List of PDF software
This is a list of links to articles on software used to manage Portable 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 allows redaction, removing content irreversibly for security. Extracting embedded text is a common feature, but other applications perform optical character recognition (OCR) to convert imaged text to machine-readable form, sometimes by using an external OCR module.
Multi-platform
Converters: These allow users to convert PDF files to other formats.
(For software to convert other formats to PDF, see the various Creators sections below. For software to convert HTML/CSS to PDF, see also the ‘HTML to PDF converters’ entries in Comparison of HTML to PDF converters.)
Editors: These allow users to modify an existing PDF file.
Name | License | Platforms | Converts PDF to other format | Edits existing PDF | Description | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Linux | Mac | Windows | Other | |||||
GIMP | GNU GPL | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Converts PDF to raster images | ||
ImageMagick | Apache | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Converts PDF to raster images and vice versa | ||
LibreOffice | GNU LGPLv3 / MPLv2.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Import from PDF (extension included by default), export as PDF including PDF/A. | ||
OpenOffice.org | GNU LGPLv3 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Import from PDF (with restrictions) (after installing an extension), export as PDF including PDF/A. | ||
PDFBox | Apache License | Yes | Yes | Unix | Yes | Converts PDF to other file format (text, images, html, ...) | ||
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 | Artistic License 2.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Structural, content-preserving transformations from PDF to PDF | |||
pdf-parser | Public Domain | Python script | Yes | Extraction and analysis tool, handles corrupt and malicious PDF documents | ||||
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 ( requires Xpdf ) | ||
Nitro PDF | Proprietary | Yes | Yes | Yes | Converts PDF to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, raster images . Rich UI, allows combining PDFs, converting to other formats, editing (add images, shapes, text, etc.) | |||
Mobipocket Creator | Proprietary | Yes | Yes | Import from PDF and create HTML and MOBI output | ||||
Inkscape | GNU GPL | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Import-/Export- from PDF to (Vector-)graphics. Export documents only one page at a time (pages can be later combined using PDF printer) | ||
Scribus | GNU GPL | Yes | Yes | Yes | Unix, GNU/Hurd, Haiku, OS/2 | Yes | Yes | Export PDF and many other formats, multi-pages and multi-layers. Supports JS forms
|
LibreOffice Draw | GNU LGPLv3 / MPLv2.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | PDF viewing and editing. Has many of the features offered by Acrobat. | ||
OpenOffice Draw | GNU LGPL | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | PDF import via OpenOffice.org software, or extensions | ||
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 | |
PDF Studio | Proprietary | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Full feature PDF editor | ||
Karbon | GNU GPL/LGPL | Yes | Yes | Yes | BSD, Solaris/Illumos | Yes | Import PDF with multiple pages as layouts, export as a one-page PDF. All standard vector graphics editor features. | |
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 | ||||
Soda PDF | Proprietary | Yes | Mac OS X | Yes | Modular PDF software |
Development libraries
These are used by software developers to add and create PDF features.
Name | License | Description |
---|---|---|
Adobe PDF Library | Proprietary | C++, .NET, Java API with support for PDF editing, viewing, printing and text extractions |
PDFBox | Apache License | Java developer library for creating, view, extract, print PDF files. |
Formatting Objects Processor | Apache License | Open-source print formatter driven by XSL Formatting Objects and an output independent formatter; main output target is PDF |
iText | Proprietary/AGPL | Library to create and manipulate PDF, RTF, HTML files in Java, 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 |
JPedal | Proprietary/GNU LGPL | Java developer library for viewing, extracting, and printing PDF files. |
LEADTOOLS | Proprietary | .NET, C/C++, Java, and HTML5 developer library for reading, writing, viewing, annotating, and extracting text from PDF 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 in Java. Fork of an older version of iText, but with the original LGPL / MPL license. |
PDFTron Systems | Proprietary | C, C++, C# .NET, JAVA, Objective-C, Python, Ruby and PHP library for creating, editing, annotating, optimizing and viewing PDF files. |
podofo | GNU LGPL | Open-source C++ library to read and write the PDF files |
Poppler | GNU GPL | Open-source multi-backend C++ library derived from Xpdf; no bundled viewer; incl. pdftohtml converter |
TCPDF | GNU LGPL | Open-source PHP library to create PDF files |
XEP | Proprietary | XSL-FO layout engine written in Java; output formats: PDF |
