Drag & drop a PDF file here, or click to browse
PDF Editor — Annotate, Markup & Manage PDF Pages Free, No Upload
Add text, drawings, highlights, shapes, and whiteout+rewrite to any PDF — plus manage pages (delete, reorder, rotate, insert blank). All annotations are flattened into the PDF on save so they show in Acrobat, Preview, and Chrome. 100% free, no upload, no sign-up, no watermark.
Annotate + Manage PagesNo UploadNo Sign-upFlatten on Save
How to Use
- Upload: Drop your .pdf file or click to browse — files never leave your browser
- Pick a tool: Choose Text, Draw, Highlight, Rectangle, Line, or Whiteout from the toolbar — colours and widths are configurable
- Edit pages: Click a thumbnail to focus it, then use Move / Rotate / Delete / Insert-blank to manage your document
- Save & download: Click Save to flatten every annotation and rebuild the PDF, then download the result
Why Choose This Tool
- Six annotation tools: Add Text (with custom size and colour), freehand Draw, Highlight (translucent), Rectangle outline, Line, and Whiteout with optional replacement text. Each tool gives you colour, width, and opacity controls.
- Page management: Delete unwanted pages, rotate by ±90° or 180°, reorder with explicit Move-up / Move-down buttons, and insert blank pages at any position. All operations apply to the final flattened document.
- Flattened on save: Every annotation becomes a real PDF primitive on save — text, rectangles, lines, and ink paths are drawn with pdf-lib. The result opens correctly in Acrobat, Preview, Chrome, and mobile readers.
- 100% local, no upload: Rendering and saving happen inside your browser via pdfjs (view) and pdf-lib (write). Your PDF and annotations never touch any server — disconnect from the internet after the page loads and the tool continues to work fully offline.
How We Stack Up
| Feature | Ours | SmallPDF | iLovePDF | Adobe |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annotate any PDF | Free (unlimited) | $12/mo | Free (limited) | $20/mo |
| Upload required | No — local processing | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sign-up required | No | Yes for free tier | No | Yes |
| Page management | Delete / Reorder / Rotate / Insert | Pro only | Basic | Full |
| Whiteout + rewrite | Yes | Pro only | No | Yes |
| Works offline after first load | Yes | No | No | No |
| Watermark on output | None | Yes on free | Yes on free | No |
Common Questions
Can this tool actually edit the existing text in my PDF?
Partially. PDF text is stored as positioned glyphs, not as semantic characters — pdf-lib cannot reflow existing text. The Whiteout tool covers the original text with a white rectangle, then draws your replacement text on top, which looks like a real text edit but is technically an overlay. For minor corrections and label changes this works well. For heavy reflow, use PDF to Word first.
Will my annotations show in Acrobat, Preview, and Chrome?
Yes. Every annotation is flattened onto the page during save using pdf-lib primitives, so the output is a standard PDF. No special viewer is needed — the file works everywhere.
What fonts are used for text annotations?
Helvetica (and Helvetica-Bold for whiteout replacement text). Both are the standard 14 PDF fonts that pdf-lib ships with — no font files needed, no embedding issues.
Does this work on scanned (image-based) PDFs?
You can add annotations and manage pages on any PDF, including scanned ones. The underlying text stays as an image so you cannot search or copy it. Use the OCR PDF tool first to add a text layer if you need that.
Are form fields supported?
Not in v1. This tool focuses on annotations and page management. To fill or create form fields, use a desktop tool. To remove encryption that blocks some PDF features, use the PDF Unlock tool first.
Is there a file size or page limit?
Up to 100 pages per document, limited by your browser's memory. For larger files, use PDF Split first and process the parts separately. Individual files up to 256 MB are accepted.
Are encrypted PDFs supported?
Not directly in this tool. Use the PDF Unlock tool first to remove the password, then come back here. Decryption also happens entirely in your browser.
How big does the output get?
File size scales with the number and size of annotations. A document with a few text callouts and highlights stays roughly the same size; a document heavily annotated with high-resolution ink drawings can grow 2–5×. The output is still a normal PDF with no watermark.