If you need to edit, annotate or convert PDFs on your Mac, we’ve tested and reviewed the very best tools for editing PDFs on a Mac in 2026 to suit all budgets.
The PDF format is one of the most widely used and shared document formats on the internet but it’s not always easy to work with.
That’s because not all applications can open and edit the PDF format on a Mac.
Here we’ve looked at a range of PDF editors for all budgets including those that require a subscription and one time purchase options.
Although Adobe Acrobat tops our list, we’ve also covered the best alternatives to Adobe Acrobat for Mac below it.
We’ve also included those that can scan and extract text from images or documents although for better options in this area, check our guide to the best OCR software for Mac.
Here then is a summary comparison of our top PDF editors for Macs followed by reviews of each app.
| Product | Pricing (USD) | Best For |
|---|
| Adobe Acrobat Pro DC | $19.99/month subscription only (no free version, no one-time purchase) | Best for industry-standard PDF editing, e-signatures & integrations |
| PDF Expert | $139.99 one-time or $79.99/year subscription; free trial available | Best Mac-native PDF editor and Adobe Acrobat alternative |
| UPDF | Free version available; $49.99/year or $79.99 lifetime | Best value PDF editor for Mac |
| Nitro PDF Pro | $270 one-time or $180/year | Best for precise editing & redaction for Mac (ex-PDFpen) |
| Foxit PDF Editor | $149 one-time or $180/year; free trial available | Best for business collaboration and advanced PDF security |
| PDFelement | $79.99/year or $129.99 one-time; free trial | Best all-round PDF editor with AI tools |
| FineReader PDF for Mac | $69.00/year | Best OCR software for scanned documents |
| Preview | Free in macOS | Best for simple annotation and form filling |
1. Adobe Acrobat Pro DC
Best for industry-standard PDF editing, e-signatures & businesses
Adobe Acrobat Pro remains the industry standard PDF editor for Mac.
Adobe originally created the PDF format, and Acrobat is still the benchmark for businesses, legal professionals, architects, and anyone who needs reliable PDF editing and document workflows.
Unlike Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is primarily designed for viewing PDFs, Acrobat Pro allows you to fully edit PDF documents, convert files, create forms, add signatures, redact sensitive information, and collaborate on documents.
One of Acrobat’s biggest advantages is its PDF conversion accuracy.
It can convert PDFs into editable:
- Microsoft Word documents
- Excel spreadsheets
- PowerPoint presentations
- searchable scanned documents
while preserving formatting better than most competing PDF editors.
This is particularly important when converting complex documents containing tables, images, columns, and business layouts.
Acrobat Pro also remains one of the most widely used PDF markup tools in industries such as architecture and construction, where professionals use it as an alternative to dedicated drawing review software such as Bluebeam.
Adobe Acrobat Pro features
- Edit text and images directly inside PDFs
- Convert PDFs to Word, Excel and PowerPoint
- Create and edit fillable PDF forms
- Add digital signatures
- Redact confidential information
- Compare two PDF versions
- OCR scan paper documents
- Protect documents with encryption
- Cloud document sharing and collaboration
- Native support for Apple Silicon Macs
Pricing
Adobe Acrobat Pro is subscription-only. Pricing starts at around $19.99/month, although discounts are often available for students and Creative Cloud subscribers. For users who want a non-subscription option, Adobe also offers Adobe Acrobat Pro 2024, a fixed-term desktop license valid for 3 years.
Pros
✅ Most powerful PDF editor available
✅ Best PDF conversion accuracy
✅ Excellent OCR capabilities
✅ Industry-standard compatibility
✅ Works natively on Apple Silicon Macs
✅ Best option for business users
Cons
❌ Subscription only for the main Acrobat Pro product
❌ More expensive than most alternatives
❌ Interface can feel overwhelming for casual users
Verdict
Adobe Acrobat Pro is still the PDF editor to beat if you need professional-level PDF management. However, many Mac users do not need all of Acrobat’s advanced features. If you want a more affordable, Mac-focused alternative, PDF Expert is probably the better choice.
Read our full review of Adobe Acrobat Pro DC for more.
2. PDF Expert
Best Mac-native PDF editor and Adobe Acrobat alternative
If Adobe Acrobat Pro is the industry standard, PDF Expert is the PDF editor that feels like it was built specifically for Mac users – because it was.
Developed exclusively for macOS, iPadOS and iOS, PDF Expert has one of the cleanest, fastest and most intuitive interfaces of any PDF editor we’ve tested. It integrates naturally with Finder, iCloud Drive, Apple’s Files app and Continuity features, making it an excellent choice for anyone who spends most of their time using Apple devices.
