This is a list of links to articles onsoftware used to managePortable Document Format (PDF) documents. The distinction between the various functions is not entirely clear-cut; for example, some viewers allow adding of annotations, signatures, etc. Some software allowsredaction, removing content irreversibly for security. Extracting embedded text is a common feature, but other applications performoptical character recognition (OCR) to convert imaged text to machine-readable form, sometimes by using an external OCR module.
| Name | License | Platforms | Converts PDF to other format | Edits existing PDF | Description | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Mac | Windows | Other | |||||
| Adobe Acrobat | Proprietary | No | Yes | Yes | Android, iOS, iPadOS and Online | Yes | Yes | View, create, manipulate, print and manage files inPDF. |
| Apache OpenOffice | GNU LGPLv3 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Import from PDF (with restrictions) (after installing an extension), export as PDF includingPDF/A. | ||
| Apache OpenOffice Draw | GNU LGPL | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | PDF import via software, or extensions. | ||
| Apache PDFBox | Apache License 2.0 | Yes | Yes | Unix | Yes | Converts PDF to other file format (text, images, html). | ||
| Collabora Online | MPLv2.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Android, iOS, iPadOS, ChromeOS and Online | Yes | Yes | Import from PDF, export as PDF 2.0,PDF/A-1b >PDF/A-4 |
| Foxit Software | Proprietary | Yes | Yes | Yes | Android, iOS, iPadOS and Online | Yes | Yes | View, create, manipulate, print and manage files inPDF. |
| GIMP | GNU GPL | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Converts PDF toraster images. | ||
| ImageMagick | ImageMagick License[1] | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Converts PDF toraster images and vice versa. | ||
| Inkscape | GNU GPL | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Import-/Export- from multipage PDF to multipage PDF or (Vector-)graphics.[2] | |
| Karbon | GNU GPL/LGPL | Yes | Yes | No | BSD, Solaris/Illumos | Yes | Import PDF with multiple pages as layouts, export as a one-page PDF. All standard vector graphics editor features. | |
| LibreOffice | GNU LGPLv3 /MPLv2.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Import from PDF (extension included by default), export as PDF 2.0,PDF/A-1b >PDF/A-4 | ||
| LibreOffice Draw | GNU LGPLv3 / MPLv2.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | PDF viewing and limited editing. | |
| Mobipocket Creator | Proprietary | Yes | Yes | Import from PDF and create HTML and MOBI output. | ||||
| Serif PagePlus | Proprietary | Yes | Yes | Desktop publishing (DTP) application allows opening and editing of PDF documents; Allows compatible saving as PDF 1.3, 1.4, 1.5 and 1.7 and supports also PDF/X1, PDF/X1a and PDF/X-3. | ||||
| pdf-parser | Public Domain | Python script | Yes | Extraction and analysis tool, handles corrupt and malicious PDF documents. | ||||
| PDFedit | GNU GPL | Yes | Yes | BSD | Yes | Software to view or edit the internal structures of PDF documents, and merge them. | ||
| Pdftk | GNU GPL | Yes | Yes | Yes | FreeBSD, Solaris | Yes | Command-line tools to edit and convert documents; supports filling of PDF forms with FDF/XFDF data. GUI front-end exists (see PDFChain). | |
| PDFsam Basic | AGPLv3 for version 3,GPLv2 for previous versions 2.x | Yes | Yes | Yes | Desktop application to split, merge, extract pages, rotate and mix PDF documents. | |||
| PDF Studio | Proprietary | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Full feature PDF editor. | ||
| Poppler-utils | GNU GPL | Yes | Yes | Unix | Yes | Converts PDF to other file format (text, images, html). | ||
| pstoedit | GNU GPL | Yes | Yes | Unix | Yes | Converts PostScript to (other)vector graphics file format. | ||
| QPDF | Apache License 2.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Structural, content-preserving transformations from PDF to PDF. | |||
| Scribus | GNU GPL | Yes | Yes | Yes | Unix, GNU/Hurd, Haiku, OS/2 | Yes | Export PDF and many other formats, multi-pages and multi-layers. Supports JS forms Cannot edit PDF Files.[3] | |
| Smallpdf Desktop | Proprietary | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Supports merging, splitting, and extracting pages from PDFs. Also rotating, deleting and reordering pages. Converts PDF to Word, Excel, PowerPoint,raster images. | ||
| Soda PDF | Proprietary | Yes | Yes | Yes | Modular PDF software. | |||
| Solid Converter PDF | Proprietary | Yes | Yes | Yes | PDF to Word, Excel, HTML and Text; supports passwords, text editing, and batch conversion. | |||
| SWFTools | GNU GPL | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | SWF conversion and manipulation suite containing a standalone PDF to SWF converter along with a Python gfx API (requiresXpdf). | ||
These are used by software developers to add and create PDF features.
