The Mac user base is underprivileged in many path . When you equate the bit of dick and utilities available for the Windows political program , Mac ’s app ecosystem is highly limited . The realm of PDF editors is no dissimilar . While there are many solution for PDF management in Mac OS X and macOS , the selection is not as extensive . However , if you ’re unforced to allocate a reasonable budget for your PDF software needs , there are several great options to pick from . This is a professional ’s reappraisal of the 6 best PDF editors for Mac as we head into the middle of 2019 . The inclination does n’t travel along any fussy order , and I ’ll after discuss why that is .
PDFelement Pro for Mac
presently usable as variant 7.0,PDFelement Pro(Mac version ) is an emerging PDF editor in chief in a toughened and competitive environs . The product is owned by Wondershare , which offer a encompassing range of computer software solutions across multimedia system and datum management , Android and iOS equipment management , video and DVD utilities , background organization maintenance , training tools and presentation tools , among others . PDFelement Pro for Mac is one of their premier products in the PDF public-service corporation family , and a fitting solution to the ubiquitous Adobe Acrobat , which for a tenacious time has held the place of ‘ most used PDF editor in the world . ’ Nevertheless , my tests with this various tool on my 13 ” MacBook Pro ( mid-2012 ) indicated firm underlying office in the feature and usability areas . Moreover , at this toll point , it offers a substantial challenge to budget - conscious users who will not compromise on character and performance .
Right out of the gate , the first thing I loved about this software was its design composition . The flat design couple on with tasteful use of blank infinite gives it a very likable look . Under the lens hood , this is a power station tool that has everything that a professional PDF editor in chief should . The editing and notation feature are comprehensive and prosperous to apply , the conversion speeding is definitely the best in its class , form recognition is amazingly accurate , and data extraction was very simple when working with scanned PDFs . It also tender decisive features like OCR , key signature , redaction , password protection and restrictions , and batch processing . It was highly easy to create a PDF from abrasion , but if you require templates , PDFelement Profor Mac has you covered .
Editing is very straightforward , and I liked the fact that instead of cluttering the port with tools and buttons , Wondershare has created slide - in toolbars that are customize for the component you ’re edit out . The only drawback – and this is a minor one for many people – is that triple - clicking text in either paragraph or rail line mode does n’t select all the text in that engine block . That would have been useful , at least for me , because I tend to prefer this over the click - pull method acting of selecting text . Overall , I would say this is definitely a challenger for the top spot considering its stop number and its intuitiveness , not to mention that it is a lot more affordable than its chief rival , Adobe Acrobat . Also , it is also usable oniOS and Androidthat providing unlined PDF redaction experience across different political platform .
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Adobe Acrobat for Mac
small needs to be said about the caller behind the Acrobat PDF editor . Adobe was a trailblazer in this area and stay the company to beat when it come to the popularity of its PDF apps . However , I call back it ’s also fair to say that Adobe ’s try with originative Cloud and grouchy - product integration have fairly much left the figure element by the roadside . This mature intersection can do a lot of things , but you often have to wade through or drill down before you could find a picky lineament . countenance ’s see how it perform in the test run .
There ’s no doubt Adobe Acrobat for Mac is a superior PDF editor in chief , but it is sorely lacking in terms of serviceableness unless you ’re already very conversant with the software . This is surprising considering that they ’ve segregate their PDF tools into Pro , Reader and Document Cloud . That say , from a public presentation standpoint , there are n’t many PDF editor program that can strongly rival Adobe Acrobat Pro DC .
The tabbed interface helps shrink the smother , but you still have a ton of categories so the pilotage panel on the right side avail a lot , but only if you know precisely what you ’re looking for . This is the biggest drawback with this software , and in all likelihood my only gripe . The one thing I really wish is how the ship’s company has addressed concern on pricing . Acrobat Pro DC is also available on a subscription basis so you do n’t have to trounce out a hefty amount up front . From a usability standpoint , the only thing I can say is that if you ’re a first - time user , then respectable luck figuring it out on your first sidereal day !
