What Do You Need to Do?

Different tasks need different tools. Here are the best free options by task:

Fill in a PDF Form

  1. 1

    Use your browser (Chrome, Edge or Firefox)

    Open the PDF directly in Chrome or Edge by dragging it onto the browser window. Many form fields are automatically fillable — click on them and type. This works for interactive PDF forms and is completely free with no software needed. Save with Ctrl+P → Save as PDF.

Edit Text in a PDF

  1. 2

    Use PDF24 (pdf24.org — free, online)

    Go to pdf24.org → PDF Editor. Upload your PDF. Click on text elements to edit them. Add new text boxes, images or annotations. Download the edited PDF. Free with no account required. Works on any device with a browser.

  2. 3

    LibreOffice Draw (free desktop app)

    Download LibreOffice (libreoffice.org) — free, open source. Open a PDF in LibreOffice Draw. Text and elements are editable as individual objects. Export back to PDF when done. Better for complex edits where you need precise control.

Merge, Split or Convert PDFs

  • iLovePDF (ilovepdf.com): Merge multiple PDFs into one, split pages, compress, convert Word/Excel to PDF and vice versa. Free tier handles most tasks.
  • Smallpdf (smallpdf.com): Similar features. Free tier allows 2 tasks per day.
  • PDF24 (pdf24.org): No limits on the free tier — merge, split, compress, rotate, add watermarks and more.

Sign a PDF

Adobe Acrobat Reader (free): The free version allows adding signatures. Tools → Fill and Sign → draw or type your signature. Smallpdf or PDF24 also offer free signature features online.

For ongoing PDF workPDF24 Desktop (the downloadable app) is excellent — it processes PDFs locally on your computer (not uploaded to a server), works offline, and has no daily limits. Recommended over the browser-based tools for privacy and convenience.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes — iLovePDF, Smallpdf and PDF24 all offer PDF to Word conversion free. The quality of conversion depends on how the PDF was created. Text-based PDFs (created from Word or typed) convert very cleanly. Scanned PDFs (photos of paper) require OCR (optical character recognition) to convert — most free tools include basic OCR. Complex formatting (tables, columns) may need tidying after conversion.
Reputable services (PDF24, Smallpdf, iLovePDF) delete uploaded files within hours. However, for sensitive documents (tax returns, passports, medical records), use a desktop application like LibreOffice Draw or PDF24 Desktop that processes files locally without uploading. Never upload sensitive documents to unknown or untrusted websites.