| Name | License | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Apache PDFBox | Apache License | Java developer library for creating, view, extract, print PDF files. |
| BIRT Project | EPL 2.0 | Open-source Java basedBusinessIntelligence andReportingTools (BIRT) that can create output into PDF, HTML, Web Viewer, Microsoft XLS, XLSX, Doc, Docx, PPT, PPTX, ODT, ODS, ODP, Postscript, comma-separated values and XML files and can be integrated into websites or extended for individual formats and database output. |
| Formatting Objects Processor | Apache License | Open-source print formatter driven byXSL Formatting Objects and an output independent formatter; main output target is PDF. |
| iText | Proprietary/AGPL | Library to create and manipulate PDF, RTF, HTML files inJava, C#, and other .NET languages. |
| JasperReports | GNU LGPL | Open-source Java reporting tool that can write to screen, printer, or into PDF, HTML, Microsoft Excel, RTF, ODT, comma-separated values and XML files. |
| libHaru | ZLIB/LIBPNG | Open-source, cross-platform C library to generate PDF files. |
| OpenPDF | GNU LGPLv3 /MPLv2.0 | Open source library to create and manipulate PDF files inJava. Fork of an older version ofiText, but with the original LGPL / MPL license. |
| PDFsharp | MIT | C# developer library to create, extract, edit PDF files. |
| Poppler | GNU GPL | Open-source multi-backend C++ library derived fromXpdf; no bundled viewer; incl. pdftohtml converter. |
| TCPDF | GNU LGPL | Open-sourcePHP library to create PDF files. |
These create files in their native formats, but then allow users to export them to PDF formats.
| Name | License | Platforms | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adobe Acrobat | Proprietary | Windows, macOS | Desktop PDF authoring suite. |
| Adobe Illustrator | Proprietary | Windows, macOS | Illustrator can save as PDF, and can recognize and edit text and graphics. |
| Collabora Online | MPLv2.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, iPadOS, ChromeOS and Online | All Collabora Online applications allow PDF export; supports also PDF/A-4b; since many import formats are supported (e.g., docx, xlsx, pptx, rtf, doc, xls, ppt, odt, others) conversion is also possible. |
| FineReader | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Linux | OCR tool; can save as PDF, and recognize text from PDF. |
| Ghostscript | Proprietary/AGPL | Linux, Windows, macOS, UNIX | Viewer, creator, converter; supports also PDF/X-3; used by PdfCreator (until v1.7.3 then .NET Framework 4 since v2.0.0), WinPdf, BullzipPdf, CutePDF freeware version and others. |
| Microsoft Office | Proprietary | Windows, macOS | All Microsoft Office products from 2007 version allow users to Save as PDF. |
| Apache OpenOffice | GNU LGPL | Linux, Windows, macOS | All OpenOffice.org applications allow PDF export; supports also PDFA; since many import formats are supported (e.g., doc, docx, rtf, xls, ppt) conversion is also possible. |
| LibreOffice | GNU LGPLv3 / MPLv2.0 | Linux, Windows, macOS | All LibreOffice applications allow PDF export; supports also PDF/A-4b; since many import formats are supported (e.g., docx, xlsx, pptx, rtf, doc, xls, ppt, odt, others) conversion is also possible. |
| Serif PagePlus | Proprietary | Windows | Desktop publishing (DTP) application; Allows compatible saving as PDF 1.3, 1.4, 1.5 and 1.7 and supports also PDF/X-1, PDF/X-1a and PDF/X-3. |
| PageStream | Proprietary | Windows, Linux, macOS, Amiga | Cross-platform desktop publishing application to open, edit, export. |
