. It provides you with the feature to create and edit PDFs with features such as handwritten comments, highlighting, striking through, underlining texts, and more.
The highlight of this app is the Robust Reading Engine which provides you with a comfortable reading experience with features such as smooth page scrolling and the option to change the theme and page background so that your eyes don't strain up.
Kdan PDF Reader's individual plan can be purchased at $59.99 for a year.
What about online PDF editors?Online PDF editors are the next best choice that people make when they can't afford Acrobat Pro DC. It's an awesome option too — until you lose the internet connection. The problem with online editors is that you'd need a fast, reliable Internet connection at all times.
There are also some security concerns. You basically have to upload the PDF document to a third-party server for editing it. It's not the ideal option when you are dealing with confidential files. Besides, not all online PDF editors are offering satisfactory features. A lot of them ask for paid subscriptions as well.
Best Free Pdf Readers For MacPersonally speaking, I think online PDF editors are just good for page management of PDF documents. If you need deeper editing or bulk editing, you can't count on them. More importantly, most people like to edit their files in a native environment, which isn't the case with most online PDF editors.
So, it makes sense to check out some of the actual native macOS PDF editors out there.
The bottom lineSo, these are the best Mac PDF editors you can find today. We have tried to suggest PDF editors that work well for particular needs. We hope it helps you choose the right one.
Best Pdf Reader For Mac Free VersionIf you are still confused and want a PDF editor that's easy and effective, you can go with our pick, PDF Expert. As far as you don't need anything fancy out there, that choice won't go wrong. However, if you think you need more features and a better UI to manage documents, we recommend PDFpenPro, which packs some powerful features too.
We've also got you covered when you're Windows. Check out our guides for PDF editors for Windows.