Unlike many cross-platform PDF editors that feel like Windows software ported to macOS, PDF Expert looks and behaves like a native Mac application. Navigation is fast, documents open almost instantly on Apple Silicon Macs, and editing large PDFs is noticeably smoother than many competitors.
PDF Expert lets you:
- Edit existing PDF text and images
- Annotate documents
- Highlight and comment
- Merge and split PDFs
- Rearrange pages
- Fill and sign forms
- Convert PDFs to Word, Excel and PowerPoint
- OCR scanned documents
- Password protect PDFs
It also supports Apple features including:
- iCloud syncing
- Handoff
- Sidecar
- Apple Pencil annotation on iPad
For many Mac users, these integrations make everyday document editing much more convenient than using Acrobat.
Subscription vs Lifetime licence
One of PDF Expert’s biggest advantages is that you can still buy a perpetual licence. Unlike many PDF editors that have moved entirely to subscriptions, PDF Expert offers both:
- Annual subscription
- Lifetime licence
The lifetime version includes almost all desktop features but doesn’t include future major upgrades or mobile access. Even so, it’s one of the best long-term values if you prefer owning your software.
Pricing
- Free trial
- $79.99/year subscription
- $139.99 lifetime licence
Pros
- Excellent native macOS interface
- One-time purchase available
- Extremely fast on Apple Silicon Macs
- Superb annotation tools
- Great integration with iPad and iPhone
- Easier to learn than Adobe Acrobat
Cons
- macOS and iOS only
- Advanced enterprise workflow tools aren’t as extensive as Acrobat
Verdict
For most Mac users, PDF Expert is the sweet spot between power, ease of use and price. If you don’t need Acrobat’s advanced enterprise features, it’s the PDF editor we’d recommend first.
You can check out our full PDF Expert review for more.
3. UPDF
Best value PDF editor for Mac
UPDF has quickly become one of the most impressive PDF editors available, especially for people looking to avoid expensive subscriptions.
Although it’s relatively new compared to Adobe or Foxit, it already offers an excellent mix of editing tools, OCR, AI features and cross-platform compatibility at a much lower price than most competitors.
The interface is modern and uncluttered, making it particularly approachable for users who find Acrobat overly complex.
Despite its lower price, UPDF includes many premium features including:
- Edit text and images
- OCR scanned PDFs
- Convert PDFs to Office formats
- Annotate documents
- Fill and sign forms
- Compress PDFs
- Organise pages
- Password protection
One feature that helps distinguish UPDF is its built-in AI assistant.
Depending on your licence, you can:
- Summarise lengthy PDFs
- Translate documents
- Explain complex passages
- Generate document summaries
- Ask questions about uploaded PDFs
These tools can be surprisingly useful when reviewing reports, research papers or lengthy contracts.
Lifetime licence
UPDF is one of the few PDF editors that still includes free updates with its lifetime licence, making it particularly attractive if you’re trying to avoid recurring subscription costs.
Pricing
- Free version
- $49.99/year
- $79.99 lifetime licence
Pros
- Excellent value
- Lifetime licence includes updates
- Modern interface
- AI tools included
- Apple Silicon native
- Works on macOS, Windows, iPhone, iPad and Android
Cons
- Doesn’t yet match Acrobat’s advanced enterprise features
- Limited form creation compared with Adobe
Verdict
If you’re looking for maximum features for the lowest price, UPDF is arguably the best value PDF editor currently available for Mac.
4. Nitro PDF Pro
Best for precise editing & redaction for Mac (ex-PDFpen)
Long-time Mac users may remember PDFpen as one of the most popular PDF editors available.
After PDFpen was acquired by Nitro Software, it became Nitro PDF Pro, carrying over much of PDFpen’s functionality while adding cloud collaboration and enterprise features.
If you’ve been searching for a PDFpen replacement, Nitro PDF Pro is the logical upgrade path.
Nitro PDF Pro focuses on accuracy and document editing rather than trying to include every possible feature.
It includes:
- Full PDF editing
- OCR scanning
- Form creation
- Redaction
- PDF comparison
- Bates numbering
- Digital signatures
- PDF conversion
We particularly like how accurately Nitro preserves formatting when editing existing PDFs, making it well suited to legal, financial and business documents.
Its interface is closer to Microsoft Office than native macOS apps, which Windows users moving to Mac may actually prefer.
What happened to PDFpen?
If you’re wondering why PDFpen disappeared, it was acquired by Nitro Software in 2021 and subsequently rebranded as Nitro PDF Pro.