| Prince | Proprietary | Linux, macOS, Windows, Solaris, | Converts HTML, XML, SVG, and MathML to PDF by way of CSS. |
| Scribus | GNU GPL | Linux/UNIX, macOS, OS/2 Warp 4/eComStation and Windows desktops | Cross-platform desktop publishing (DTP) application; supports also PDF/X-3. |
| LaTeX,TeX | LaTeX Project Public License,Permissive | Windows, macOS, Linux | Mark-up language and tools towrite technical reports, books, magazines, almost any publication type. |
| LuaTeX | GNU GPL | Windows, macOS, Linux | TeX typesetting system that creates PDF documents. |
| pdfTeX | GNU GPL | Windows, macOS, Linux | TeX typesetting system that creates PDF documents. |
| XeTeX | MIT | Windows, macOS, Linux | TeX typesetting system that creates PDF documents. |
These allow users to view (not edit or modify) any existing PDF file.
| Name | License | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Adobe Reader | Proprietary, freeware | Adobe's PDF reader |
| Evince | GNU GPL | Universal viewer forGNOME. |
| Foxit Reader | Proprietary, adware | PDF Viewer / Reader forDesktop computer andMobile Devices. Allows users to add many elements to PDFs (e.g. arrowed comment boxes, text boxes, links, bookmarks, and images). |
| Ghostview | Aladdin Free Public License | A graphical interface for Ghostscript. |
| Javelin PDF Reader | Proprietary, freeware | A full functionality PDF reader with support for DRM using encoded and encrypted PDF files in Drumlin's DRMX and DRMZ formats. |
| Chromium | BSD | Browser includes PDF viewer functionality.Google Chrome (which is based on Chromium) uses the same PDF viewer.Microsoft Edge licenses several Adobe features and branding within its PDF viewer. |
| MuPDF | Proprietary/AGPL | PDF conversion and rendering with anti-aliased graphics. |
| Okular | GNU GPL | Universal viewer byKDE. |
| PDF.js | Apache License 2.0 | AJavaScript library to convert PDF files intoHTML5, usable as a web-based viewer that can be included inweb browsers.Firefox has PDF.js built-in by default. |
| Qiqqa | Proprietary, freeware | View PDFs in a variety of zoom layouts, annotate, tag, search, cross-reference. |
| Utopia Documents | GNU GPL v3 | Semantic scientific PDF reader (optimized for life sciences and medicine), allows public comments on PDFs, generates on-the-fly link-outs to scientific databases and resources when used while online. |
| XpdfReader | Proprietary, freeware | Multi-platform viewer based on Xpdf library; source and binaries available for Linux, Windows and Macintosh. |
| Name | License | Functions | Description | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View | Annotate | Edit | Create | Convert | Library | |||
| Okular | GNU GPL | Yes | Yes | KDE desktop environment; replacesKPDF. Supports a range of annotation types. Annotations are stored separately from the unmodified PDF file, or (since version 0.15 withPoppler 0.20) can be saved in the document as standard PDF annotations. | ||||
| Evince | GNU GPL | Yes | Yes | Default PDF and file viewer forGNOME; replacesGPdf. Supports addition and removal (since v3.14), of basic text note annotations. | ||||
| CUPS | Apache License 2.0 | No | No | No | Yes | Printing system can render any document to a PDF file, thus any Linux program with print capability can produce PDF files | ||
| Pdftk | GPLv2 | No | Yes | Yes | Command-line tools to merge, split, en-/decrypt, watermark/stamp and manipulate PDF document files. Front end to an older version of theiText library. | |||