Creators
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 X | Desktop PDF authoring suite |
Adobe Illustrator | Proprietary | Windows, MacOS X | Illustrator can save as PDF, and can recognize and edit text and graphics |
FineReader | Proprietary | ? | OCR tool; can save as PDF, and recognize text from PDF |
Ghostscript | GNU GPL | Linux, Windows, Mac OS X, 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, Mac OS X | All Microsoft Office products from 2007 version allow users to Save as PDF |
OpenOffice.org | GNU LGPL | Linux, Windows, Mac | All OpenOffice.org applications allow PDF export; supports also PDF/A-1a; since many import formats are supported (e.g., doc, docx, rtf, xls, ppt) conversion is also possible |
LibreOffice | GNU LGPLv3 / MPLv2.0 | Linux, Windows, Mac | All LibreOffice applications allow PDF export; supports also PDF/A-1a; since many import formats are supported (e.g., doc, docx, rtf, xls, ppt) 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/X1, PDF/X1a and PDF/X-3 |
PageStream | Proprietary | ? | Cross-platform desktop publishing application to open, edit, export |
Prince | Proprietary | Linux, Mac, Windows, Solaris, | Converts HTML, XML, SVG, and MathML to PDF by way of CSS |
Scribus | GNU GPL | Linux/UNIX, Mac OS X, OS/2 Warp 4/eComStation and Windows desktops | Cross-platform desktop publishing (DTP) application; supports also PDF/X-3 |
XEP | Proprietary | BSD, Linux, Mac, Windows (Java based) | Converts XML and XSL-FO to PDF |
LaTeX, TeX | LaTeX Project Public License, Permissive | ? | Mark-up language and tools to write technical reports, books, magazines, almost any publication type |
LuaTeX | GNU GPL | ? | TeX typesetting system that creates PDF documents |
pdfTeX | GNU GPL | ? | TeX typesetting system that creates PDF documents |
XeTeX | MIT | ? | TeX typesetting system that creates PDF documents |
Viewers
These allow users to view (not edit or modify) any existing PDF file.
(For e-book readers, see also Comparison of e-book readers.)
Name | License | Description |
---|---|---|
Adobe Reader | Proprietary, freeware | Adobe's PDF reader |
DigiSigner | Proprietary, freeware | PDF viewer with added function to digitally sign PDF documents |
Evince | GNU GPL | Universal viewer for GNOME. |
Mozilla Firefox | MPL 2.0 | JavaScript-based built-in viewer, based on PDF.js. |
Foxit Reader | Proprietary, adware | PDF Viewer / Reader for Desktop computer and Mobile 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 |
Google Chrome | Proprietary, freeware | Browser includes PDF viewer functionality. |
MuPDF | GNU AGPL | Aims to be small and fast with high quality anti-aliased graphics. |
PDF.js | Apache License 2.0 | A JavaScript library to convert PDF files into HTML5, usable as a web-based viewer that can be included in web browsers. |
Qiqqa | Proprietary, freeware | View PDFs in a variety of zoom layouts, annotate, tag, search, cross-reference. |
Sumatra PDF | GNU GPL v3 | A simple, small and fast pdf reader. Uses the MuPDF library. |
Utopia Documents | GNU GPL v3 | Semantic scientific PDF reader (optimised 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 |
Xpdf | GNU GPL/Proprietary | Multi-platform viewer; source and binaries available for Windows, Linux and Macintosh |
AmigaOS
Converters
- Antiword: A free Microsoft Office Word reader for various operating systems; converts binary files from Word 2, 6, 7, 97, 2000, 2002 and 2003 to plain text or PostScript; available for AmigaOS 4, MorphOS, AROS x86
- dvipdfm: a DVI to PDF translator with zlib support
Viewers
Linux and Unix
Name | License | Functions | Description | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
View | Annotate | Edit | Create | Convert | Library | |||
Okular | GNU GPL | Yes | Yes | KDE desktop environment; replaces KPDF. Supports a range of annotation types. Annotations are stored separately from the unmodified PDF file, or (since version 0.15 with Poppler 0.20) can be saved in the document as standard PDF annotations. | ||||
Evince | GNU GPL | Yes | Yes | Default PDF and file viewer for GNOME; replaces GPdf. Supports addition and removal (since v3.14), of basic text note annotations. | ||||
CUPS | Free | 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 the iText 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 a PostScript file to a PDF. | |||||
SWFTools | GNU GPL | Yes | pdf2swf component converts PDF to SWF. | |||||
Scribus | GNU GPL | Yes | Open source program for page layout. | |||||
Xpdf | GNU GPL | Yes | Yes | Open source multi-backend library for viewing and manipulating PDF files. Bundled with a viewer with the same name for the X Window System. | ||||
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 | GNU AGPL | Yes | Yes | Lightweight document viewer. | ||||
Zathura | Free | Yes | Lightweight document viewer with vim-like keybindings. |
macOS
Converters
- deskUNPDF for Mac: proprietary application from Docudesk to convert PDF files to Microsoft Office, OpenOffice.org, image, and data file formats
Editors
- Adobe Acrobat: Proprietary PDF authoring suite
- PDF_Expert_(software): Proprietary PDF viewer and editor.