Foxit PhantomPDF for Mac
Foxit PhantomPDF for Mac is another mature product that ’s emphatically worth a aspect . The CEO of Foxit Software , Eugene Xiong , heads an first-class team that develops enterprise solutions as well as consumer - oriented product for PDF direction .
One of the first thing I noticed about PhantomPDF is its legato user interface and transitions . The layout is dainty , but the tabbed pick for different edit fashion did n’t attract to me that much . I would have preferred the toolbar options to change when switching between textual matter and image redaction . Right now you have to toggle between two tabs to do this . It ’s not a major defect , but it can get inconvenient when working with objects as well as text . Also , the installation phase is a little recollective for my liking .
The software is fully capable , no doubt about that . The tools for redaction , converting , etc . are comprehensive , and I like the fact that they ’ve been clubbed into a dropdown computer menu in the interest of economise screen space . As a major downside to that , the various alternative are not immediately accessible in an easy - to - use toolbar . There are destiny of conversion options , including standardise a document to PDF / A / E / X.
PDFpenPro for Mac
This versatile PDF public utility company from Smile Software is targeted at iPhone user who also use a Mac computer . The unseamed integration is intentional , and it clearly handle the “ on the move ” millennian audience .
From a substance abuser perspective , the best feature of this software system is the ability to put an entire website on PDF without sacrificing the link . It should be obvious , but do n’t essay it on a big website with hundreds or thousands of Page . The scan and OCR feature of speech are of particular pursuit because they ’re also usable as an app for your iPhone , allowing you to utilise multiple sources and giving you tremendous flexibility . The canonic software is quite comprehensive , so you ’ll see all the redaction , annotation , conversion , extraction , form - fill and other tools you ’d expect in a premium mathematical product .
A major downside to this usefulness is that it does n’t come cheap . It ’s not quite as high-priced as the market drawing card but it ’s not the most low-cost , either . From a features linear perspective , it does offer a unequalled twist on traditional PDF utilities , such as the ability to make portfolios of PDF document or the power to stack away it on the cloud and continue where you left off on your iPhone or iPad .
PDF Expert for Mac
This is one of my favorites since I ’m a Mac user . It ’s exclusively for Mac , and the intent element clearly show that it ’s been crafted for best carrying into action in a macOS environment . Installation was flying and the tool is quite reactive . It ’s comparatively raw on the market , being only in its second major iteration since the original liberation .
PDF Expert for Mac is especially good with bod filling and form founding , and its editing tools are second to none . The only job is that they have very few options for annotations , so if that ’s what you ’re doing most of the meter – reviewing and strike out up documents – then it might not be the best tool for you . There ’s also no OCR capableness and other advanced features like transition . On the other hand , it ’s decidedly an affordable alternative to the more expensive ones like Nitro PDF Pro or Acrobat . Overall , if you desire a no - nonsense PDF editor with strong basic features and not too many frills , this might be the one you ’re take care for . In other words , it ’s an awesome PDF reader and a reasonably robust PDF editor .
Preview (Built-in Mac App)
modernise in - house by Apple , Inc. , the Preview app is more than just a pic watcher . It has some astonishingly useful PDF capabilities , like being able to well merge and coordinate PDF varlet from multiple documents . And because it ’s a native macOS app there ’s no additional instalment to eat up up your memory . The development rhythm have been quite long , but if you ’re looking for a full-bodied PDF reader with some annotating and merging potentiality , Preview is all you postulate .
As I mentioned in the root , there ’s no such thing as the better editor in chief – each has its own solidifying of vantage . That said , some are distinctly better because of the width of PDF puppet they offer in a single parcel . PDFelement , for good example , is ideal for any sized office or even a little home berth , but it is robust enough to be deploy organization - widely across different location . Acrobat is , of course , the diligence touchstone , but it ’s expensive regardless of how it ’s swear out . From the rest of the batch discussed here , PDFpenPro is probably the right competitor for the top 3 but it ’s a piffling bit pricey . The point is , there ’s a PDF editor program for every penury , so once you ’re clear about what you ’re after , it ’s a breeze choosing the right one for you .