| poppler | GNU GPL | Yes | Yes | Utility library for rendering Portable Document Format (PDF) documents.poppler-utils includes command-line tools to extract images from a PDF (pdfimages) and convert a PDF to other formats (pdftohtml,pdftotext,pdftoppm). | ||||
| ps2pdf | GNU AGPL | Yes | Part of Ghostscript; converts aPostScript file to a PDF. | |||||
| SWFTools | GNU GPL | Yes | pdf2swf component converts PDF to SWF. | |||||
| Scribus | GNU GPL | Yes | Open source program for page layout. | |||||
| XpdfReader | GNU GPL | Yes | Yes | Based on Xpdf open source multi-backend library for viewing and manipulating PDF files. | ||||
| PDF Studio | Proprietary | Yes | Yes | Software for viewing and editing PDF documents | ||||
| Inkscape | GNU GPL | Yes | Technically not a PDF editor, but can be used as such page by page | |||||
| Adobe Reader | Proprietary freeware | Yes | Extant versions are obsolete, Adobe has stopped support for Linux. | |||||
| Firefox | MPL | Yes | Includes a PDF viewer | |||||
| Google Chrome | Proprietary freeware | Yes | Includes a PDF viewer | |||||
| MuPDF | Proprietary/AGPL | Yes | Yes | Yes | Lightweight document viewer. | |||
| Name | License | Freeware version | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bullzip PDF Printer | Proprietary | Yes | Virtual printer, requiresGhostscript and PDFPowerTool. |
| CC PDF Converter | GNU GPL | — | Virtual Printer. Creates a PDF with embeddedCreative Commons license from any software. Bundled with optional proprietary Razoss adware and browser tools. |
| CutePDF | Proprietary | Yes | Virtual printer, also with proprietary PDF editor. Attempts to install theAsk Toolbar as well asHotspot Shield. Can be avoided by using the /no3d command-line switch. IncludesOpenCandy adware. |
| deskPDF | Proprietary | No | Available for both client and terminal servers. |
| eCopy PaperWorks / eCopy PDF Pro Office[4] | Proprietary | No | Nuance product |
| Foxit PhantomPDF | Proprietary | No | |
| Foxit Reader PDF Printer | Proprietary | Yes | Virtual printer that comes with Foxit Reader. |
| gDoc Creator | Proprietary, shareware | No | Enterprise-level creator to create, review, edit, share or archivePDF andXPS documents. After 30 days shareware version places a watermark on documents. |
| HelpNDoc | Proprietary | Yes | Manual and documentation authoring tool with native PDF export. Free for personal use. |
| Mathcad | Proprietary | No | Mathcad worksheets can be saved as PDF files. Save as PDF only available in paid version. |
| Mountains | Proprietary | No | Image analysis and desk top publishing software dedicated to microscope users, and distributed under different brands by most microscope manufacturers. The pages produced can be saved into proprietary format, RTF and PDF. |
| Nitro PDF Reader | Proprietary | Yes | As withAdobe Acrobat,Nitro PDF Pro's reader is free; but unlike Adobe's free reader, Nitro's free reader allows PDF creation (via a virtual printer driver, or by specifying a filename in the reader's interface, or by drag-'n-drop of a file to Nitro PDF Reader's Windows desktop icon);Ghostscript not needed. |
| PagePlus | Proprietary | No | Desktop publishing suite with PDF viewing, editing and creation features |
| PaperPort | Proprietary | No | Desktop publishing suite with PDF viewing, editing and creation features |
| PDFCreator | GNU GPL/Proprietary | Yes | Virtual printer for Windows using a custom license called FairPlay. UsedGhostscript GPL until v1.7.3. Now uses .NET Framework 4. Includesadware. |
| PDF24 Creator | Proprietary | Yes | A PDF creator and virtual PDF printer for Microsoft Windows |