- PDF Studio: Proprietary software to view and edit PDF documents.
- PDF Signer: Proprietary; fills forms and embeds image signatures in PDF documents
Creators
- macOS: Creates PDF documents natively via print dialog
Viewers
- Safari: This bundled web browser has built-in support for reading PDF documents.
- Firefox: Includes a PDF viewer
- Google Chrome: Includes a PDF viewer
- Preview: macOS's default PDF viewer (in Mac OS X v10.5 and later, it also can rotate, reorder, annotate, insert, and delete pages. It can also merge files, create new files from existing files, and move pages between files.)
- Adobe Reader: Adobe Systems's reader which is also available for Macintosh; Safari plug-in available
- Skim, an open source (BSD licence) PDF reader and note-taker for Mac OS X
- Foxit Reader: Proprietary, freeware. Allows users to add elements to PDFs (e.g. arrowed comment boxes, text boxes, links, bookmarks, and images)
Microsoft Windows
Converters
- Adobe Acrobat: Can convert files into PDF or convert PDF files into other formats
- ABBYY FineReader: Commercial PDF converter which converts PDF into Word (.doc), Excel (.xls), PowerPoint (ppt), and more
- deskUNPDF: PDF converter to convert PDFs to Word (.doc, docx), Excel (.xls), (.csv), (.txt), more
- GSview: File:Convert menu item converts any sequence of PDF pages to a sequence of images in many formats from bit to tiffpack with resolutions from 72 to 204 × 98 (open source software)
- Google Chrome: convert HTML to PDF using Print > Save as PDF.
- gDoc Fusion: Proprietary, shareware; PDF views, edits, converts documents into PDF, XPS or Microsoft Word document; after 30 days a watermark is placed on documents in shareware version
- OmniPage: Converts to and from PDF and other formats with many options.
- Nitro PDF Reader: (Freeware) Extracts Images in original resolution.
- PDF-XChange: PDF Tools and PDF-XChange print driver allow conversion from many formats to PDF. A "lite" version of the print driver is free for non-commercial (home and academic) but places a watermark on documents
- Qiqqa: Converts Microsoft Word document and Web Pages to PDF.
- SaveasPDFandXPS: Freeware add-in for Microsoft Office 2007; converts documents in standard Microsoft Office formats, e.g. Word, Excel, Powerpoint, into PDF format.
- SWFTools: 'pdf2swf component converts PDF to SWF – command line with GUI wrapper
- poppler-utils a collection of tools builds on poppler to convert PDF contents to everything
Creators
Name | License | Freeware version | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Bullzip PDF Printer | Proprietary | Yes | Virtual printer, requires Ghostscript and PDFPowerTool. |
CC PDF Converter | GNU GPL | — | Virtual Printer. Creates a PDF with embedded Creative 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 the Ask Toolbar as well as Hotspot Shield. Can be avoided by using the /no3d command-line switch. Includes OpenCandy adware. |
deskPDF | Proprietary | No | Available for both client and terminal servers. |
doPDF | Proprietary | Yes | Virtual printer. It doesn't use Ghostscript. Includes adware. |
eCopy PaperWorks | Proprietary | No | |
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 archive PDF and XPS 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. |
Nitro PDF Reader | Proprietary | Yes | As with Adobe 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. |
NovaPDF | Proprietary | No | Virtual printer. |
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 | — | Virtual printer for Windows using a custom license called FairPlay. Used Ghostscript GPL until v1.7.3. Now uses .NET Framework 4. Includes adware. |
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 Candy adware. |
SaveasPDFandXPS | Proprietary | Yes | Add-in for Microsoft Office 2007 |
Solid PDF Creator | Proprietary | No | |
Universal Document Converter | Proprietary | No | Virtual printer. It doesn't use Ghostscript. |
Xara Photo & Graphic Designer | Proprietary | No | Graphic design software with PDF creation plus import, viewing and limited editing |
PDF24 Creator | Proprietary | Yes | A PDF creator for Microsoft Windows. |
Editors
- Adobe Acrobat: Adobe Systems's proprietary desktop PDF authoring suite.