Most of PDFpen’s familiar tools remain available, alongside additional collaboration and document management features.
Pricing
- One-time purchase available for $270.00 or $180.00 per year
- Subscription plans also available for cloud collaboration
Pros
- Best upgrade for former PDFpen users
- Excellent editing accuracy
- Powerful OCR
- Strong document comparison tools
- Available for Mac and Windows
Cons
- Office-style interface won’t appeal to everyone
- Cloud collaboration requires subscription
Verdict
Nitro PDF Pro remains one of the strongest professional PDF editors available and is especially recommended if you’re replacing PDFpen.
5. Foxit PDF Editor
Best for business collaboration and advanced PDF security
Foxit PDF Editor has long been one of the strongest alternatives to Adobe Acrobat, particularly for businesses that need powerful PDF editing without paying Adobe’s subscription prices.
Unlike many lightweight PDF editors, Foxit includes a comprehensive set of professional features including document collaboration, OCR, secure redaction, form creation and digital signatures.
It’s also available for macOS, Windows, iOS and Android, making it a good choice if you regularly switch between devices.
Key features include:
- Edit text and images
- OCR scanned documents
- Create interactive PDF forms
- Password protection and encryption
- Secure redaction
- Digital signatures
- PDF comparison
- Cloud collaboration
Foxit’s interface is slightly more technical than PDF Expert’s, but experienced users will appreciate the amount of control it offers.
Another advantage is its security. Foxit includes features such as Trust Manager, Safe Reading Mode and advanced encryption that make it particularly suitable for organisations handling confidential documents.
Pricing
- Annual subscription $79.99/year
- Perpetual licence available for $129.99 one time
- Free trial
Pros
- Excellent Acrobat alternative
- Strong security features
- Advanced form creation
- Cross-platform support
- One-time purchase available
Cons
- Interface isn’t as polished as PDF Expert
- Some collaboration features require subscriptions
Verdict
If you regularly work with contracts, legal documents or business paperwork, Foxit PDF Editor is one of the closest competitors to Adobe Acrobat Pro.
You can read our full review of Foxit PDF Editor for more.
6. PDFelement
Best all-round PDF editor with AI tools
PDFelement has evolved into one of the most capable PDF editors available, offering an impressive balance of editing tools, OCR, AI features and affordability.
Its interface is simple enough for beginners but includes many of the advanced features professionals expect.
You can:
- Edit text and images
- Convert PDFs to Microsoft Office formats
- OCR scanned documents
- Create and fill forms
- Compress PDFs
- Merge and split documents
- Password protect files
- Batch process documents
One area where PDFelement has improved significantly is its AI functionality.
Depending on your licence, it can:
- Summarise long PDFs
- Explain technical documents
- Rewrite selected text
- Translate documents
- Chat with PDFs
These tools can save considerable time when reviewing lengthy reports or research papers.
PDFelement also offers one of the better perpetual licences available, making it attractive if you’d rather avoid another monthly subscription.
Pricing
- Annual subscription
- Lifetime licence
- Free trial
Pros
- Excellent value
- AI-powered document tools
- Strong OCR
- Easy to learn
- Cross-platform
Cons
- AI features require internet access
- Some advanced editing tools aren’t as refined as Acrobat
Verdict
PDFelement is one of the best all-round PDF editors available and an excellent choice if you want modern AI features without Adobe’s pricing.
7. FineReader PDF
Best OCR software for scanned documents
If your priority is converting scanned documents into editable text, FineReader PDF remains one of the best OCR solutions available for Mac.
Originally developed by ABBYY, FineReader has built an excellent reputation for OCR accuracy over many years.
Compared with general-purpose PDF editors, FineReader performs noticeably better when working with:
- Books
- Printed reports
- Contracts
- Receipts
- Invoices
- Historical documents
- Multi-language documents
It can recognise complex page layouts while preserving tables, headings, fonts and formatting more accurately than many competitors.
Besides OCR, FineReader also includes:
- PDF editing
- Document comparison
- PDF conversion
- Annotation
- Form filling
- Password protection
Although its editing tools aren’t quite as extensive as Acrobat’s, OCR remains its biggest strength.
Pricing
- Annual subscription $69/year
- Free trial
Pros
- Outstanding OCR accuracy
- Excellent layout preservation
- Multi-language recognition
- Reliable document comparison
- Native Apple Silicon support
Cons
- Subscription only
- Interface feels more functional than modern
Verdict
If your work involves digitising paperwork or editing scanned PDFs, FineReader PDF is still one of the best specialist tools available.
You can also read our full ABBYY FineReader PDF For Mac review for more.