| PDF-XChange | Proprietary | Yes | PDF Tools allows creation of PDFs from many types of source input (images, scans, etc.). The PDF-XChange print driver allows printing directly to a PDF. A "lite" version of the print driver is free for non-commercial (home and academic) use. |
| PrimoPDF | Proprietary | Yes | Virtual printer, for Microsoft .NET Framework and uses Ghostscript and RedMon. Connects with www.primopdf.com. Includes Open Candyadware. |
| Solid PDF Creator | Proprietary | No | |
| Universal Document Converter | Proprietary | No | Virtual printer. It doesn't useGhostscript. |
| Xara Photo & Graphic Designer | Proprietary | No | Graphic design software with PDF creation plus import, viewing and limited editing |
| Name | License | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Adobe Acrobat | Proprietary | Adobe Systems's proprietary desktop PDF authoring suite; includes a virtual printer. |
| Adobe Photoshop | Proprietary | Adobe Systems's Graphic Design software and image editor. |
| Bluebeam Revu | Proprietary | A commercial PDF editor, markup and collaboration product aimed at engineering and architectural markets. |
| Foxit Reader | Freeware | Highlight text, draw lines, measure distances of PDF documents. |
| FoxitPDF Editor Suite | Free trial | Integrated PDF Editing and eSign anywhere. Optionally,ChatGPT+ |
| gDoc Fusion | Proprietary/Shareware | desktop product to create, review, edit, share or archive PDF and XPS documents. After 30 days a watermark is placed on documents in shareware version. |
| LibreOffice | Free (Mozilla Public License) | an Office suite; allows to export (and import, with accuracy limitations) PDF files. |
| Microsoft Word 2013 | Proprietary | Desktop software. The 2013 edition of Office allows PDF files to be converted into a format that can be edited. |
| Nitro PDF Reader | Trialware | Text highlighting, draw lines and measure distances in PDF files. |
| Nitro PDF Pro | Proprietary | a proprietary commercial PDF creator/editor with an interface styled afterMicrosoft Office; replicates most or all features of the Adobe Acrobat full commercial version; offers a separate freeware reader (which also supports PDF creation, annotation, collaboration and signing);Ghostscript not additionally needed. |
| PDF Studio | Proprietary | Proprietary software for viewing and editing PDF documents. |
| pdftk | GNU GPL/Proprietary | command-line tools to manipulate, edit and convert documents; supports filling of PDF forms with FDF/XFDF data. |
| PDF-XChange Viewer | Freeware | Freeware PDF reader, tagger, editor (simple editions) and converter (free for non-commercial uses). Allows edit of text, draw lines, highlighting of Text, measuring distance. |
| Solid PDF Tools | Proprietary | Convert PDFs into editable documents and create PDFs from a variety of file sources. |
| Name | License | Platform | Functions | Description | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Android | iOS | Other | View | Annotate | |||
| Amazon Kindle app | Freeware | Yes | Yes | BlackBerry OS,webOS,Windows Phone | Yes | ? | |
| Collabora Online | MPLv2.0 | Yes | Yes | ChromeOS and iPadOS. Also Windows, macOS, Linux and Online | Yes | Yes | |
| Evince | GNU GPL | ? | ? | Maemo | Yes | ? | |
| Foxit PDF Editor | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| Google Drive app | Freeware | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| Apple Books | Proprietary | No | Yes | Yes | Yes[6] | ||
| MuPDF | GNU AGPL | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Lightweight document viewer | |
| Qiqqa | Proprietary | Yes | ? | Yes | Yes | ||