- Adobe Photoshop: Adobe Systems's Graphic Design software and image editor.
- Bluebeam Revu: 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.
- 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) GUI tools to manipulate, split, merge, encrypt and decrypt 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: (Freeware) Text highlighting, draw lines and measure distances in PDF files.
- Nitro PDF Pro: a proprietary commercial PDF creator/editor with an interface styled after Microsoft 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 software for viewing and editing PDF documents.
- pdftk: free (GPL) 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: Convert PDFs into editable documents and create PDFs from a variety of file sources.
Viewers
- Adobe Reader: Adobe's PDF reader is free for personal use.
- Evince: a free (GPL), open source PDF reader. Part of the GNOME desktop environment. Windows port available since version 2.28.
- Foxit Reader: Proprietary/freeware PDF reader, supports FDF import/export, saving filled forms; other extended functionality available via purchasable plugins.
- gDoc Fusion: Proprietary/shareware to view PDF, XPS, Microsoft Word document, Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, Microsoft PowerPoint presentation or image files, included in the evaluation version of the product. Shareware version places a watermark on documents after 30 day eval.
- Google Chrome: Includes a PDF viewer.
- GSview: Open source software and Ghostscript's viewer for Windows.
- Javelin PDF Reader: A full functionality PDF reader with support for DRM using encoded and encrypted PDF files in Drumlin's DRMX and DRMZ formats.
- Microsoft Edge: Includes a PDF viewer.
- Microsoft Reader: A dedicated PDF viewer that is free to download from Windows store.
- Mozilla Firefox: Includes a PDF viewer.
- MuPDF: Free lightweight document viewer.
- Nitro PDF Reader: Freeware (though proprietary) PDF reader and creator. Supports three methods (specifying the file within the reader's interface, or dragging-'n-dropping a file onto the reader's Windows desktop icon, or "printing" to a virtual printer driver) of PDF creation (Ghostscript not additionally needed), saving filled forms (AcroForms), text typewriter, markup/collaboration, and stamp signature (document signing).
- PDF-XChange Viewer: Freeware viewer with free OCR, supports FDF/XFDF import/export, saving filled forms, extended markup and export to image capabilities.
- Qiqqa: Freeware PDF reader, indexer, tagger and annotator. Supports OCR and export of PDF text and images.
- Sumatra PDF: A free (GPL), open source PDF reader. It also supports DjVu, XPS, CHM, Comic Book (CBZ and CBR) and eBook (EPUB & MOBI) file formats. Supports automatic reloading of PDF files.
- STDU Viewer: A freeware for non-commercial usage PDF reader. It also supports DjVu, Comic Book Archive (CBR or CBZ), XPS, TIFF, TXT and image file formats.
Mobile
Name | License | Platform | Functions | Description | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Android | iOS | Other | View | Annotate | |||
Amazon Kindle app | Freeware | Yes | Yes | BlackBerry OS webOS Windows Phone |
Yes | ? | |
Evince | GNU GPL | ? | ? | Maemo | Yes | ? | |
Foxit MobilePDF | ? | Yes | ? | Yes | Yes | ||
Google Drive app | Freeware | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | ||
iBooks | Proprietary | No | Yes | Yes | ? | ||
MuPDF | GNU AGPL | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Lightweight document viewer | |
Qiqqa | Proprietary | Yes | ? | Yes | Yes |
Web-based
Converters
- Cometdocs: Online PDF conversion
- Zamzar: Online file converter
- Smallpdf: Offers free Online PDF conversion (PDF to other formats and vice versa)
Editors
- PDFescape: an advertising and fee supported web service to view, create forms, fill out forms, and edit PDF documents from a web browser (requires JavaScript to be enabled)
- PDFVue: a free web application that allows the user to view PDF's, comment and fill PDF forms from a web browser. Generates a watermark.
- Smallpdf: Free web-based PDF software for editing, signing, compressing, merging, splitting, rotating, unlocking and protecting PDF files. No registration needed.
Viewers
- A.nnotate: a web service which views PDF documents as HTML in the browser, with annotation features.
- DigiSigner: free online PDF viewer java applet with additional function to digitally sign PDF documents.
- Docstoc: a web service which allows viewing PDF documents online
- Issuu: a web service which allows viewing PDF documents online
- Google Docs: a web service which views PDF documents as PNG images in the browser
- Scribd: a web service which renders PDF documents as HTML5 in the browser
- PDF.js: A Javascript-based library, with viewer, and browser plugin.
- PDFTron Systems: WebViewer. A free JavaScript viewer and annotator for self-hosting of web optimized PDFs.
External links