8. Preview
Best free PDF editor built into every Mac
Many Mac users don’t realise they already have a capable PDF editor installed.
Preview comes free with macOS and handles many everyday PDF tasks surprisingly well.
Although it can’t edit existing PDF text like Adobe Acrobat or PDF Expert, Preview is excellent for basic document management.
With Preview you can:
- Highlight text
- Annotate documents
- Add comments
- Sign PDFs
- Fill forms
- Rearrange pages
- Merge PDFs
- Split PDFs
- Password protect files
The Markup Toolbar allows you to make various edits to PDF such as highlight text or pictures, cut and paste items into a PDF.
Recent versions of macOS also include Live Text, allowing Preview to recognise text inside scanned documents and images.
For many people, Preview is all that’s needed for occasional PDF editing. Just search for “Preview” in Spotlight and open any PDF with it.
Pros
- Completely free
- Included with every Mac
- Very fast
- Excellent annotation tools
- Supports digital signatures
- Native Apple Silicon performance
Cons
- Cannot edit existing PDF text
- Limited OCR capabilities
- No advanced form creation
- No collaboration tools
Verdict
If your needs are limited to marking up documents, signing forms and combining PDFs, Preview is still the best free PDF editor available for macOS.
Best Free PDF Editors for Mac
If you only edit PDFs occasionally, you may not need a paid application.
Here’s our favorite free options.
| PDF Editor | Best For | Edit Text | OCR | Offline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preview | Everyday Mac users | ❌ | Limited | ✅ |
| Adobe Acrobat Reader | Reading & form filling | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| PDF Candy | Online PDF tools | Limited | ✅ | ❌ |
| LibreOffice Draw | Free PDF editing | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
For most Mac users, Preview is the best place to start. If you later need full text editing, OCR or document conversion, upgrading to one of the paid editors above will give you significantly more functionality.
How We Tested These PDF Editors
To evaluate each application, we tested them on Apple Silicon Macs running recent versions of macOS using a mixture of everyday documents and complex business PDFs.
Our testing focused on:
- Editing existing PDF text and images
- OCR accuracy on scanned documents
- PDF-to-Word and PDF-to-Excel conversion quality
- Form creation and completion
- Annotation tools
- Digital signatures
- Large document performance
- Apple Silicon optimisation
- Ease of use
- Value for money
Rather than simply comparing feature lists, we looked at how well each application performed during real-world workflows such as editing contracts, reviewing reports, marking up technical documents and converting scanned paperwork.
FAQ
What is the best PDF editor for Mac?
For most professionals, Adobe Acrobat Pro remains the most complete PDF editor available.
However, if you primarily use Apple devices and don’t need enterprise-level workflows, PDF Expert offers a better balance of usability, performance and price.
Does macOS include a PDF editor?
Yes. Every Mac includes Preview, which lets you annotate, sign, merge and organise PDFs.
However, Preview cannot edit existing PDF text or create advanced forms.
Is there a good alternative to Adobe Acrobat for Mac?
Yes. PDF Expert is our favourite alternative thanks to its native macOS interface, excellent performance and optional lifetime licence.
Foxit PDF Editor, Nitro PDF Pro, PDFelement and UPDF are also excellent alternatives depending on your needs.
Which PDF editor is best for scanned documents?
FineReader PDF offers the most accurate OCR we’ve tested, making it ideal for digitising books, invoices, contracts and paper archives.
Which PDF editor offers the best lifetime licence?
If you want to avoid subscriptions, PDF Expert, UPDF, PDFelement and Foxit PDF Editor all offer perpetual licences.
UPDF currently offers the best combination of price and features, while PDF Expert provides the best overall experience for Mac users.
Can Preview edit existing PDF text?
No. Preview lets you add annotations, text boxes and signatures, but it cannot directly edit text already contained within a PDF. For that, you’ll need a dedicated PDF editor such as Adobe Acrobat Pro or PDF Expert.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for the best PDF editor for Mac overall, Adobe Acrobat Pro remains the most capable solution, particularly for professionals who rely on advanced editing, OCR, document comparison and collaboration tools every day.
For most Mac users, however, PDF Expert strikes the best balance between performance, ease of use and value. Its native macOS design, excellent editing tools and optional lifetime licence make it our favourite Adobe Acrobat alternative.
If you’re shopping on a tighter budget, UPDF offers exceptional value with AI-powered features and a low-cost lifetime licence, while Nitro PDF Pro is the natural successor for former PDFpen users.
Whatever your needs, there’s now an excellent PDF editor for every type of Mac user – from those who simply need to sign the occasional document editing to professionals managing thousands of PDFs every year.